SpiderServe Web Design

As the web evolves, there is talk of Facebook expanding to become a player in search.

Is this really a possibility? I suppose it comes down to how users embrace the technology.

Currently I would imagine that if users are looking for something they will still head over to Google, while if they want to chat to their friends and be social, they will head on over to Facebook.
However, it is fairly easy to change a users’ online habits, so if it were an easy process to search the web whilst chatting to your friends, it may take off.

However, I already have concerns about the ethics of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg and am unsure how they would improve search.

Whilst Google is having trouble sticking to it’s principle of “Don’t be Evil”, it is still trying, and all the data they collect is to understand how people search and try to improve the results for every unique user.
Yes of course their main goal is to make money – but they have single handedly improved search throughout the last decade and have gradually introduced the money-making ideas off the back of their success. They have never shown a desire to release personal information about their users.

On the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg has stated that he wishes that the default profile of everyone on Facebook was public, and that is how he would implement it if starting it now. He clearly has no respect for keeping data secure, and as such, I cannot help but eye Facebook with increasing disbelief at how the users are becoming a secondary factor in their pursuit of the almighty dollar.

I do think that Matt Cutts’ announcement that he has deactivated his Facebook account was done to deflect interest away from Facebooks’ third party “like” function, but I am starting to worry about my personal data being in the hands of someone I don’t trust.
If it weren’t for the fact that I like to look at the profile of one of my friends who recently died, I would decativate my own Facebook account as I don’t think it adds anything to my life.

Personally I don’t think Google has too much to worry about. They have spent years refining their search algorithms and that is why they are leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. Facebook will have to pull off a major coo that I just don’t think they are capable of.

Only time will tell!