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@Mentions Are Now Live on Facebook

Written by Frederic Lardinois / September 14, 2009 12:23 PM / 11 Comments

facebook_twitter_aug09.jpgFacebook announced that it would soon support Twitter-like @mentions a few days ago. Today, Facebook actually enabled this functionality. Now, when you type a status update and type '@,' an auto-updating drop-down menu with the names of your Facebook friends will appear. While users could always write the name of their friends in a status update, these names are now linked to a user's profile. Soon, Facebook will also allow users to tag friends in applications as well.

facebook_at_mentions.jpg

Whenever somebody tags you in a status update, a notification will appear. For now, however, there is no place where you can easily find all the updates where somebody tagged you. It is also worth noting that while Twitter actually displays the @ symbol in status updates, Facebook just replaces it with the full name of the tagged person.

tagged_notification.pngObviously, this now makes Facebook even more like Twitter than ever before. At the same time, though, this is also a very useful feature, as it allows your friends to easily head over to the profile of the friends you tagged in your updates. Facebook's Twitter-like new Facebook Lite interface, however, doesn't support @mentions, yet.

Tip of the hat to Zee at The Next Web for being the first to notice that this feature was live.


Comments

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  1. Is there a way that you can mention someone in your status update without their name showing up in the status?

     Posted by: Jon Author Profile Page | September 14, 2009 1:00 PM



  2. Page Administrators should have access to fans for @replies. Do you know if this in in the works?

     Posted by: cassondra schindler Author Profile Page | September 14, 2009 1:11 PM



  3. That's a really good idea too.

     Posted by: Jon Author Profile Page | September 14, 2009 1:14 PM



  4. Thanks for the link/mention Frederic, very much appreciated.

    Posted by: Zee | September 14, 2009 2:23 PM



  5. Inasmuch as many Facebook users are known by multi-word names (at least in my sphere), and inasmuch as most "friends" do not refer to their "friends" by multi-word names in the normal course of conversation (at least in my habit), it seems not likely that e.g. @Herbert @Hoover will become a meaningful frequent usage, ¿qué no?

    Posted by: fjpoblam | September 14, 2009 5:21 PM



  6. Another quick mentions guide for facebook
    http://digg.com/d314JK7

    Posted by: Todd | September 14, 2009 6:11 PM



  7. This is pretty appealing and continues in the direction of having everyone connected. We tend to like to click on links.

    Posted by: bluetooth kopfhorer | September 14, 2009 9:32 PM



  8. Was hoping for more innovation rather than a me too approach to what Twitter started and now Facebook adopted.
    http://www.trendslate.com

     Posted by: TrendSlate Author Profile Page | September 14, 2009 9:51 PM



  9. This is great- would be better if the tagged person showed up either at the end of the status or not at all. Tagging them but having it be "under the covers". Great work FB!

     Posted by: Colleen Author Profile Page | September 15, 2009 9:32 AM



  10. Well, gossiping will hardly pass unnoticed now :)

    Posted by: Sanovnik | December 12, 2009 3:00 PM



  11. Its funny because I recently purchased a book entitled 'is: The Phenomenon of the Facebook Status' were it presents an insight into everyday life in the 21st century through the medium of Facebook status updates, highlighting the joys and pressures of today's world, giving a 'warts 'n' all' look into what we have become, as a society.

    Each individual status update listed within 'is' allows the watching world to look into the updating person's soul as they share their thoughts and feelings of the day in a manner that has never before existed, giving a glance of what the person is made of, if not the image they are attempting to portray!

    It is one of my favourite books this year, and has been getting rave reviews online.

    http://www.amazon.com/Phenomenon-Facebook-Patrick-Hamilton-Walsh/dp/1604942290

    If you are reading this article then you will love this book.

    Thank me later

    Posted by: Alan | December 23, 2009 5:51 AM



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