UPDATE on Monday, April 26, 2010: Read our latest blog post for answers to your additional questions about personalized web tools.
Published on Wednesday, April 21, 2010:
Today, we're meeting with developers and entrepreneurs from around the world for our f8 conference to talk about new ways for people to connect with friends online and share what's important to them.
Earlier we announced the next version of Facebook Platform that puts people at the center of the web. As part of that, you'll begin seeing more social and personalized experiences on other websites that are using the following new tools—called social plugins—that we introduced today:
Already on Facebook, you can show your friends that you're interested in their status updates, photos and links by clicking "Like." In fact, the average user clicks "Like" on nine pieces of content each month.
You'll begin seeing "Like," or in some cases "Recommend," buttons appearing on popular websites spanning a variety of industries, including NYTimes.com, IMDb, CNN.com, TIME.com, LIFE.com, Fandango, NHL.com, USA Networks, Levis.com, Univision and ABC.com.
For example, if I like a pair of jeans on Levis.com, my action will be shared with my friends on Facebook, where they can comment on it. I can also see which of my friends like the jeans on Levis.com.
In other cases, I may want to create a more lasting connection to something, such as a book, band or movie. So, if I like the movie "The Godfather" on IMDb, it will be added to my profile as an interest on my "Info" tab. Once the connection is made, "The Godfather" page can send me updates through News Feed, and it will appear in search results.
If you decide you no longer like something, you can always remove the connection or "unlike" the content on the original site. You're always in control of the things you connect to or like.
The Activity Feed surfaces the actions your friends are taking on a website. CNN.com is known for bringing you breaking news coverage, but imagine experiencing this news in a more personalized way, and seeing a stream of friends' activity.
When you're logged into Facebook and visit CNN.com, you will instantly see the articles and topics your friends are sharing, recommending and commenting on via the Activity Feed.
Recommendations help make sites more relevant to you by highlighting content based on the top "Likes" across a site. Think of it as a people-powered "most popular" list. For example, if logged into Facebook, you can visit NHL.com and instantly see the articles, game summaries and NHL recaps people are liking and sharing with their friends most often, in real time.
Visit a site tour of these new features and view more examples in this photo album.
Once you start taking actions on other sites using these new tools from Facebook, the sites will become more relevant to you and your friends, as you find and share what matters to you. Content will only be shared to Facebook if you take a specific action, such as clicking the "Like" button on an external website.
It's important to note that none of your personal data is shared with a site when you view these new features, and they will only be visible to you when you're logged in to Facebook. Also, none of these features impact or change Facebook's advertising programs or policies.
We're already working with more than 75 websites from 10 countries to make the web faster, smarter and simpler. Keep an eye out for personalized experiences on even more of your favorite websites in the future.
Austin, a product manager for Facebook Platform, is liking finding his friends in more places online.
Published on Wednesday, April 21, 2010:
Today, we're meeting with developers and entrepreneurs from around the world for our f8 conference to talk about new ways for people to connect with friends online and share what's important to them.
Earlier we announced the next version of Facebook Platform that puts people at the center of the web. As part of that, you'll begin seeing more social and personalized experiences on other websites that are using the following new tools—called social plugins—that we introduced today:
Like
Already on Facebook, you can show your friends that you're interested in their status updates, photos and links by clicking "Like." In fact, the average user clicks "Like" on nine pieces of content each month.
You'll begin seeing "Like," or in some cases "Recommend," buttons appearing on popular websites spanning a variety of industries, including NYTimes.com, IMDb, CNN.com, TIME.com, LIFE.com, Fandango, NHL.com, USA Networks, Levis.com, Univision and ABC.com.
For example, if I like a pair of jeans on Levis.com, my action will be shared with my friends on Facebook, where they can comment on it. I can also see which of my friends like the jeans on Levis.com.
In other cases, I may want to create a more lasting connection to something, such as a book, band or movie. So, if I like the movie "The Godfather" on IMDb, it will be added to my profile as an interest on my "Info" tab. Once the connection is made, "The Godfather" page can send me updates through News Feed, and it will appear in search results.
If you decide you no longer like something, you can always remove the connection or "unlike" the content on the original site. You're always in control of the things you connect to or like.
Activity Feed
The Activity Feed surfaces the actions your friends are taking on a website. CNN.com is known for bringing you breaking news coverage, but imagine experiencing this news in a more personalized way, and seeing a stream of friends' activity.
When you're logged into Facebook and visit CNN.com, you will instantly see the articles and topics your friends are sharing, recommending and commenting on via the Activity Feed.
Recommendations
Recommendations help make sites more relevant to you by highlighting content based on the top "Likes" across a site. Think of it as a people-powered "most popular" list. For example, if logged into Facebook, you can visit NHL.com and instantly see the articles, game summaries and NHL recaps people are liking and sharing with their friends most often, in real time.
Visit a site tour of these new features and view more examples in this photo album.
Once you start taking actions on other sites using these new tools from Facebook, the sites will become more relevant to you and your friends, as you find and share what matters to you. Content will only be shared to Facebook if you take a specific action, such as clicking the "Like" button on an external website.
It's important to note that none of your personal data is shared with a site when you view these new features, and they will only be visible to you when you're logged in to Facebook. Also, none of these features impact or change Facebook's advertising programs or policies.
We're already working with more than 75 websites from 10 countries to make the web faster, smarter and simpler. Keep an eye out for personalized experiences on even more of your favorite websites in the future.
Austin, a product manager for Facebook Platform, is liking finding his friends in more places online.
