If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that I love platforms in general and Facebook in particular . And since I’ve been thinking about messaging recently (see my post yesterday on Twitter as my new instant messenger ) I’ve been noticing the increasingly varied methods I use to communicate. I’m curious if others have also experienced a trend away from old school email. In particular I’m seeing an increase in the volume of messaging on Facebook – from Jeff suggesting on my wall that I try out Twhirl (in response to a tweet about a Snitter problem I was having) to old high school buddies re-connecting through direct message. And I’m not even a heavy Facebook user.
A few months ago my partner Jason conducted a poll of online behavior of a few hundred undergraduates at his alma matter (unscientific for sure, but still extremely interesting). Among the things discovered was that among this group about 20% were almost exclusively using Facebook as their main messaging platform. A friend told me recently that his kids (14 and 17) laugh at him about sending email (all of their messaging is done over Facebook). Definitely a trend to pay attention to.
I’m curious what others experiences have been. Let me know.