Facebook Messaging: Awesome

You don't go after Google with search like Bing did. You go after it from an angle. Call it social, call it Facebook. And so I had no idea what Facebook's Gmail killer application would look like. That was the metaphor that had been making the rounds. Facebook is not calling it email. Facebook is calling it messaging.

Facebook Blog: See the Messages that Matter: Between mobile devices and the Internet we can be more connected today than ever before, but there is still a feeling that the technology can also act as a barrier between us. .... the next evolution of Messages ..... You shouldn't have to remember who prefers IM over email or worry about which technology to use. Simply choose their name and type a message. ..... All of your messages with someone will be together in one place, whether they are sent over chat, email or SMS. You can see everything you've discussed with each friend as a single conversation. ..... From "hey nice to meet you" to "do you want to get coffee sometime" to "our kids have soccer practice at 6 pm tonight." .... It seems wrong that an email message from your best friend gets sandwiched between a bill and a bank statement...... Instead of having to worry about your email address getting out, you're now in control of who can actually reach you. ..... Relatively soon, we'll probably all stop using arbitrary ten digit numbers and bizarre sequences of characters to contact each other.

Facebook has not disappointed. The expectations were high. They have been met.

Facebook's Gmail Killer Email: The Expectation Is In The Air

Image via WikipediaThis day - Monday - is going to be all about Facebook's email service. It has been touted as the Gmail killer. That is a tall wall to climb. If they deliver, that will create a new wave for them.

I think they will present something that is pretty compelling. This is Facebook, after all. But as to how much of a departure from Gmail it will be, that is anyone's guess.

I personally am very glad that a company the size of Facebook is tackling the inbox. The inbox is so raw. And I hope this step by Facebook will make Google sit up a little. It has been lazy with Gmail.

Voice Is Not Dead, Dumb Voice Should Be

Image via Wikipedia

TechCrunch: The Phone Call Is Dead: Text is just easier.

I have a few different phone numbers. I think I have three. Does that mean I am a huge fan of the telephone? Hardly. The opposite is true.

I tried to cancel my Yahoo Messenger number. I think I did. And they billed me anyway. My bank filed a complaint on my behalf. They gave me a new debit card. But that transaction went through. Felt like Carol Bartz was balancing the Yahoo budget on my back.

What Gmail/Yahoo Mail/Hotmail Can Learn From Twitter

Image via WikipediaThis is a feature request.

When you get into compose mode - and that is a mindset, a killer mindset - you should have two options. One option would be that your message - no subject line allowed - would be limited to 140 characters. The upside would be the receiver would not have to click to read it. Your entire message could be read and replied to immediately from the inbox.

What Gmail Can Learn From Yahoo Mail

Image via CrunchBaseThere is this feature in Yahoo Mail, you click on the Sender column title at the top, and all your emails get organized by who sent you the email. You click on Date and all your emails in the inbox get similarly organized.

This feature comes in very handy when you are out to massacre emails. You want to save that rare email. On the other hand you don't want to have to delete emails one at a time.