Facebook Gets New Integrated IM Client

Stitch_Surfs writes "Blognation is reporting that the IM client FriendVOX has gone live for Facebook. This is the first time that Facebook users (of which there are now some 32 million) can communicate with one another from directly within the Facebook application. This development, by UK-based Techlightenment, effectively closes the loop for any external applications to be used (or necessary) for communication among Facebook users.'It will be interesting to see how quickly FriendVox is adopted and could it ever replace Twitter by simply using the Facebook status. The other question is what will Facebook do if FriendVox ever became too popular? Would they seek to buy it or replicate it themselves? This is the real dilemma facing all Facebook developers living inside the Facebook walled garden, and recently this happened when a developer showed Facebook their new marketplace application which would run inside of Facebook. Inside of two weeks Facebook had suddenly launched their own marketplace!'"

hyperbole

This is the first time that Facebook users (of which there are now some 32 million) can communicate with one another from directly within the Facebook application.

Really? The first time they could communicate with each other? what were they doing on the site before?

Re:hyperbole

The duct tape and knife are just for interpretive dance.

Facebook isn't creepy...

As if facebook wasn't creepy enough... now people can see if I'm online at that VERY moment? Thats not scary at all.

Oh good.

It was always so hard for me to click on someone's screen name in their profile to open up an AIM window to use them.

Popular instant messaging systems be damned, we need another way to send our friends links to shock sites that doesn't work with any others!

Why.

While I definately prefer Facebook over MySpace, and while I have found it to be EXTREMELY useful (located some friends I hadn't seen or heard from since middle school...a couple from as far as back as elementary school) I absolutely despise this application crap...part of the allure facebook had for me was that it was clean, simple, and not flashy. While I know that all of these applications are entirely voluntary and they don't just toss them in your face (i.e. you have to actually go browsing in the application section to see them) it still bothers me that Facebook continues to expand like this.

Don't get me wrong...from a business sense, I understand why it's being done. From a lot of my friend's point of view, I notice that a large portion of them like the idea of of the applications...but still. Slowly, Facebook is becoming more and more like MySpace....and that's definitely not good.

Developer talking here

Yea, developer of the kind of those in the article. And i would guarantee that the repetition of below act would totally nullify any developer doing any crap for anything that starts with f and ends with k - we developers are a free bunch, not morons :

This is the real dilemma facing all Facebook developers living inside the Facebook walled garden, and recently this happened when a developer showed Facebook their new marketplace application which would run inside of Facebook. Inside of two weeks Facebook had suddenly launched their own marketplace!'"

So, what you're saying is...

... i would guarantee that the repetition of below act would totally nullify any developer doing any crap for anything that starts with f and ends with k...

You wouldn't do anything for a fuck? You're obviously not a developer, and are on the wrong website.

Re:Developer talking here

Facebook Marketplace launched on May 13 [news.com], while Facebook Platform launched on May 24th [techcrunch.com]. The developer would've have completed two rounds of time travel to show it (for reasons unknown) to Facebook.

Antisocial social networks

This is the first time that Facebook users can communicate with one another from directly within the Facebook application.

This is great! Someday, maybe this tool will allow Facebook users to communicate with users on other websites. Imagine the possibilities!

Right now, the web is fragmented into many different isolated islands. Each service requires a different registration, uses different protocols, and are generally incompatible with one another. It's difficult for UserA on Facebook to communicate with UserB on MySpace. Users on AOL Instant Messenger can't talk to users on Yahoo Instant Messenger!

My parents don't use Facebook, AIM or any other social networking technology. Let's think of a solution for them too!

I propose we connect all of these large websites and services, possibly using a series of interconnected networks, well defined common protocols. I think we should call it 'The Interweb'.

Meebo

There has been a Meebo app out for ages, so I don't know where this "first time" thing is coming from.

http://auburn.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2354779593 [facebook.com]

This Just In: FUNWALL!

Ye Gawds.... Facebook apps are news worthy? Then again, maybe Slashdot also needs opportunities for me to turn Taco into a Vampire.

Mosoto - Alpha Facebook IM Client

What about Mosoto [mosoto.com], currently in alpha? At first glance, it looks rather interesting as well... interface is slick, it lets you mouse over friends to see common interests, and it is said that you can use this to stream music to your friends. It has buttons for using a webcam, too; I haven't played with Mosoto much yet but it's worth a look if we're talking about IM through Facebook. -- Joren

another IM client...

