Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Are Facebook Connect Brands Worth a Mini-Feed?

Petitions to take down Facebook’s mini-feed were substantial. Demands for the old Facebook to come back were actually fairly minimal. Now, Facebook has another thing Facebook fans can either love or hate.

It’s not an aggregator tool; it’s better. Facebook users can now broadcast via mini-feed what they do on other Web sites with Facebook Connect (it’s not limited to social networks/aggregators only, like FriendFeed). Of course Facebook was able to partner with Web sites (it’s crack next to Google), but the brands are far from what most PR-speak claims is “leading.”

I suppose San Francisco Chronicle’s Web site SFGate.com is now going to get a boost of ad revenue, but who really follows the pub’s news outside of Silicon Valley residents and those looking for the latest reporter geek’s blog post? Then again, this may spark someone’s fancy: the JC Penney DogHouse. I’ll admit it’s funny, but what Facebook user is going to want an update of his friend succumbing to buying a diamond ring instead of being subject to doing laundry much like military men peeled potatoes? You don’t believe me? Check out what could potentially be on your feed.

What do you think of the brands Facebook is touting via Facebook Connect? Is Facebook getting too big for its britches?