Twitter seeks closer integration with Facebook

BBC NewsTwitter seeks closer integration with FacebookVNUNet.comWhile Facebook focuses on emulating the success of its growing rival Twitter by adding contact updates to users' profile pages, Twitter is busy promoting stronger integration with the social networking giant.

Twitter's most popular application, TweetDeck, will now give users the option of setting up a Facebook column in order to view contact updates from both sites in one interface. TweetDeck v0.24.1, which will also allow users to direct their updates to Facebook, can be installed now.

Meanwhile, Twitter has launched new homepage house adverts, one of which promotes Twitter Widgets. These let users set up a Twitter feed on web pages such as Facebook, MySpace, Blogger and TypePad.

Facebook attempted to buy Twitter for US$500m at the end of last year. Following its failure, Facebook has concentrated on adding a number of site updates to target Twitter's success.

These include recently updated homepages to allow users to view constant news feeds from organisations or public figures, as they do on Twitter. The new design also lets users immediately see everything that is shared by their friends.

In what could be a further move to copy Twitter, Facebook will now enable users to open up their profiles to the whole network.

"None of your existing privacy settings have changed," said Facebook engineer Mark Slee in a blog post. "This is an additional setting for those of you who wish to share with a broader audience."

Users can opt to open up any of the following elements: Profile, Status Updates, Links, Wall Posts, Basic Info, Personal Info, Education Info, Work Info, Photos of You and Videos of You.

There are lot of comments available on the Facebook blog regarding it, and the changes made to the new facebook never been acceptable by the users who are using it from the previous time.

Facebook is all about data collection. Everything you upload to your Facebook account is their property and you lose the rights to the content. Facebook customer service is terrible. Facebook does not care about any of us, we are all numbers to them. Try emailing their customer service and see for yourself.

Some great points that should definitely be considered when approaching social media sites. I agree that you never know what could happen to these companies and if they were to shut down, you'd be in a tough spot. At the same time, if twitter went down, there would undoubtedly be a similar company, or multiple companies that would take it's place. The twitter population would then just shift to a new platform.

It is definitely smart to diversify your social media attention to be present on more than just one platform. You must also be careful not to spread yourself too thin across multiple platforms. There has to be a balance, which differs in each individual situation, where you aren't spreading yourself out too thin, but you're not putting "all your eggs in one basket."

Facebook and Twitter are merely technology platforms and a method of communication.

If they disappear other channels of communication will pop up to replace them. There are so many fantastic and creative different ways to get the word out online. The more creative the better.

So hypothetically, if Twitter and Facebook were to vanish if you are engaging your customer correctly you should already have attracted them directly to your website and then you can use them as brand advocates on whatever communication channel you like.