We received an interesting email from the social network Multiply, saying that Facebook's new design is "the latest in a series of enhancements that bear striking resemblance to innovations made by Multiply months earlier." Multiply accuses Facebook of copying it, saying that it has evidence of "a pattern of Multiply's social networking innovations being implemented on Facebook months, if not years, later."
Multiply goes on to list 5 ways in which Facebook has copied them in recent times...
"Multiply launched its proprietary newsfeed in August of 2004, when the site launched. Two years later, Facebook introduced a similar, yet more basic, news feed for its users. Blogging, one of Multiply's core features since launch, was introduced to Facebook more than 20 months later, and video sharing, a Multiply feature since June 2005, was introduced on Facebook nearly 16 months later. In September 2004, Multiply introduced photo printing services for its users, something that Facebook implemented two years later. In its most recent enhancement, "New Facebook" features several changes - both aesthetically and functionally - that make Facebook look and feel even more like Multiply."
Multiply also noted that Facebook has filed suit against German social networking site StudiVZ for infringement on Facebook's "look, feel, features, and services", so it feels it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black:
Image from Multiply
Is this PR offensive just sour grapes because Facebook has enjoyed much more success than Multiply? It could be, because in terms of features it's well known that Multiply is one of the smartest and most fully featured social networks around. Back in December we compared Multiply to Facebook and listed a number of ways in which it is better. We called Multiply a "good solid, state of the art but still easy to use social networking site".
It seems that the frustration of seeing Facebook get much of the social networking buzz, and market share, has gotten to Multiply. While we understand that frustration, we're not sure that attacking Facebook publicly is the way to attract new users. Or maybe the publicity will actually help! What do you think? Are there many RWW readers using Multiply?
Comments
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Sorry, clowns -- you didn't invent tabs or the color blue.
Posted by: Jeffrey | July 25, 2008 3:31 PM
I think the power of facebook is how many users already are there. This is hard to fight. Few sympathize with facebook though, but obviously people feel quite at home in a walled garden they dislike somehow, because so many of their friends are there. And because they disike everthing they suspect behind web-offers while still using them and adding data.In a very human way this is a solution for the existing contradiction.
Accusations that one or the other steals/copies seem a little misplaced in the face of logical implementations, architectural changes and extensions for social networks, while the suspect that faceberg might steal ideas provokes some evident memories ;-)
Basically facebook will on the long run probably provide people a predefined, slightly personalizable version of a personal portal which professionals, bloggers... already now run and on a closer look do not differ too much from a social network "portal" anymore.
All merges.
Posted by: lm | July 25, 2008 3:51 PM
Multi-who?
Posted by: steveballmer | July 25, 2008 4:02 PM
I am not using Multiply and had no intentions of looking for another social networking website, but since I have read this post...Multiply is now on my radar.
I really don't like FaceBook much. Being poked and bitten by Zombies is just not my thing. Will the publicity help? I think so.
Posted by: Rahsheen Porter
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July 25, 2008 5:13 PM
sounds like a cool site. yes it worked. But I don't see any legal cases in any of these complaints.
Posted by: Noah David Simon | July 25, 2008 5:18 PM
sounds like a cool site. yes it worked. But I don't see any legal cases in any of these complaints.
Posted by: Noah David Simon
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July 25, 2008 5:20 PM
by the way Richard. the remote login didn't work for your Cc. this comment to FriendFeed. I'm using Safari on a Mac. I couldn't see the darn boxes before. too light gray!
Posted by: Noah David Simon
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July 25, 2008 5:23 PM
The PR campaign is working. I had never heard of Multiply until I read your article. And now I'm going to check it out.
even though a lot of people are on facebook, that doesn't mean people like it. or even use it much. i'm hoping these services will integrate functions so I can have an account of facebook for certain things, an account on Multiply for other sorts of things, my mobile me acccount, my linked account. ... etc til my heart's content.
