The internet is constantly striving for bigger and better, and the developers at Facebook have to adopt a similar approach if they are to remain the world’s biggest and most popular social network.
Whether you use Facebook for personal or commercial reasons, there are always lots of changes occurring and it’s important to keep on top of the ever changing online environment that you are a part of.
Hashtags on Facebook
Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated updates that will hopefully arrive on Facebook is the hashtag. A hashtag, for those of you who don’t know, is a hash symbol (#) used in front of a word (#Facebook) or a phrase (#FacebookNews).The hashtag is synonymous with Twitter, and the hashtag is used in a number of ways. The main purpose of the hashtag is to brand a conversation on a subject matter between tens, hundreds, thousands or even millions of participants. Television programs, for example, often use hashtags to help viewers discuss the show they are watching with a wide audience.
Hastags are also used to succinctly summarize a situation or feeling. This practice is adopted due to Twitter’s character restrictions. However, many people are starting to use hashtags on Facebook in this personal way, and the demand for hashtag support on Facebook is growing; especially as Instagram and Google+ also utilize this technology.
However, as much as hashtag support is desired by some users, it is strongly opposed against by others. Many feel that the hashtag simply will not work on Facebook because of the platform’s privacy settings. Of course, with the introduction of the Graph Search, perhaps the hashtag will have more relevance. Whether or not the hashtag is integrated into Facebook is yet to be seen.
Facebook Graph Search
In the coming months Facebook will be adopting Graph Search, a new search engine that works within Facebook, using data added by Facebook users. The principle behind the new Graph Search is to help users access content that is more relevant to them, and is by far perhaps one of the most relevant changes to users that will take place in recent history.
For example, using the new Graph Search users should find it easier to connect with people in their local area with whom they share an interest. People should also be able to filter through and see content, such as images, which have been posted by their Facebook friends. The new Graph Search is also designed to help you connect with companies and communities that your Facebook friends interact with.
The implications of Graph Search are huge, and many businesses are quickly gearing up their profiles and strategies to make use of this new set of data. However, until the Graph Search is rolled out as standard across the board it is difficult to imagine just how much impact this will have on both Facebook and perhaps even Google.
Changes to Facebook Pages
If you think personal profiles undergo a lot of change then you should try running a commercial Facebook Page! Business owners are often frustrated by the never ending changes, both big and small, that are made; often under the radar.Two recent changes include:
- Replies and Threaded Comments – At first hailed as a much needed solution, the threaded comments feature was quickly deactivated by users who had just as quickly turned the feature on. The reason? Twofold –
- The feature was not supported on Facebook’s mobile apps.
- The feature prioritized and organized comments based on the number of replies, rather than chronologically.
- Page Timeline Covers – Rules on what Facebook Page Timeline Covers can include are constantly changing, and until recently the rules were very restrictive. However, it seems that many of these regulations have been revised, offering Page owners a bit more creative freedom in their cover designs.
Alexandra SereminaAbout the Guest Author:
This is a post by Alexandra Seremina who works with Azoft (http://www.azoft.com/mobile-application-development.htm)- a mobile development company.
