Vinny Lingham’s Blog

Yup, it’s starting. Inside Facebook just reported that the “Where I’ve Been” Facebook app has been acquired, just 2 months after launching - for $3m!! Facebook is becoming the new Web Platform, as I hinted in my post, “Facebook is the New Internet“. Start building those applications - the gold rush is upon us!

After the many discussions this week around Facebook and with many external media references to my recent post on Corporates Blocking Facebook, it’s become quite clear that the major banks and other corporates in South Africa that are blocking Facebook because they think that it will stem the tide of social networking that is occurring over the web. Right - people are now going to stop sharing, chatting, communicating, etc - because Facebook is blocked… Wrong! They will just move elsewhere - but don’t worry - I have a solution!

I’ve decided that I’m going to help these corporates become more efficient at preventing staff from networking online by publishing a list of Social Networks to block.

I mean, why stop with Facebook, let’s just go and block every website that is a social network:

Facebook (duh!)
MySpace
Beebo
Hi5
LinkedIn
Moggl
Friendster
Orkut
MSN Spaces
Yahoo 360
Xing

If you haven’t figured out yet, most social networks such as Facebook can be accessed from pretty much any mobile phone with a browser on http://m.facebook.com - you’ll have to block that too - oh wait, sorry - you can’t as most people own their own phones! Oh well - you win some, you lose some!

In fact, why not just use this list over at Wikipedia to add to the internal corporate block list. Did you notice that LastFM was on the list - it’s Internet radio - but hey, why discriminate?! Let’s block them too! Oh, and by the time you finish with this list, just check in at TechCrunch daily for the latest networks that are springing up - just to make sure that one doesn’t slip by…

Actually, when you’re finished with that, why not block Yahoo, Google, MSN & News24 - that takes up a lot of South Africa’s time as well, based on the Alexa stats. Actually, I have a better idea - turn off Internet browsing - just allow email - it’s far more productive. Oh wait, you’re going to have to scan emails for embedded videos & other “non-work” clips, jokes, etc - and people can really sneaky about that!

The solution: Turn off the Internet - trade in the computers for Typewriters and Fax Machines (I’m happy to assist with this process on a 1 for 1 basis if anyone is keen)

Come on people!!!! Understand the medium - don’t just implement foolish, reactionary policies! The Internet is changing the way businesses operate both commercially and internally - it’s best to face the realities and be creative on how your company will adjust to this new medium.

So why are corporates blocking Facebook? It’s a distraction and results in lost productivity with certain individuals - that I will not deny! However, if work is not getting done, then reprimand individuals accordingly. If I was working in a corporate (and thank heavens that I don’t anymore), I would flip out if all of a sudden I couldn’t access Facebook, yet I dealt with every request given to me on the job. Figure out how to do proper performance management of your staff, and don’t punish the many for the indiscretions of the few!

Instead of instituting prohibition of social networks, rather focus on understanding what the web is about and ensuring that your staff understand what is expected of them - and manage appropriately.

Sigh - and now for a little bit of Facebook fun:

I just saw an article now on News24 about how Facebook is being blocked in the corporate world.

SA companies block Facebook

Johannesburg - South African companies are beginning to follow their international counterparts in blocking workers’ access to popular social networking site Facebook.

They cite concerns over productivity - but some experts defend the site, saying it holds huge potential as a business tool.

Standard Bank is among those who have moved to include it on its list of the company’s blocked leisure sites to prevent people spending non-productive time on non-work related issues, said bank spokesperson Erik Larson.

And, according to Absa, the banking group has done the same although it will consider access based on individual requests.

“We don’t see any business need for Absa staff to access the site,” said a spokesperson.

“Under certain circumstances we do grant permission to have access, but look at each case on merit so they are not totally cut off.”

Facebook users also report that Wesbank and a number of smaller companies are following this trend.

According to the site’s own research, its 31 million active users spend an average of 20 minutes a day interacting with their “friends”.

But, most newcomers to the phenomenon, which has at least 170 000 users on the South African network, say they are addicted and spend far more than that interacting with their “friends” locally and globally.

First of all, let me just point out how uninformed & uneducated policy makers are in most corporates, perhaps especially in South Africa, with regard to the Internet. The Internet exists, and PC’s are just once way of accessing it. There are more mobile users in South Africa (30m+) with GPRS/3G/EDGE/HSDPA Internet connections that there are PC connections (c. 4m). What are corporates going to do now, stop people from accessing Facebook on their mobile phones (http://m.facebook.com)? This is the most ridiculous thing I ever seen, and typically, these knee-jerk reactions are due to a lack of understanding of this space, more than anything else, by the corporate policy makers and IT personnel.

