Facebook and Google have a had a symbiotic relationship for several years, now; in 2007, the social network opened up Profiles to Google for public consumption (they could actually be viewed before that, but the move made visibility a default):
Starting today, we are making limited public search listings available to people who are not logged in to Facebook. We’re expanding search so that people can see which of their friends are on Facebook more easily. The public search listing contains less information than someone could find right after signing up anyway, so we’re not exposing any new information, and you have complete control over your public search listing.
In a few weeks, we will allow these Public Search listings (depending on users’ individual privacy settings) to be found by search engines like Google, MSN Live, Yahoo, etc. We think this will help more people connect and find value from Facebook without exposing any actual profile information or data.
Google passed on the Facebook NewsFeed (FriendFeed), choosing to set up their own app Google Buzz – which has so far been an abysmal failure. However, they di opt to flow certain information from Facebook in 2009, although what will flow depends on privacy settings, according to blogger Danny Sullivan’s notes from Google’s Web Search ‘Evolution’ summit:
Facebook will be providing Google with a feed from Facebook pages and will show in real time search. MySpace will provide updates, too. Thanks Twitter also for previous deal, calls out to Biz Stone who’s at the event somewhere she says.
Questions.
How about face recognition? Vic say faces are objects that can be recognized but Google decided not to. Wants to work through issues of user privacy. Decided to delay until more safeguards.
Ads & real time search? Focused on the user side right now, says Amit. People are experimenting with multiple models. All companies like Twitter and others have added tremendous value to the world.
How many real time sources? How often crawling? How much draw in? Amit says crawling a lot of content, billion pages per day (think he said). Many sources out on the web, crawling all of them. Key is comprehensiveness of info and consolidation with Google’s existing results. Taking Twitter now and soon Facebook and MySpace
Now Facebook has followed Yahoo’s lead and added a ‘Questions’ section, which displays a warning when you start to post: “You are about to post your first question to the world!” This can be controlled, however, according to the Facebook blog:
To ask a question to the community, just click the “Ask Question” button at the top of the homepage. You can also ask questions about your friends from their profiles, similarly to how you would post on their Walls.
After you ask a question, you have the option of adding a photo or a poll. Want to know what type of flower is growing in your back yard? Take a photo and attach it to the question. Wondering which video game system is better for your 8 year-old cousin: Nintendo Wii or XBox? Make a poll.
Keep in mind that all questions and answers posted using the Questions application are public and visible to everyone on the Internet. If you only want to ask a question to your friends or a specific group of people, you can still pose it as a status update on your profile targeted to those people.
Many assumed Facebook Questions would be on Google – but computer says no. According to Search Engine Land:
That’s one of the big questions people are asking after yesterday’s launch of Facebook Questions. While many have assumed the answer would be “yes,” a Facebook spokesperson tells us that assumption is wrong.
Currently, search engines cannot access questions and answers through our Questions product. That may be something we consider for the future but have no current plans to allow it.
Facebook is blocking search engines by only showing Questions to logged-in users. Sure enough, a site:facebook.com/questions/ search on Google shows only a handful of results, none of which are actually Q&A from the first 24 hours that the beta has been open.
Matt McGee doesn’t think the decision will last – the temptation for Google listings is just too great.
Tags: answers, Facebook Questions, Google