Facebook Fights Back
The Facebook vs. Google battle is heating up as the Mark Zuckerberg giant blocks a popular Google Chrome extension that allows for easy contact info exporting.
The “Facebook Friend Exporter,” was a tool that enabled users to gather their friends info into a file or directly into their Gmail account.
It seems Facebook is attempting to hinder (or prevent) a mass exodus to Google’s recent answer to the Social Networking site; Google+.
Google’s newest platform has been the subject of heated debate and intrigue by way of a clever marketing strategy. So far, Google+ is a secret club. Just after its initial launch, Google+ closed all further invitations, citing “insane demand” for use of their services.
Google+ promises to be the premier social networking site, its potential resting in “re-imagining” the process of online sharing. (The platform also touts a 10 person video chat feature, and additional functionality for the android mobile app.)
How will Facebook take it? Only time will tell which whether there’s room enough for both platforms.
According to CNET, “Facebook’s stance has triggered something of a backlash among those who don’t like to see data that’s been shared to them be locked up.”
At first glance, the move does seem suspicious. Coming from a networking site that promotes information sharing, the abrupt shift implies a degree of nervous paranoia. Meanwhile, Google Takeout explores the opposite position, inviting users to export their Google+ contacts with ease and efficiency.
But Facebook advocates shrug indifferently, pointing to Zuckerberg’s ingenuity and the firm belief that Google is late to the party.