Facebook’s Graph Search to Google, Dating And Co Quaking
Facebook has introduced a new graph search function for the social network , which not only Google could, but also many other services such as the Career Network Linked-In or the referral portal Yelp quaking. The advanced search feature is the approximately one billion users allow to sift through the network as a huge database, and to combine all sorts of information to discover new things. Wired had the chance to look behind the scenes of Graph Search throw.
Two Google employees for Facebook
Behind the massive project, which puts loud Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg still in its infancy, there are two former Google employees Lars Rasmussen and Tom Stocky. Ramussen 2004 saw Google as the search engine took his startup that was later to become Google Maps. With Wave, he drew but also for the search engine giant flop charge, which had been discontinued after only one year.
Back to the roots
Zuckerberg impetus to graph search, the idea of returning to the roots of the network: to discover new people, places and things rather than just maintain the current connections. The difficult task that has to deal with the search function: to give users the opportunity to make a perfectly natural question and spew more precise information, the more information can be typed.
50 developers in the Graph Search Team
Search for on Google about after “Chinese restaurant in Vienna”, they should browse in graph search eg for “Chinese restaurants in Vienna, like my friends from China.” Facebook’s enormous database that is fed by the users for years by Likes and updates should offer a hitherto achievable personalization of search results. Meanwhile, around 50 developers working for over a year on graph search, including two linguists to understand the search input, the user better.
Competition for jobs, single and recommendation sites
Graph Search has the potential not only Google, but also other services such as job networks, single platforms or referral systems outstrip. Thus, the function can be used as targeted to recruit new employees. Zuckerberg is an example of a search developers working with Google and are friends with Facebook developers.
About a quadrillion connections
Singles can search for people in their home environment look with the same taste in music. In the search for new reading material, one could be recommended books that have been “liked” by some people who follow and a certain politician on Facebook. The results are always in relation to one’s own community – that mutual friends, fan pages, etc. Graph Search will eventually take advantage of the over one quadrillion connections on Facebook.
Users should know what they are doing
Encounter that the new feature is also a lot of criticism, it makes you look at Facebook no illusions. Is to be found with Graph Search only what users have shared in any form publicly or just with their friends, they assured. Nevertheless, the contents of which have been divided over the years on Facebook, presented in entirely new ways and above all new contexts.
Slower roll-out
Facebook product manager Sam Lessin explained to Wired that graph search could also have the potential to educate the user about what is found on them all. Who does not understand what information you share with who will, generally not much to reveal about themselves. Facebook will therefore invest a lot in order to communicate the new features as clearly as possible. Should help even a slow roll-out, which is initially limited to a few users and in English.
Likes and check-ins required
The highlight of the matter is that not only Facebook itself should be concerned that users now share as much as possible, but also the users themselves – if they want to use the new function. Because the algorithms can be ever so clever, if there are no likes, check-ins, or at least with several friends there is sharing, remains empty and the search field. For Slate magazine, the intense Share on Facebook has now become only useful. Only with Graph Search this data would be used in a useful context for the user, rather than simply presenting their own interests in a network.
At the very beginning
Zuckerberg has certainly big plans for Graph Search. Example, the first roll-out and no status updates, no information from third-party apps, and – for Facebook’s business model is probably the most important – no ads. Also to integrate into mobile apps, to voice commands – here is also likely to Apple Siri me sit up – and a notification system work the development team already.
Await user reaction
Whether the search heralds the next era of the social web and Facebook’s biggest flop remains to be seen. Will Facebook users share more or set their privacy settings more restrictive to just not show up among the singles who studied some friend of a distant acquaintance in its environment? For as the user graph Search assume is anyone’s guess at Facebook only.
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