Also, I don’t buy the argument that Facebook is a business tool - yes, I do use it for business, but far less so than LinkedIn. It’s a social tool - but will prohibition help, probably not. Can Facebook become a business tool - yes, if adopted by the company. I had a conversation tonight with some people from incuBeta, and we discussed the fact that incuBeta has a FaceBook group, and if the correct privacy issues and security issues were put to rest (Facebook has a corporate unfriendly policy regarding uploaded content), then Facebook could replace a company’s Intranet - this is potentially something that has been overlooked by many companies. Even with the current policy, it can increase communications between staff members.

After many meetings held this week, I’m constantly amazed at the lack of depth of knowledge there is around the Internet in corporate South Africa (and after seeing a Typewriter being used by one of the secretaries of a US publication in New York a few months ago, I’m not sure if it’s just us!). Companies need to wake up and start educating their leaders as to how technological change is going to affect the workplace, and how to deal with it properly. Knee-jerk, uninformed, close-minded decisions are indicative of a species of humanity that cannot evolve!

Facebook usage in companies should be monitored on an individual basis, and those who exceed fair usage, should be reprimanded. To institute all out corporate bans points to a lack of control within a company, and probably means that the employees don’t have much work to do, or are not being monitored for performance - either of which should lead to retrenchment or dismissal. Deal with the cause of the problems, not the symptoms!

Something tells me that Facebook is quickly become the most talked about company on the Internet. Even more so than Google, as it extends past just Google geeks and into the broader mainstream.

In the past week, I don’t think I’ve had a single conversation or meeting that Facebook wasn’t brought up in. Even when I’m having a nice dinner with my wife out in the town, the couple next to us is yapping on about Facebook! South Africa has nearly 5m Internet users, and only about 125k Facebook users, but it’s like everyone in the youth market (20-35’s) are talking about Facebook! And according to Alexa, FaceBook is the 2nd most accessed site in South Africa at the time of writing, with the 1st, being Google.

As if that wasn’t enough, Facebook.co.za (out local domain) is being (allegedly) cybersquatted and Facebook hasn’t even noticed yet! Not going to delve into this, but here are some other blogs about it.

The stats that Techcrunch recently reported on Facebook’s growth is astounding and it’s becoming a category killer in Social Networks. You cannot compare MySpace to Facebook - they are different beasts altogether.

Facebook’s API move was so significant that Venture Capitalists are launching Facebook Apps funds, which is a GREAT idea!!

Facebook is creating havocs in people’s relationships, but arguably, from my perspective, it’s exposing weaknesses and incompatibilities that already existed in their relationships. Here are some examples:

1. I know someone who’s significant other broke up with them because they found them using Facebook and saw all their ex’s.
2. I know someone who doesn’t tell their significant other about them and hides it…
3. I know someone who is not allowed to use Facebook by their married partner
4. I know someone who watches everything their partner does on Facebook looking for any hint of indiscretion.

This is getting a bit nuts, and I’m no relationship therapist, but I can say that people who are insecure about their partners using Facebook, might as well lock them up at home as well. A social network mimics real life networks and fills the void created by distance to friends and family. If you can’t trust or be trusted, you’re probably in the wrong relationship, so get over it and move on (yeah yeah, I know, often easier said than done!).

What does the future hold for Facebook? I’m not sure exactly, but I think it’s pretty big, due to the vast number of minds applying themselves to the platform.

Here is a suggestion for Facebook:

I have 500+ friends, and I don’t add people I don’t know to my profile. However, in those 500 friends, there are probably only like 10-20% that I really trust. I would the ability to be given points and be allowed to allocate points to my top 25 friends.

Best friend: 25 points
2nd Best : 24 points
3rd Best: 23 points

etc etc etc

This way, I would infer trust to those people that I do trust, and given a decent distribution, each user would have a different friend point allocation. Those people in the network with the highest points, would be given a higher “Trust Score”. This would far better enable me to use the Facebook Marketplace whilst shopping for goods and services, as I would know who I could trust and it would mimic the offline world trust aspects. Facebook can become the new eBay in this way, but creating a network where trust is established.

There is my contribution, now with a few million more suggestions, I can see how Facebook will rule the Internet

The big question: Who is going to buy Facebook and for how much?

My bet: Microsoft for like $10bn… (because they just need to do SOMETHING - Live.com is not exactly keeping Larry & Sergei awake at night, but Facebook probably is!)