Jeff Jarvis appeared on Reliable Sources and posted the segment on Facebook. The topic? Facebook.
It’s a good discussion.
Items that stand out:
- The mini-feed isn’t a news feed, which for some makes it less interesting, but Jarvis sees it as a wisdom-of-the-crowds way of endorsing what’s good in Facebook.
- Ana-Marie Cox struggles through an explanation of the “elitist” background of Facebook, but her underlying point is good. Facebook started as a social network for a limited number of people, so it’s always maintained an “in-the-know” sort of vibe. Meanwhile, MySpace has been completely open, which encourages people who are more open to experimenting with their persona.
- Age and status, according to Jarvis, define how you use Facebook. If you’re in high school and college, you accept all friends requests, but old folks, like us, are more selective, because our friends are people we “endorse” and will respect their online opinions.
Speaking of web 2.0 stuff (this is a real tangent, but I don’t want to take time for a separate post on this): Check out ABC’s new iCaught. It’s an interesting spin on UGC. Or you could see it as an other example of how packaged goods media wants to turn distributed media into PGM.
FYI
The video link doesn’t work. It just sends me to the facebook video page. The privacy settings are probably set too high, so not everyone will be able to view the vid.
It’s very true what Jarvis says about age on Facebook. I also treat my “friend” practices on LinkedIn somewhat differently than on Facebook.