14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook is expanding the functionality of the Send feature it debuted a short while ago. Initially, Facebook just launched the Send button which enabled users to share a link, video and so on with only some of their Facebook friends. The new Send Dialog works in a similar way but also enables the users to add their own messages to the link they share.
"The Send button lets them share with specific people and groups. In the first thirty days after its launch, over 100,000 websites have added the Send button," revealed Facebook's Ravi Grover.
"Building on the popularity of the Send button, today we’re introducing another way for developers to let people share private content – the Send Dialog," he added.
"It resembles the Feed Dialog, but gives people the ability to share a link as a private Facebook message, email or Group post. The Send Dialog is better than the Send button for deep integrations because it enables developers to build sending messages into the core flow of their website or app," he explained.
The new Send Dialog is clearly related to the Send button, in many ways it works the same. But the possibility of adding a personal message changes the way the feature is likely to be used.
If you're sharing with a larger group of people or some like a funny video with a few friends, a simple link will suffice. Other things you share may not be so obvious to the ones their destined to, so adding an explanation or an expansion effectively evolves the Send Dialog from a simple sharing tool to a messaging channel.
The Send Dialog is intended for apps and websites alike and, understandably, is a bit more obtrusive than a simple button since it uses a fair bit more UI elements.