Facebook Going for Twitter, Introduces Public Content Sharing

Facebook is becoming more like Twitter everyday, but, with the micro-blogging platform's huge success, it's understandable. First, there was the redesigned News Feed, showing all the status updates from all your friends, not so much unlike Twitter. Then came the new “real-time” search features that are currently just in beta. And now, there is the “everyone” button, currently the first option when publishing an update, which will make it easier for you to make your status updates and other content public.

“Today, we're launching a beta version of an improved Publisher – the main place to add content such as photos, videos, and status updates on your home page and profile. The new Publisher has been streamlined a bit, and its most significant improvement is the new Publisher Privacy Control that gives you the opportunity to answer the question, 'Who do you want to tell?' as easily as you answer the question, 'What's on your mind?,'” the Facebook blog said.

The new feature is just in beta and only available to those who have already had their default privacy option set to “Everyone.” The default options for the “publisher” are now Everyone, Friends and Networks, Friends of Friends, Friends and, if you want to specify certain friends or lists, there is the Custom option. At first, this may seem like a small, insignificant change, but, coupled with the other small, insignificant changes Facebook has been rolling out, a trend emerges. A trend that spells Twitter.

Facebook has been traditionally very walled off with much of the content not available to the public. Arguably, this strategy is what allowed it to overtake MySpace and become the largest social network in the world and the US. And, while Twitter may have grown at a huge rate for a couple of months, though it looks like the rate is slowing, with its 18 million users, it is still no threat to the social networking giant, which has more than 200 million registered users. Apparently, Facebook isn't taking any chances and is moving towards a more open approach.