Facebook/Twitter Networks and the Stream

Facebook will be updating its user's home pages very soon, and much has already been made about how these pages are going to become more Twitter-esque in appearance and functionality. Status updates and postings from friends will now take center stage, updating in real time. The tour of the updated home page looks very cool; it's like Twitter on steroids. I'm excited to see what it will look and feel like when it's released, and how it will be used by those on the Book.

But I don't think Facebook or Twitter will immediately dominate the other company for their user base anytime soon. The updated FB home page presents a major shift in the way social network home pages have been used up to now, and it may take some time for people to shift away from the Twitter, and put all their eggs in the FB basket. I could be completely wrong, so it will be interesting to see what happens. But the different types of networks and the strengths of the ties people have with one another on Twitter vs. Facebook may present a challenge to any FB/Twitter plan for FB/Twitter/World dominance.

Here's why: On Twitter, my profile is kind of a sidenote. Not much is made of it by users, and it's not something we look at or groom. It's more like a concise business card providing a little insight into who we are. We can post and never reply to anyone if we wish. When we follow/unfollow/block a fellow Twitterer, it's just opening and closing different pipes of communication. Who follows me or who I follow may something about who I am, but probably doesn't, so I don't think you can assign to much relevance to the connections, as people are just opening and closing circuits to find posts they're interested in.

Many times the follower/following people have never met each other in real life, or even communicated directly with one another on Twitter. Also, networks of communication come and go . Networks of communication are established ad-hoc on Twitter based on common interest areas, goals, and shared experiences. For example: People may only tweet at a conference, because everyone else is. Or at that conference was the only time people had a common interest/goal to tweet with each other about. People come and go on Twitter, and there's a ton of people tweeting, so we get to maintain some level of anonymity.

In a nutshell: Twitter's a personality subscription service that enables ad-hoc interest networks to form and share information. The networks are very dynamic and subject to rapid change.

On Facebook, I have to request a friendship, I have to say how I know that person, they have to confirm and agree to the connection. I may have to provide an email address as proof of my participation in a group. There are lots of pictures of us; some posted by us, some posted by others, we get tagged. Our profiles include much richer information that we enter ourselves when we set up our home pages. We tailor that info for our audience, which includes our families, our friends, our coworkers; all people who get to see each other once we're "friends". These connections have a lot of relevance as they're people we interact with in everyday life, or have interacted with seriously at some point in life.

There's ZERO anonymity, the connections are much more meaningful, and the connections are much more static. The connections I have on FB I had long before there ever was a FB, and will be with me for the rest of my life. These links include shared history and experience that motivate us to stay in touch, either willfully or by obligation. These connections also have levels of trust and reputation associated with them.

Twitter to me is like going to the pub after work, or to a party on Saturday night. You meet up with a group of people. This group may include people you know, maybe not. You have a few drinks, talk a bunch of smack, tell jokes, do something crazy, then go home... to Facebook.

Facebook's where I present my best face. I may not want my Mom or the CEO from my company to know who I was with at the pub. I may not want them to know what we we're talking about earlier, or the jokes that were told, that information could be completely inappropriate for them.

So though Facebook's updated home page and Twitter's standard functionality may look similar, they actually support different groups of people with different motivations. Knowing this, it'll be very interesting to see what happens in the future with their services and what action each company takes to support and capitalize off of its respective audience.