Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst of Moor Insights and Strategy, tells us in this radio interview with John Hockenberry, that Facebook's latest move in creating a search engine for its users called Graph Search, is a deliberate action against their rival, Google. By creating a search engine that is in effect, better than Google or Google+, when we need to find more personalized information, Facebook is stepping up their game. With Google, you can type in your friends name, and maybe a link to their Facebook page might come up, but chances are, you won't be able to find out the information they tell about themselves, which is contained on their Facebook page. Patrick Moor explains that with Facebook Graph, you can search for information that Google would otherwise not be able to find, simply because Facebook has access to the data from all one billion Facebook users profiles, while Google only has access to Facebook users public information.
To find out how other people are reacting to Facebook Graph Search, I decided to do a little investigating. I began by looking through the official Facebook page introducing the world to Graph Search. I then watched their company video for Graph Search, which introduced Graph Search in a great light; it suggests the idea that Graph Search will promote increased connectivity among people, because of how easy it makes learning things about your friends and acquaintances. Here is the video...
I then searched YouTube for reliable videos regarding the introduction of Graph Search. I found an ABC Nightline news story on the subject. It captures all the enthusiasm surrounding the new search engine, including exclusive interviews with the geniuses behind it all. Here is the video...
Facebook Unveils Social Search Tools for Users by Dave Lee
BBC News Technology Article (Jan 15th, 2013)
This article is strictly objective, and states specific quotes from Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg, and other reputable sources. This article points out that according to Zuckerberg, Graph Search was not intended to compete with Google directly. Also that Graph Search should not be considered to be like that of a web search, but rather an entirely different concept, where it only searches within its database, and whatever it cannot find, it has left to Bing's search function.
The author of this article argues first that Graph Search will not be reliable in the sense that the friends we may search for may not have reliable suggestions for where we should go out to eat, or which dentist we should visit. This argument is subjective, and the idea behind it really has nothing to do with its purpose. Facebook Graph Search was not intended to tell us facts. It was created to tell us relevant information about our Facebook friends. Whether or not we choose to trust our friends opinions on certain things really has nothing to do with the quality of Graph Search.
He then argues that the name "Graph Search" only appeals to its creators, not Facebook users, and should be called "social search". This part I do agree with. Facebook created an innovation in which we can search within our social realms, however they gave it an entirely impersonal name.
The author then states his concern over a lack of privacy with Graph Search. This does concern me, but ever so slightly. I personally don't post anything to Facebook that I would feel uncomfortable with the world seeing, even though my page is not public. However, many Facebook users do not follow this concept. So Graph Search would more so be a problem for those types of people.
Facebook Graph Search is a Disruptive Minefield of Unintended Consequences by Anthony Wing Kosner
Forbes.com Tech Article (Jan 20th, 2013)
The author of this article argues first that Graph Search will not be reliable in the sense that the friends we may search for may not have reliable suggestions for where we should go out to eat, or which dentist we should visit. This argument is subjective, and the idea behind it really has nothing to do with its purpose. Facebook Graph Search was not intended to tell us facts. It was created to tell us relevant information about our Facebook friends. Whether or not we choose to trust our friends opinions on certain things really has nothing to do with the quality of Graph Search.
He then argues that the name "Graph Search" only appeals to its creators, not Facebook users, and should be called "social search". This part I do agree with. Facebook created an innovation in which we can search within our social realms, however they gave it an entirely impersonal name.
The author then states his concern over a lack of privacy with Graph Search. This does concern me, but ever so slightly. I personally don't post anything to Facebook that I would feel uncomfortable with the world seeing, even though my page is not public. However, many Facebook users do not follow this concept. So Graph Search would more so be a problem for those types of people.
His final argument suggests that since Graph Search uses, what he calls, human language, it has the possibility of searching for something entirely different than what you meant to search for. Since it doesn't have a formulaic way for its users to search for something, he states that you could type in "my friends who like (insert name here)", and get results for your friends who have used the "like" function for said person, in addition to your friends who have mentioned the said person. This is something for Graph Search users to be cautious of, but in most cases, is not a big deal.
My Reaction to Facebook Graph Search
After doing all this research, I can safely say that I am eager to start using Graph Search. I have also read the negative reviews of Graph Search, and I agree that the search engine might possibly . I think its personalized nature makes it a serious competitor to Google, and I think the creation of this search engine was the obvious next step for Facebook, and I really do believe it will lead to an increase in the globes connectivity.
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