Posted by: Katie Ratcliffe
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July 25, 2008 6:01 PM
I used multiply for a long time around November 2006. I went on to use it for 1 year but started feeling a little worried because they would remove photos after sometime (if I didn't order prints from them). Cross posting of blogs did not work best. I am sure that they have evolved over the last year. It sure is a better choice than Facebook.
Posted by: techmine | July 25, 2008 8:59 PM
Facebook is renowned for stealing, so this does not surprise me. Zuckerberg stole from his buddies in college, so as an organization they are just about as EVIL as you can get. Multiply is much better than Facebook. Facebook simply is a dumb persons gaming platform, with vampire bites, friend gossip and stupid crap like that. Bloggers propped them up (well they got paid to write about them) and a massive PR campaign got them to sign up users. In essence Facebook has no true innovation or service, and hell if they are suing StudioVIZ then Multiply should sue them, why not!
Posted by: Paul | July 26, 2008 12:34 AM
We've been happily using Multiply for years as our main social network because it's not as noisy as FB or Myspace. Sometimes bigger ain't better.
.M.
http://remixablefilms.multiply.com/
Posted by: Michela Ledwidge | July 26, 2008 12:35 AM
Found many of their users put illegal music and stolen articles. Or are they just Indonesian users?
However, I once report illegal music hosted by one of their user but they didn't even reply. I don't like Multiply for that, they're a joke.
Posted by: Robin | July 26, 2008 1:27 AM
Things are getting too compicated, especially thinking all of these conditions and design related issues. 10 days and here we have the second accusation between 3 social networks. And main point of both is Facebook?
Do they really need to do this?
Posted by: Jnbn | July 26, 2008 5:01 AM
I've been using Multiply since September 4, 2004. I much prefer Multiply to Facebook. Comparing the two is like comparing a full weekend long conference on a topic where you have great plenary sessions, interesting personal discussions, smaller break out groups, great multi-media presentations etc. (Multiply) to a half an hour walk across town where you see several of your friends but don't get a chance to talk much to any of them (Facebook).
I've written a much more detailed comparison here.
I also made a comment on Crunchbase back on October 2, 2007 pointing out that Facebook's feed was a dim copy of Multiply's.
Posted by: barefootmeg | July 26, 2008 1:00 PM
@ techmine's comment that "they would remove photos after sometime"
Multiply downsized photos from full resolution to a smaller resolution after a period of time, but they never deleted them. Only you can delete your own photos on Multiply. And there are unlimited photo uploads.
With Multiply Premium, you can not only have unlimited photo uploads but unlimited high resolution photo storage as well for only $20/year.
Posted by: barefootmeg | July 26, 2008 1:27 PM
Apparently it's a matter of credit being given where due. Multiply definitely deserves the credit.
Some sites are innovative for a reason, and that's usually because they listen to their users and consider they they want. Multiply has a it's Users and Developers group to do just that. User Support is second to none!
Some sites have nothing but gimmicks.
Multiply has become the gold standard. So it's no surprise that when the gimmicks wear thin, other sites must look elsewhere and they are looking to Multiply.
It's why users migrate to Multiply. They are tired of the gimmicks too. They want substance.
Posted by: Dantcer | July 26, 2008 3:39 PM
I use both Multiply & Facebook and prefer Multiply hands down. I get annoyed by Facebook constantly wanting me to add a feature to do anything on it! I like the look and ease of Multiply over facebook as well. Don't get me wrong, Facebook appeals to lots of people, and I use to keep in touch with some of my friends and play games. But Multiply is just much better, IMHO.
Posted by: debib | July 27, 2008 3:10 PM
I joined Multiply about a year ago and now pretty much live there. I tried FB and escaped very quickly - I felt as though I'd landed in the middle of a children's birthday party, but what really clinched it for me was the lack of privacy.
