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More Ways to Comment: Facebook Connect
Starting today, blogTO is now connected with Facebook. We're using a new feature called Facebook Connect that allows anyone with a Facebook account to sign in with their Facebook username and password to leave comments on this site.
Why would you want to do this? Here are some of the reasons:
- If you use Facebook Connect, you no longer need to enter a name, email address and url every time you make a comment on this site. Just click the blue FConnect button you see near the comment form and the site will automatically detect who you are on return visits.
- Using Facebook Connect allows you to display your Facebook avatar (profile photo) next to your name in the comments. Your comment name also links to your Facebook profile which makes it easier for others to get in touch with you.
- Facebook Connect also enables you to update your Facebook wall when you've made a comment on blogTO. This is an optional feature (meaning you don't need to enable it) that alerts your Facebook friends about the hopefully witty and/or constructive comment you've made on this site.
If you encounter any bugs with using Facebook Connect on blogTO, please add a comment below or email me directly at tim [at] blogto [dotcom]. One tip: If your avatar or username isn't showing up in the comment thread, you'll likely need to update your Facebook privacy settings. Login to your Facebook Account and choose Privacy Settings from the Settings menu. From there, choose Search. You then need to make sure that the Search Visibility is set to Everyone and that the Public Search Listing is enabled.
Discussion
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Ryan
Spoilsports.
Also, this new technology confuses me. I see no blue button. Are you trying to make me add another FB app?
I'm still debating on whether to reveal my identity as some of these discussions get pretty heated. ;)
Regarding your comment about seeing the name "Facebook User", I mention that above in my post. It has to do with the Privacy Settings set by that person on Facebook.
To me, this implementation will only improve the sense of community here. I like to put a face to names. And it's not only the face we're getting now but the Facebook! :)
At the same time, one guy who replies to Tim above states that he is "open to Everyone", but I actually see him as "Facebook user" too.
Looks like there are a few kinks to be worked out yet.
I do not think facebook is evil incarnate and I use it regularly, but I encourage all users of blogTO and other websites to try and keep their profiles distinct and not opt in to facebook connect, to prevent facebook from being the de facto aggregator of everything there is to know about you.
If you want to improve the sense of community at BlogTO by using your 'real name' and photo, you can do that without using facebook connect.
There's no point. If you post anything on the Internet, you can be found by the Internet. Domains aren't walled gardens. It's been proven time and again that you can pick out individual people from "anonymized" search records. Just using keywords can identify you.
I think this is a pretty cool feature. It's a better use of inter-connectivity than the Beacon fiasco. Now my conversations can be threaded through a single place.
Would it be nicer if that single profile wasn't owned by someone? Yes. But this is a start. Anyone else who wants to provide the better alternative is certainly free (and encouraged!) to do so. OpenID is a great start, but it's got nothing on facebook.