I LOL'd. This post is as good a place as any to note that the media response to Chat Roulette echos the response to Twitter around this time last year. Basically, they had been so burned by ignoring Myspace, and took too long to understand Facebook, they weren't going to get fooled by Twitter and so they jumped in both feet first. Chat Roulette went from internet sensation to all over the media in record time. I imagine that the next platform to take off will get covered in the traditional media BEFORE it becomes popular online, thus creating an interesting paradox.

Silicon Valley Insider has a long story on how Facebook was founded with some purportedly new accusations.

New information uncovered by Silicon Alley Insider suggests that some of the complaints against Mark Zuckerberg are valid. It also suggests that, on at least one occasion in 2004, Mark used private login data taken from Facebook's servers to break into Facebook members' private email accounts and read their emails--at best, a gross misuse of private information. Lastly, it suggests that Mark hacked into the competing company's systems and changed some user information with the aim of making the site less useful.

Ruh roh. It's hard to tell how much of this was new information, though the fact that the accusations from ConnectU came a week after Facebook launched gives the accusers credibility in my book. Also, the $65 Million settlement... Well, yeah. That says Facebook is giving them some credibility, as well. And the accusations of using user data to login to the email addresses of users? That jibes pretty closely with how (un)seriously Facebook takes user privacy. I wonder if any of this will get picked up by the traditional media, and I wonder if the SVI investigation will hold up to journalistic standards...


Via Eric Andersen

As of this writing, I still don't have Google Buzz on my computer - these thoughts were gleaned from find it enabled on my iPhone. First reaction: Holy crap, I love it.

This app wouldn't have worked 3 years ago, but Facebook and Twitter have been doing heavy lifting, training "Social Media Experts" and technophobes alike how to (over)share. Broadly generalizing here, but a lot of people probably find their Facebook accounts bloated with too many people they don't care enough about. By limiting Google Buzz to the users you communicate most with, Google has made the hard cuts for you.

I wonder if people will share differently than they do on FB or Twitter. What do you think?

Microsoft probably invested millions of dollars and several months to come up with a word they could turn into a verb like 'To Google', but Buzz feels natural right off the bat. For what it's worth, I like 'to Buzz' infinitely more than I like 'to Tweet'.

Since I only saw it on my iPhone, this may change, but it's potential as a mobile app is amazing.

Privacy issues aside, the Buzz Map and the "Nearby" feature of the mobile app are incredibly voyeuristic and addictive. With links to a users Google Profile, it also makes the web a lot more local and personal.

What will Facebook's undoubtedly ham-handed response be? Another move that outrages privacy experts, looks bad, and is hard to use?

When Google exposes my data, somehow I expect it, maybe I'm an apologist. When Facebook does it, people get MAD MAD MAD.

I think Twitter remains relatively useful, but this hurts Facebook a lot.

Also, whither Foursquare?

What do you think?

The latest update to Facebook's iPhone app offers push updates, which is nice. Also, the ability to sync your iPhone contacts with your Facebook contacts, which sounds nice, but ruh roh, what's this? "Please make sure your friends are comfortable with any use you make of their information." To tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't have minded sending the info to FB, but this warning is so sketchy as to be alarming. FB is now saying that you're not responsible for your privacy, your friends are. How does that make any sense? I wonder if this is an example of FB's last few privacy moves. Overreach inappropriately and then walk it back if there's an uproar. What do you think?

Via Fimoculous, this is the best thing I've seen in a month. Love.

It will be a big video this week.

Every couple months I ask you guys if Facebook humor is still funny and, we never come to a conclusion. So here's 4 Awkward Moments in Facebook "Likes".



Via Twitter.

According to Facebook, Blake Schwarzenbach from Thorns of Life, Jets to Brazil, and Jawbreaker will be writing at Huffington Post starting "Monday, July 25". Seeing as how today is the 25th and Monday is the 27th, it's not clear if this is a joke, but I'll definitely be looking for totalaccord@huffingtonpost.com on Monday. I'll post something on the article if it happens. Still no word on the album that was rumored to be releasing on June 30th.

Or full quote from this Mediaite.com interview with Bill Simmons: "Facebook is a social network; Twitter is a media/marketing vehicle disguised as a social network." It's interesting to see how hard Bill Simmons has fallen for Twitter because a couple months ago he was bashing it. In general, I think his take on media/journalism is too simplified, but this quote about Twitter is right on.

4 different people mentioned to me today that I ended up in their Google Reader at some point and they wanted to know why. I had noticed that certain articles I was scanning were "liked" by people I didn't know, which I thought was weird. Obviously, Google made a change. To me it looks like a strike against both Facebook AND Twitter. Not only are you able to connect with and read the articles shared by people you do know (Facebook), but you'll be able to do the same with people you don't know, as well (Twitter). Seems like a good idea to me.

Oh, and you're damn right I'm gonna "share" this, Captain Obvious, you better "like" it.

Boston Magazine skewers Ben Mezrich's Facebook book, which is supposed to come out in a few weeks. The book, which was optioned as a movie that is being written by Aaron Sorkin, apparently makes a lot of things up, which makes it just like all of Mezrich's other books. (I still haven't figured out what the difference between Bustin Vegas and Bringing Down the House is.)

What I wish someone would write is a book about whether Mark Zuckerberg is the worst CEO ever using many of Facebook's shortsighted and herkyjerky decisions of the last 18 months as evidence. In 10 years, it will be surprising if people don't think about Facebook the way people think about AOL now.