Great, just add it to the long list: AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, skype, google talk, QQ, etc. Stop the madness developers!

jabber/xmpp?

why not create a jabber/xmpp based solution?

that way any recent non-specific im client should be able to access it, and gtalk at the same time.

Site Down...

The site's down. Is there a mirror anywhere?

at least it's not myspace

Facebook may replicate it, but they tend to be better behaved than myspace who like to block applications from their site - youtube, photobucket, revver, imeem, hoooka have all been blocked from myspace. A myspace exec even made a comment that if they'd seen youtube sooner they would have shut it down and stopped it becoming the titan they are, with imeem they don't intend to make that mistake again. (you can't eve say imeem.com without it getting edited)

Just what we need

Another IM network with it's own proprietary client. Damn, I wonder if the multi-protocol clients have any chance of keeping up with things or should just throw in the towel. I don't think there are any left that support all the features on all the major clients.

A proper British take on Facebook

(Courtesy of b3ta.com)

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/pickledpizza/facebook2.jpg [photobucket.com]

Just brilliant.

Question to Story submitter and Accepting editor

Is anyone paid to publish this story or submit this story to Slashdot "news for nerds?".

If this kind of junk makes into front page of slashdot second time in a month (check http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/23/0019224 [slashdot.org] which is there on APPLE topic with a referrer? URL), why the hell are you suggesting us to pay/subscribe to get rid of ads? I could care less about ads, there are 3 layers of disabled software which would allow me to erase them. We, subscribers pay so Slashdot wouldn't have to post this kind of PR junk to front page.

Also, the accepting editor should know that besides whatever he hears on IRC or Web, Slashdot community aren't really lifeleless nerds who doesn't know how things work.

First, there was a completely off topic (Apple topic? Come on) story with a referrer URL and now this story.

If this kind of PR junk , site abuse makes to front page, lets all go elsewhere and "fix that" instead of trying to fix a broken thing.

Why not a Pidgin/Purple plugin then?

If they are going to develop a really good IM for Facebook (which I'd quite like) then they really nned a libpurple plugin no? That way it would work with e.g. Pidgin and Adium...

And LiveJournal provides a jabber server.

And LiveJournal provides a jabber server. So what?

It's been done before, MySpace has that MySpaceIM thing.

I didn't see such a commotion over LJ providing Jabber or MySpace doing that MySpaceIM thing.

Re:Legally XSS by Facebook?

When I signed up, I had to enter my password first into gmail to confirm, and then into facebook for it to grab my contacts. The second step was skippable. That was only a couple weeks ago. You sure you didn't do that?

Re:Legally XSS by Facebook?

They used to do that, but the difference being that they asked for your Gmail password and they would log in and yank your contact list for this purpose, and it was optional.

Re:seriosly

I know you're trolling, but with valuations ranging from $1 Billion to $10 Billion and ~32 million users, it is a big deal.

Re:facebook future

If you actually paid attention to what you were typing in during the sign up process you would notice that you provided Facebook the password to your e-mail account and gave them permission to access it and find all your contacts. Since you apparently did not realize that this was going on I would suggest that you both:
A) Learn to read things before you fill them out/agree to them, and
B) Resign any position that gives you signing authority at your current job.

Re:who cares so what not news

this is just stinking PR, please...

Really suspicious amount of Facebook stories down to my countries news broadcast TV lately.

Slashdot-as usual gets victimised by someones professional PR agenda it seems.

I expect some big media scandal coming from Facebook soon. It is completely unexplainable to me, it must have some form of thing going on.

It is _really_ stinking PR since Facebook is not implementing XMPP, they are just coming up with a new propetioary closed protocol.

This is the Digg scheme. Post a PR crap to some blog, make it digg up by dedicated "Web 2" monkeys (actually getting paid) and really profit.

Can Zonk explain what kind of "light" he saw in this story to make into front page of Slashdot? I have never used "serious problems with story? Alert" which is appearing on "future stories" when you are subscriber but if I saw this story, I really would.

What the hell is Facebook? What kind of unique thing it offers? What kind of this IM client offers? Working in web page? Jabber guys implemented it at Netscape 6.2 days for Gods sake! Even AOL mail client has AIM working inside along with Yahoo mail.

Re:my analysis

If myspace is the armpit of the internet, Facebook is like the sweaty taint.

And Slashdot is...?