Facebook messaging event updates

Facebook today held its special messaging event, where it launched a new e-mail service and a unified messaging system that pools e-mail, Facebook messages, IM and SMS into a single stream. We provided updates from the event as they happened. Read after the break for updates in reverse chronological order.

1:52PM: Event ended.

1:49PM: Boz: people won't get more messages in their e-mail box because of this feature. We're not worried about trying to expand your social graph as just to map it. Let people connect to those they care most about.

Does cellphone number posting affect it? No; if you didn't choose to get text messages for FB notifications, it's not showing up. If you try to send to someone that doesn't have SMS configured on Facebook, they'll be invited to do it but don't have to.

Storage isn't defined, but you'd have to deliberately abuse it to hit the limit.

1:44PM: How does Facebook's own corporate mail work? The Farm Bureau gave us fb.com. We just promised not to sell farm subsidies! After today, it's all @fb.com for employees.

1:43PM: If you send a fresh e-mail to someone, it will probably go to the Other folder to start, but you can bounce them to the main inbox and signal that they're important. One thread regardless of subject, but messages can sit in other area. Recapping for another questioner how it works.

1:38PM: Was it a big challenge? Boz: don't want to say it was the biggest challenge, but it was big. Want it to just be a conversation.

1:35PM: Don't intend to hurt e-mail. Gmail users can use it just fine. Privacy? Users can archive things to hide them from view or delete the messages entirely. All the channels are unified. Zuck: the unified system works here. People assume IM isn't logged by default, but you now have a choice of deleting anything you want, not just in particular formats.

1:31PM: Q&A. People have multiple contacts for various sources, how to handle it? You can set how things are delivered depending on whether or not someone's online. If you're on Facebook or a mobile app, you can get it live. Bosworth: point is to not have to step away from a conversation, jut change mediums. Slow roll out is a part of that.

Zuck: Early adopters will have to let us know what's right.

VoIP? Zuck: maybe over time, but focusing primarily on text right now. We'll see what users ask for. Pretty big step by itself. One step before we work on the next set of things.

1:27PM: The Other Messages folder has mail and other details you'd expect to get. Facebook privacy settings actually work to an advantage here: you can set it to friends only so you don't get messages from Facebook members you don't want.

Zuckerberg back up: really proud of this. Been working on it for over a year now. Press has said "this is an e-mail killer." It's not. It's messaging with e-mail as a part of it. We don't expect people to shut down their Yahoo or Gmail accounts. Shifting over more to real-time communication. More IM and messaging. Simpler, easier, helps connect better, more accessible, more fun and more valuable. Maybe, one day. E-mail just won't be as important as it was before.

Invite-based launch: rolling out slowly.



1:21PM: Rebuilt infrastructure. Now changes the photo sharing infrastructure (internally known as Haystack) to support file attachments. Central routing system built from the ground up that handles traffic from all sources. 15 engineers dedicated to this; huge.

1:17PM: Andrew Bosworth up. Merging messages all into the same pool. Your public username is your Facebook e-mail ID. Messages pop up instantly. iPhone app will let you know when messages come in. Across multiple mediums. Works with Jabber/XMPP and the Facebook API, but IMAP is coming.



1:12PM: Should actually take away from e-mail, not add to it.

Convergence system: seamless messaging. Handles e-mail, but also FB messages and IM. You'll have an @facebook.com address, but it's not the only way or even the primary way.

Conversation history: Threading is archaic. Adds a lot of weight. You have a conversation with someone and every communication format goes into this timeline. Always get something immediately no matter where it comes from.

Social inbox: Spam filters are good, but they don't catch the difference between legitimate and fluff e-mail when it comes from the same person. One box of important mail, another for legit but likely unimportant mail.



1:06PM: Modern messaging isn't e-mail. Seamless interaction with everything, including mobile. Informal, immediate, personal, simple, minimal, short.

1:04PM: Modern messaging system introducing today.

1:02PM: Zuckerberg asked high schoolers what they do for e-mail; they don't really use it. It's too formal. Have to think of a subject line, headers and footers. Adds a lot of friction and "cognitive load." They use SMS and Facebook.

By Electronista Staff