I see it all the time, even when going out with family and friends. In the midst of loud music and conversation, someone pulls out their device and either posts or takes a picture on Facebook. I’ve done it myself. Apparently, I’m not the only one.
Announced yesterday, there are now 100 million people who use Facebook on their phone on a monthly basis. They made an interesting statement about developing nations like India, Philippines and Indonesia. According to their own statement, many in nations like these can get the app on?a 20 dollar cell phone. It goes on to say the Facebook app reaches 3,000 different?phones. They can do this by?using less data than most Java apps. They also have Facebook for Every Phone, a program powered by Snaptu, an Israeli based technology company. What Snaptu does is use servers to study how mobile apps work, and use this knowledge to help Facebook get on low end phones.
So that’s how they do it. It’s a good strategy. Many people in developing nations can’t afford the hundred of dollars smartphones and other devices (like iPod Touch). So if Facebook can get their app on cheaper devices, I say more power to them. It makes good business sense. Socially, it can put a damper on things. Can you imagine people in these countries spending dinner hour keeping up with Facebook friends instead of conversing with their own family? Isn’t there enough of that in this country?