This is not just awesome like Zuckerberg puts it, this is REVOLUTIONARY. Remember when Facebook chat came out three years ago (April 23, 2008 to be exact) and people thought that was a big deal? Facebook chat gave you the ability to see when each member of your entire social network is online....and instant message anyone you call a Facebook friend. And we used to think that was scary.
Merging Skype and Facebook chat takes this to the next level, being comparable to every American walking around with their cell phone number written on their t-shirt. Anytime you want to chat someone, are using your smartphone or putting some pictures up and leave your online status as available, any one of your friends can not only call...but VIDEO CHAT you. Did you accept that random friend request from the kid who had a crush on you in middle school? The guy or girl you met at a bar last night? Think again...or else you might be getting a phone call.
It takes away from a big aspect of human communication--asking people for their contact information. Facebook friend requesting is a simple request to connect and see your details, and asking someone for their phone number takes a lot more confidence. Having your entire Facebook network available for video chat raises a lot of availability because this feature has always been associated with individual programs like Skype or TokBox, where people are known to be more picky about accepting connection requests. It will require users to be a lot more careful about who they permit to be their 'friends,' knowing that those individuals can contact them on one of the most personalized and addictive social media sites.
As a result, I foresee that security and privacy settings will become increasingly important. Creating custom groups to allow who can see if you are online will be vital, or else you'll be forced to ignore calls as some people do on their cell phones...or go offline. I look forward to observing the results this launch and hope you do the same!
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