Socializing

On Apple devices, there are two main ways of socializing. One is the Apple way, with FaceTime, Messages, Mails, etc. Another is using integrated social networks, like Facebook. There are significant differences between the two approaches, like discoverability, publicity, and organization. Do they pose competition to each other?

Facebook makes a person's connections public. It's easy to discover people via friends' connections. Apple does it privately and the problem of discovery is left to individuals. Clearly, using Apple apps for private communication and Facebook for public/semi-public posts is valid. Thus, there is less competition, but more complementarity. Interesting stuff discovered on public social networks can be easily shared privately, and vice versa. The complementarity can be awesome without compromising privacy.

There are many people who hate Facebook, but feel Apple's solution too limited. It seems that the two corporations can learn from each other to provide better socializing.

For example, posting and sharing events on Facebook is easy, detailed, and instantaneous, even with privacy controls. Apple might consider making adding events easier. Apps made by Apple come with clean and clear GUI. Facebook might consider removing clutter from its app.

Neither Apple nor Facebook placed much emphasis on workplace socializing, which might justify their focus, but the line between work and life is never precise. Features like easier and more secure file sharing could be a bonus. Microsoft is not yet a dominant force in workplace socializing. There are plenty of opportunities.

The future of socializing probably will involve home computing as well. It's a innovative field to work on, perhaps for another post.