| The Web is always innovating. As Web 2.0 sites and | | | | This interfaces directly with your Facebook account |
| social media start to dominate the Internet, it is | | | | and posts an update on your wall detailing the site that |
| inevitable that features from one site will migrate | | | | you like. |
| across others. | | | | In actual fact, the power of the new Facebook |
| Such is the case with Facebook, which has long had | | | | functionality goes much further than this. You are not |
| an internal 'like' structure. If a friend of yours posts an | | | | restricted to liking just a single site. You can also like a |
| interesting status update, you can 'like' it. That means | | | | given page of a site, or even a given update on a site, |
| that you will be shown under the status update as | | | | much in the same way that you would like a status |
| supporting whatever this status may be (or, where | | | | update on Facebook itself. The programmable power |
| privacy options exist, you'll be counted even if your | | | | of the new Facebook API allows for likes to be drilled |
| identity is not given to other members of the public). | | | | down to a very low level. Even if there's just one bit of |
| The same feature works across the site. You don't | | | | a page you want to like, you can do so, as long as the |
| just have to like status updates. You can like video | | | | site in question has implemented the new Facebook |
| posts. You can like photos. The biggest recent change | | | | protocols. |
| to the operation has been the way that groups | | | | You can even provide details of all those things that |
| operate. Rather than joining to become a member of | | | | you want to be able to like directly on another site. |
| a group, you now instead like it. This gets you signed | | | | When these are taken together, they become known |
| up to receive messages and updates from that group, | | | | as a Like Wheel. A number of sites have been put |
| but not automatically offer you all the features that full | | | | together to support Like Wheels, allowing what might |
| membership would. | | | | seem like mundane updates to grow virally and all over |
| Facebook asked, what would happen if the like | | | | the web, rather than being restricted solely to existing |
| functionality was available all over the Web? What if it | | | | on Facebook. |
| wasn't just restricted to Facebook itself? Then, through | | | | It may well be that the provision of a Like Wheel is the |
| its programmable interface, allowing access to other | | | | future of external Facebook. This could add great |
| sites, it delivered. | | | | power to the social networking site, allowing it to |
| So, were on another site, and suddenly wanted to tell | | | | continue to expand to take over the Web. Certainly, |
| all your friends on Facebook about it? Well, providing | | | | Like Wheels are a development worth continually |
| the site you're visiting has implemented the Facebook | | | | watching and participating in as the Internet moves into |
| API, you can just simply click a Like button on the site. | | | | its latest generation. |