Facebook Vs Twitter, Who Will Win The Real Time War? Latest : Facebook Now Allows Username To Be Change

July 24th, 2009 by Mayank Agarwal

Right from the starting of this year facebook (more info) is nervous about Twitter (more info). First it unsuccessfully tried to buy twitter, then redesigned the profile page to look more like twitter, then rolled out vanity URL, added an “Every one button”, and all this will facilitate what? It helps improve their real time search! Facebook is trying too hard to be like Twitter. Today comes one more addition to the list – Facebook now allows you to change your username in the URL, but only once. When facebook rolled out vanity URL last month it specifically stated “choose wisely” because you cannot change it. After the Twitter documents leaked out we learnt that even Twitter considers facebook as the biggest thread and that it fears that facebook will keep copying its functionalities. Facebook can never be like Twitter. It is a social network and social network are meant to have a layer of privacy. That layer will not let facebook jump too high in the real time search arena unless facebook forgets why it is facebook. But allowing one time user name change is good! I am done.

Follow-Up

ReadWriteWeb : Facebook Relents, Lets You Change Your Username by Sarah Perez

Mashable!: Not Happy With Your Facebook Username? You Can Now Change It by Adam Ostrow

Inside Facebook: Facebook Now Letting Users Make a One-Time Username Change by Justin Smith

Technologizer: Facebook Relents a Little on No-Name-Change Policy by Harry McCracken

facebook, real time, twitter

7 Responses to “Facebook Vs Twitter, Who Will Win The Real Time War? Latest : Facebook Now Allows Username To Be Change”

Evan

6 months ago

I’ve always thought it odd that Facebook is trying to be like Twitter, when the number of users on FB dwarfs those on Twitter.

Mayank Agarwal
(Twitter: @ mayank25may )

6 months ago

@Evan : what i feel is that fb dosent need to be like twitter or else it will loose its charm and niche both. but yes if they are some how able to draw that line so that it becomes some what like twitter (having real time search etc) but still retain it social features then nothing like it & they ll be the only socaial n/w to do this successfully.

MattyMat

6 months ago

It’s simple business– look at what’s making the competition successful– and copy it.

Bill

6 months ago

The one who has to stay in the market for a longer period of time and at the same time maintain or increase success rate can not do so without practicing ethonomics, an “fb” can certainly supersede any x,y,z… but then it need not quit it’s ethnicity or individuality…

rajiv

6 months ago

@Matty & Bill
I agree with bill’s point of view that for longer stay one should not loose ethnicity, values and integrity along with the pursuit of excellence. I think its not only about successful competition its also matters who has the edge over the other…… what do you say???

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