Graph Search: Facebook's New Search Tool

Tuesday, January 15^th, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new search tool that will ultimately change the way users search for information. For the past eight years, Facebook has been gathering a large amount of information from its users, and with the new Graph Search tool, Facebook has found a way to filter all this information and give it right back to the user.

In a nutshell, Graph Search will allow you to look up content based on who you're friends with. For example, if you are wanting to look for friends who love to ski, instead of having to go to each individual page and look through their interests, you instead type it into the Graph Search bar at the top of the page, and Facebook will show you which of your friends like to ski. I have attached a link to a video on Facebook’s site to this blog post so you can see how it works. If you noticed today when you signed onto your Facebook account, on the left hand side you should see a video introducing Graph Search and an option to learn more.

Although this feature is not readily available to the public yet, there is a waiting list that you can be put on if you are anxious to test it out and give feedback, and according to the Facebook team, it’s a work in progress. Now, some of you may be wondering how this will affect Google. According to the stock market, the impact won’t be that large. However, it is still very early, seeming as the new Graph Search tool was just announced yesterday morning. Google will most likely still be the primary search engine for finding information, but what Facebook offers that other companies don’t is personalized user information, including status updates, photos, and user memories that were voluntarily given. That’s not to say that Google hasn’t received their user information voluntarily, but what Google lacks is the personalized memories, stories, and posts built up over eight years that Facebook has.  While Google has attempted to rival Facebook with its Google+ social platform, it has inadvertently come up short in gathering user information the way Facebook has. Ultimately, this array of information is what will either make or break the Graph Search Tool in Facebook. If any Facebook updates from the past are any indicator, eventually everyone will see this new tool and will be forced to use it in some way, even if you are just looking up your sister’s Facebook page. However, there have been many concerns raised about privacy issues.

Zuckerberg assures everyone that your information will only be made public if you specifically say so, meaning your posts will only be found if you want them to. Some best practices are to read every privacy statement and ensure you understand the change before you begin using it. Zuckerberg states that before users can use Graph Search, this message will pop up, “Please take some time to review who can see your stuff.” I encourage everyone to read this carefully so you can be sure you know what information people will find about you when using this tool.

It’s unclear whether this will be a success or a failure, but one thing is clear: this has ultimately upped the ante on user information. With this much personalized and targeted information in one place, advertisers can’t help but salivate a little. We will be sure to keep you updated as this new tool progresses past the early stages, and I myself have signed up for the waiting list to try it out. Please feel free to comment below with any questions, concerns, or specific subject matters you would like me to address. Thanks!

Julie Heinrich

 

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/#!/about/graphsearch

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/facebook-unveils-a-new-search-tool/?ref=technology