Facebook Launches Chat Feature to Mixed Reactions

Facebook, the Harvard-born online networking giant, unveiled a new chat feature Sunday that rivals Google’s popular Gmail chat program.

Harvard students said they were ambivalent about the launch, which Facebook engineer Josh Wiseman called on the official Facebook blog “a new way to communicate with your friends in real-time.”

A new chat bar appears at the bottom of the user’s browser when signed into Facebook, showing the online status of the user and other friends signed on the networking site. Availability is indicated by a green dot similar to the one on Google’s Gmail chat.

Facebook acknowledged yesterday on its blog post that it would be “rolling this out slowly going forward.”

As of yesterday afternoon, the Harvard Facebook network was one of a handful of other Ivies with access to the service. Students at University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton, and Columbia said they did not have access to the service from former Harvard undergraduate and Facebook founder Mark E. Zuckerberg.

But several Harvard students said they were generally unimpressed with the new feature.

“I don’t like it, but I’m not a big fan of chatting,” Alexandra M. Wilcox ’11 said. “Google ripped off AIM [America Online Instant Messenger] anyway.”

Other students said they agreed that Facebook was not directly copying Gmail.

“It’s not ripping off Google,” said Alex B. Lipton ’11.

Facebook declined to comment about the new chat feature and Google did not return requests for comment yesterday evening.

Several students expressed general disinterest in Facebook’s latest addition.

“It doesn’t really affect me,” said Enrique R. Hernandez ’08 who said he does not use any online chat services.

Tyler G. Hall ’11 said the new Facebook feature is the latest attempt by technology giants to stay on the cutting edge.

“It’s just a chat thing,” Hall said. “Google and Facebook are going to think up 18 more dimensions of connectivity.”

One such dimension was Google’s addition of AIM connectivity to its Gmail chat in December. Gmail users can chat directly on their Gmail page with any of their friends on the integrated AIM service.

Emily H. Lamont ’09 said Gmail provides enough services.

“I just got Gmail and I really like Gmail chat,” Lamont said. “I don’t see the need for Facebook chat. It’s an unnecessary mode of communication.”

The prospect of another reason to stay logged on to Facebook disturbed one student user.

“Facebook is going to ruin my life,” Brandon T. Perkovich ’11 said.