The social network is reportedly borrowing a popular format from the 90s to stimulate conversations and get members hooked on its messaging products. June 27, 2013 1:46 PM PDT Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook event, June 20, 2013. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) Facebook is currently testing a chat room product to stimulate viral discussions among friends, according to TechCrunch. Facebook chat rooms would allow members to click to "Host Chat" from atop their homepage, TechCrunch reported, citing a source familiar with the project. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Once a person decides to host a chat, any of their Facebook friends could then join the chat without an invitation and the chats would be promoted in News Feed, though the host would have the option to set privacy restrictions, TechCrunch said. The rooms, however, reportedly only support text for now, which makes them far less functional than Google Hangouts, the search giant's more modern take on the chat room concept. Related posts Google Now adds live TV info and coupons Facebook recruiting Android users to test its app Facebook loses key ad exec to Square Facebook chat rooms, at least as they've been described, seem to overlap in purpose and function with Facebook Groups, but could be a less structured, more kid-friendly way for the social network to stimulate active discussion threads and keep people using its site and mobile apps for extended periods of time. The chat room product is also likely intended to drive more of the social network's 1.11 billion members to use Facebook Messages. The cross-platform messaging app, which now features a panoply of sticker packs to stick younger users, faces stiff competition from a growing crop of messaging applications with massive audiences including WhatsApp, Kik, Viber, and Line. Earlier this week, Branch, a startup backed by Twitter's inventors, launched Potluck as a modern-day twist to the chat room where friends and friends of friends can hang out and chat about links. Perhaps the dated chat room format is poised for a comeback.
The social network is reportedly borrowing a popular format from the 90s to stimulate conversations and get members hooked on its messaging products.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook event, June 20, 2013.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Facebook is currently testing a chat room product to stimulate viral discussions among friends, according to TechCrunch.
Facebook chat rooms would allow members to click to "Host Chat" from atop their homepage, TechCrunch reported, citing a source familiar with the project. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Once a person decides to host a chat, any of their Facebook friends could then join the chat without an invitation and the chats would be promoted in News Feed, though the host would have the option to set privacy restrictions, TechCrunch said. The rooms, however, reportedly only support text for now, which makes them far less functional than Google Hangouts, the search giant's more modern take on the chat room concept.
Related posts
- Google Now adds live TV info and coupons
- Facebook recruiting Android users to test its app
- Facebook loses key ad exec to Square
Facebook chat rooms, at least as they've been described, seem to overlap in purpose and function with Facebook Groups, but could be a less structured, more kid-friendly way for the social network to stimulate active discussion threads and keep people using its site and mobile apps for extended periods of time.
The chat room product is also likely intended to drive more of the social network's 1.11 billion members to use Facebook Messages. The cross-platform messaging app, which now features a panoply of sticker packs to stick younger users, faces stiff competition from a growing crop of messaging applications with massive audiences including WhatsApp, Kik, Viber, and Line.
Earlier this week, Branch, a startup backed by Twitter's inventors, launched Potluck as a modern-day twist to the chat room where friends and friends of friends can hang out and chat about links. Perhaps the dated chat room format is poised for a comeback.