As far as I'm concerned Facebook is welcome to steal visual features from Multiply, they still won't get people like me to join them whilst Multiply offers such fantastic privacy options - on Multiply I have the freedom to post a blog for the whole world to see, two minutes later I'm posting something private just for my family, then something just for my friend Joe and his next door neighbour - you get the picture. (And speaking of pictures - I can do the same with photo albums, which is just great. So I can use Multiply to show my family where I live, for example, without having web-stalkers arrive at my door.)
The other great thing about Multiply which I don't think any other social network offers, is that they really do listen to the suggestions we make about improvements we'd like to see. I've only been there about a year and I've already seen some brilliant changes, including at least one that I'd asked for.
Of course, if Facebook were to copy Multiply's amazing privacy options, then I wouldn't mind going there and risking the odd fish... But in the meantime, for those of us who are privacy-conscious, Multiply is the place to be!
Posted by: Meirav | July 27, 2008 4:40 PM
@ Meirav's comment, "As far as I'm concerned Facebook is welcome to steal visual features from Multiply"
lol! That reminds me of Terry Pratchett's character, Death. Death would make something look right, like a bathroom. But when you tried to use it, you found it didn't work. The sink was there but there was no pipe bringing water in or out.
Facebook seems to have taken some great ideas, it's even gotten them to look sort of OK, but they just plain don't have the functionality that Multiply's feature have. It's a drastic infrastructure difference. Multiply has been designed to enable discussion, debate and relationship. Facebook has been designed to connect to people. Period. There's not a whole lot to do more than connecting (Well, unless poking them, buying them, or biting them counts).
Posted by: barefootmeg | July 27, 2008 4:54 PM
I have a Multiply and a Facebook. My friends are on Facebook so I use it a lot more. Multiply doesn't have "Notes" they have "Blogs" and their users are as bad as a lot of Facebook users for posting chain letters. ConnectU should've shut up and not sued Facebook. Facebook should shut up and stop suing that German site. And Multiply should shut up and stop whining the way ConnectU did about copied design/code/whatever. Is everybody who runs these networks over-grown two-year-olds? Sheesh, grow up already!
Posted by: Ghost Dance | July 27, 2008 5:22 PM
@ Jeffrey's comment: "Sorry, clowns -- you didn't invent tabs or the color blue."
I do believe that's exactly what Multiply is saying to Facebook.
Posted by: barefootmeg | July 28, 2008 11:24 AM
They both copied myspace and all of them are trash.
Myspace has the Add Me whores.
Facebooks has the College Wankers.
Multiply has for 19.99 Premium Porn.
Posted by: Simone | July 28, 2008 12:05 PM
@Jeffrey:
100 % agree with barefootmeg. Facebook is on a worldwide campaign to squash competing sites that steal their "look, feel, features," etc (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijWRKODFNRkDs_CaosZ_4Wvy8MEAD926TCJG0), while they have a history of "borrowing" from others. No, Multiply didn't invent the color blue or tabs - but neither did Facebook - - so what's the deal with the first suit and threat of others to follow? Multiply was around (with much the same layout) for YEARS before Zuck ever came up with the concept for Facebook, and it sounds like they're making a good point - Pot or Kettle.
Posted by: Courtney | July 28, 2008 12:17 PM
I was using Multiply before and when I started to become active on Facebook, I have almost completely abandoned Multiply. I found that Facebook is more interactive and it provides more than just a social networking site but also where you can make some extra bucks such as when you add apps such as dNeero and Urturn. Somehow, multiply does not have such options for its members...
Posted by: shaxx | July 28, 2008 8:04 PM
And for those that want that something "extra special", Facebook has worms.
h**p://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/07/elaborate-facebook-worm-virus-spreading/
Posted by: Dantcer | August 9, 2008 10:11 PM
@ dantcer: "And for those that want that something "extra special", Facebook has worms. "
oh good. that's definitely not something that they took from multiply. ;-)
Posted by: barefootmeg | August 10, 2008 5:30 AM
And fanbox.com copies everyone...
Posted by: jc | August 10, 2008 10:32 AM