We’ve received word that Facebook has released its much anticipated chat/IM application to a few unspecified networks. The “pre-launch beta”, as Facebook is calling it, started sometime last night.
InsideFacebook has some screenshots and a summary of their first impressions. If you’re part of a network that has been given access already, please let us know in the comments. It appears to be little changed from the demo video we published earlier.
The only thing new that we’ve learned is that Facebook Chat will incorporate mini-feed stories into IM conversations. If you’re chatting with someone and they do something to your profile, like post a message on your wall, you will get a notification into your chat window with them.
Not that anyone’s keeping score, but it looks like, technically, Facebook managed to make their promised launch date of last week with the limited launch sometime before or around midnight on Saturday.
I’ve got access.
Networks that I’m associated with:
Yale, New York City
The Stanford network has Facebook Chat
Is this really necessary? Aren’t there enough IM systems out there?
I’ve got access as well-
Brown.
Does the chat window show up at the bottom of the page, almost like it was part of the toolbar?
I’m in Seattle, WA and Washington State Univ. networks. No chat for us yet
hi that is a good
Don’t you know that Facebook has to launch their own half-baked version of everything? Why on earth would they consider actually integrating with something that’s good?
guess google isn’t the only one with ivy league leanings…
Another move by Facebook to become the center of your web activities. If Google can supplant YM with its Gtalk via Gmail, maybe Facebook can do the same, hey it’s worth a shot.
http://www.feedbacksecrets.com
Surprise surprise but it seems that the Harvard network was among the chosen as well.
UC Berkeley too
Another reason for lamers to use Facebook for 6 or 8 hours a day.
The University of Iowa network has the IM
I’ve got the IM; part of the Claremont Colleges, University of Chicago, and Chicago networks.
ivy league all the way!
I have it– my only network is NYU.
I have access to Facebook chat (stanford network). This thing is really interesting. I’ve popped out the facebook chat window, and will probably leave it open along with msn.
Just a few comments: it doesn’t have options such as “busy”, etc. which is a shame. But looking good nonetheless.
I dont have it, University of Edinburgh (UK) & London networks…
Looks like it’s American Ivy League college networks, much like the beginning of facebook!
It seems that only University networks have the chat.
And with this feature.. Facebook finally succeeds in becoming everything AOL was in… wait for it…. *1997*
lolz
I mean, really.. this is sad on so many levels… a walled in garden with chat?? WOW.. my mind=blown. Where have I see this before??
I had enough of facebook news!
I’m so twittered-up, facebooked-out, I decided this weekend to go out with REAL PEOPLE and get drunk. Haven’t had so much fun in years -:)
interest
LOL, yeah, this isn’t mind blowing stuff.
Also, this site and Cnet News are pretty much RAID1 now.
Wow their own chat client, what will they think of next?
There are a lot of chat services out there, but a lot of the people I know who are on Facebook are not on AIM. This could make work nearly impossible.
Seriously guys – does everything need to be groundbreaking or revolutionary with you? Whatever happened to giving credit for smart business moves?
Facebook’s big edge is that it brings me closer to my social network – and a huge, huge swath of my social network is not at my fingertips in any of my existing IM clients.
Suddenly, they are!
Canadian University networks don’t have the chat yet.
Can we get news on new Entrepreneur?
Tired of same news from Google, Facebook, MySpace
I’m on the Harvard network and I have the chat.
Reason for Facebook’s ivy leanings: Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard and also hired a bunch of people (friends or not) from Harvard and other ivies..
Another reason: Facebook got started at Harvard, and was not open to anyone who didn’t go to Harvard..
.. and even before that, its first incarnation was called facemash, and you decided who’s ugly , and who’s uglier etc.
Come on facebook! Miami University is a “Public Ivy” and we were one of the earlier facebook networks! Give me my chat!
I am a member of the Los Angeles network, as well as the University of Iowa network. I see another UI member has chimed in, which means it’s the UI connection and not LA.
The service looks okay. The weird part? When on Facebook I want to contact friends or check in on their lives, but taking the next step to talk with them… Well, it breaks down a barrier that I want with some of the people on my friend list. It doesn’t appear there are any specific sorting features. Let’s hope they put those in place. We all have communication specifications with various people in our broader social networks. Social networking websites help create another way to enact those communication specs — enabling the user to have more control. They better figure out a good way to sort, turn off, or otherwise control the IM or else FB will lose part of its end user value.
I am a huge FB fan, but even I can’t help but wonder if they are going the way of AOL. I hope they are the first ones to figure out how the maintenance of social networks (not social networking websites) will morph online over the next 2-3 years.
Oh yeah – let’s knock off the “ivy” pissing match on this thread. It is a completely inconsequential part of the discussion. We don’t know why they chose the networks they did — and frankly it doesn’t matter how “ivy” the choices were.
The New Orleans network doesn’t have chat
I’m no expert, but maybe they should be working on a way to monetize the traffic they already have.
Naseem is a girl’s name.
The screenshot really reminds me of Google talk, when it opens in GMail in the bottom right corner
The Iowa State University network appears to have it.
Either that or the Des Moines, IA network does, but if that was the case, I’d have more friends online.
Nice effort by facebook
yale, seattle, microsoft, wharton
I don’t know if it does this yet (i’m pretty sure it doesn’t) but Facebook should allow people to message people *outside* of facebook. That way, its message system also works as an email address. That’d be pretty damn cool and would make their pages even more sticky.
MIT has facebook chat as well…
Who uses Facebook still?
I don’t like facebook because the other day I apply and the system told that I dont qualify just because I didnt went to certain university, Iam an student but the university where Iam at it looks like is not on facebook list.
@3 no… there will never be enough…
/sarcasm
@Fidel, how about almost every college student in the world?
My schools right over the charles from Harvard and MIT but no IM yet.
Carnegie Mellon University network network appears to have it too..
dartmouth has it too.
Thats interesting. I wonder what next they plan to do?
university of wisconsin-madison has it; stop bitching by the way if you want to talk to people outside of facebook, her is an idea call them or use aim. this just adds another (appreciated level) to facebook. maybe this will produce something slightly closer to actual human contact on facebook
I am part of stanford network and it is too cool. I like the chat now as I ca