I have a new desktop, and it’s NOT from google. Of all things, it’s a social networking site that actually delivers on the promise of what that means–a simple, fun way to keep tabs on people you know and people you care about.

Yep, it’s Facebook.

In the last few weeks, I’ve been so passionate about Facebook that Jason Alba called me a spammer, and Carolynn Duncan says she will rue the day she ever invited me inside.

Yes, I am sorry to admit that, your life was much more pleasant before you introduced me to the killer app of social networking. You will never live this down. Bwahahahaha!

And why, pray tell, shant I wax eloquent toward my new-found fascination?

From this blog, I’ve ripped on Classmates.com (which I can hardly stand) and LinkedIn (which I actually love quite a lot, and I wish they would play nicer in the web2.0 marketplace), and I’ve been very pleased with Jobster, but Facebook puts it all together in one place. (Nobody’s paying me to say this… it simply works, that’s all!) Facebook has put all the pieces together, and they’re easy to use both for fun and as tools, and the site works fast!
As I see it, here’s the players that should be very aware of Facebook:

• LinkedIN — If you don’t attract a younger market of people, all your customers will retire. Then what?
• Classmates — Um, duh. Facebook will keep me connected with old chums more intimately and simply than Classmates, without giving me megabytes of ads to dload, while also not poking my checkbook everytime I want to actually do something.
• MySpace — Great for linking to friends, and a lot of fun (sort of) but the themes and customization and the “punch the money” type ads make it just that — fun, but not a serious “application” or a tool to manage my network.
• Meetup.com — I thought nobody handled meetups better (and I am close). But Facebook does what you do… for free (like you used to)
• Google Groups — If I am already on Facebook, why go someplace else to start my group?

Would I change anything? Sure. Here’s a few suggestions:

• Facebook needs to beware of looking too much like a dating site.
• For example, be careful in the signup process to not alienate people who will come to facebook for reasons other than hookups.
• Be more clear that you don’t have to say you’re “male, seeking females” or whatever when you signup, as that may turn off people looking to connect with a favorite artist, get behind a social group, or simply keep track of their network.
• Good job letting me import my blog to the notes area. I had to search for a way to do it, but good job!
  Here’s other things I want to import:
• Grab my Google Calendar (or other) and put it in my events area.
• Grab my Flickr feed and put them into my photos.
• Grab my del.icio.us posts and import them to notes/posts.
• Grab the feed of a few sites I post, and keep them updated so I can follow the site… a mini blog-reader.
• Better Search:
• Search doesn’t work right.
  I know at least three people on facebook work or worked at my company, and–depending on the search–I can never find them all at the same time.
• Let me free query search or Boolean, search with more confidence.
• If the person who matches what I am searching for isn’t in my network, but a mutual friend is, let me still find them.
• More networks:
• I am in the Provo, Utah network. Lots of facebook users, or sure, but not everyone I want to find is in Provo. That limits me. Help me join surrounding networks… especially since I live in one town and work in various other towns. Help me join multiple city networks!
• To keep people from joining every city out there, maybe limit to 3 metro networks.
• It’s not clear to me if Provo’s network includes Orem, which is so close they have the same chamber of commerce….
• Shouldn’t I be automatically joined to my hometown as a network, too?
• Groups should also be networks. This will help tremendously, as people who are passionate about certain things will want to connect and stay connected as a network, not just a group.
• Professional Networking Tools:
• Let people upload their resume in text-format and make it searchable.
• Let people mention/list the things they’d like to do for work (and make it searchable)
• Let people list favorite companies or people and link them to websites/blogs, etc.

Great stuff, Facebook! I am looking forward to more good stuff as your members need more powerful networking tools, and you find ways to embrace communities built around things other than school, work, or residence.

Nice!

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