Facebook,myspace anyone?

[crossroadpuzzle]

sounds interesting. i will try to search that later. so what kind of groups of HK did you guys join so far ?

we should set up a group there called GeoExpatHK.

easier for calling for newbie and oldie hanging out..lol

[HKChigger]

sounds interesting. i will try to search that later. so what kind of groups of HK did you guys join so far ?

we should set up a group there called GeoExpatHK.

easier for calling for newbie and oldie hanging out..lol

ummmm my last post on page 2/first on page 3 talk about the geoexpat group. So there is a geoexpat group already....

[canucktony]

LoL, I can see my pictures in Geoexpat group in Facebook, but I haven't joined yet.

[muse07]

I'm finding facebook fun and a good way to keep in touch with people from around the world (eg ex school/uni friends and workmates). More and more people seem to be joining every day. There are also a lot of entertaining and informative applications and groups on it.. It's heaps better than myspace. Have been on geo a lot less since joining up I'm on http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=743425902

[twlewis]

Just to answer the original post and question - the reason that facebook is suddenly all the rage is mainly because it has recently been opened up for anyone to join (Sept. 2006). Since then, Facebook has doubled in numbers.

Facebook started by an undergrad at Harvard in Feb 2004 and he opened up to Stanford, Yale & Columbia students. Soon other schools in the US & Canada were added, where email addresses could be verified to be student-owned - eg. [email protected] or [email protected]. I remember reading about its beginnings and wishing I still had my Univ. email address - the concept was fascinating.

The ongoing culture of Facebook vs. MySpace is also interesting because of their beginnings. With Facebook one needed that legitimate ".edu" e-mail address to be able to join and consequently users stuck more closely to their real identities and the type of online behavior, manners and expectations could be seen to mirror their offline behavior. With MySpace, there is an understood degree of fantasy involved. Users reveal who they want to be, through their interests in music or movies, but people aren't always who they say they are. Another way to look at it is that Facebook starts with relationships and MySpace is more content driven.

Facebook's model works best in well wired, small populations and this is demonstrated broadly in Canada. Canada is small in terms of population but is relativey well wired with high internet and broadband penetration. Currently, this combo has Canada accounting for a disproportionately large number of Facebook users. In June, total global Facebook users was 30+million and Canada accounted for more than 10% (3+ million). This won't last of course as the rest of the world grows and Canada will soon finish its Facebook growth spurt.

But the most interesting fact that I've come across - read in BusinessWeek earlier this month - is that Facebook's growth is apparently racing amongst certain demographics. "....According to comScore, 68 million unique users logged on to MySpace in June; 26 million to Facebook. On both networks, adults predominate, but on MySpace, half of the users are age 35 and older, while users age 18-24 make up only 17%. On Facebook, older users make up 40%, with college students (29%) being the next biggest group. [Some observers have] said that MySpace users tilt toward the lower middle classes and comScore reported that the three lowest income brackets are overrepresented there, whereas on Facebook, the opposite is true: There, the three highest income groups dominate.... "

Maybe this is an e-version of the old saying "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer" ?

[ede559]

i am also a big Facebook user. I go on and check my account almost every day. It is the best networking site out there in my opinion

[muse07]

IMO the reason why FB has become so popular is not so much the fact that it is open to everyone - there are plenty of sites that are like that (eg myspace, friendster, etc). It's more that it is extremely well designed. The interface is very user friendly - it looks good, is easy to use and has good applications. (For example, you can easily put up your personal movie and book reviews - there are dozens of other innovative apps and new ones frequently being added, not necessarily by FB people). The design is modern but not too cluttered and the email and wall post system encourages frequent but shorter messages.

It's very easy to share photos. The people, as tw mentioned are 'real' as compared to myspace where you can get lots of strange unsolicited messages.

I think it may be becoming esp. popular in HK because although it's a big city, it's a transient one. It's easy to meet people but as most people are time poor it is difficult to keep in touch. People on FB can just pop in and see what's news with their friends (you can put in little snippets in 'status updates' rather than maintain a time-intensive blog) it's very efficient.

To pick up what tw mentioned about demographics, my personal experience is that a lot of people who have moved overseas to work (eg London, HK, NY) have especially found it a good way to keep in touch with people.

[Vrindavan]

does it allow to use facebook profile link as forum signature link ?

pls advise

[rba03]

Hey! I am on both facebook and myspace. Initally, I had facebook for my college friends, and myspace for my friends back at home because a lot of them didnt go off to college. But now that facebook has opened up, I have both of them to keep in contact with my friends back in America. I would be lost without them and am addicted!


Facebook seems to be starting to catch around here, but most people I have met either have no myspace or dont know what myspace is! I think Myspace is a big American thing. I am 22, so I fall under the under 30 category! But, I do know a lot of older people who are using both facebook and myspace!

If anyone wants to add me..facebook is:
Login | Facebook

and myspace is :myspace.com/rachel06626