Facebook Chat Needs a Desktop Client
Introduction
In case you are living under a rock, Facebook launched Facebook Chat. Yesterday I spent a lot of time chatting with friends - most of that chat dealt with Facebook Chat itself. In general, I would have to say that I had a great first time experience. I conversed with friends that I would not normally reach out for simply because I did not have their AOL Instant Messenger screen names. The fact that Facebook eliminates this obstacle is a huge plus. That being said, there were a few issues I had with the usability of Facebook Chat, and I think that a Facebook Chat Desktop Client would make the Facebook Chat experience top notch. On top of that, a desktop client provides Facebook the opportunity to enter new markets.
Most Successful Instant Messenger Services Use Desktop Clients
AOL Instant Messenger, my personal instant messenger service of choice, is a great example of a desktop client succeeding. Most users are used to this type of setting, and even though there are services like Meebo, it is a normalized practice among most instant messenger services. Personally, if Facebook Chat came out with a desktop client, I wouldn’t even hesitate to make the switch away from AOL.
Possible Facebook Chat Desktop Client Killer Features
Integrating a Facebook Chat Bot
Every time you get a notification, wall post, event invite, group invite etc. (obviously you would choose these options) you would receive an instant message from the official Facebook Chat bot.
Choose Between Live Chat, Wall Posts, and Private Messages
When scanning through your buddy list a great option would allow for the users to have the ability to choose the type of message he or she is sending. Certain messages fall into certain categories, and it would be great to skip the process of opening up Facebook, searching for the friend, and then sending out the message. Off the top of my head, each chat box could have a small little drop down menu declaring the type of message you want to send.
Integrating Video Chat
Services such as Skype and AOL IM allow users to engage in video chat. Facebook has more users than both of these services combined (I think) and by adding this feature to an soon-coming desktop client would give Facebook another majority share in an interesting market.
What Do You Think?
What do you think about a Facebook Chat Desktop Client? What other features could be added to both improve the experience for the users and Facebook’s business?
If you liked this post and want others to find it, Stumble it!
If you like this post and want to share it with your Twitter friends,
If you liked this post and want to see more on a daily basis get my posts via RSS
April 24th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I give it a week before we start seeing these desktop clients all over Mashable and TechCrunch.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I like the funcions you listed of desktop client but like the ease of use not having to worry about it. I’m on a least 3 machines during an average week and keeping them all up 2 date w/ software as pain in ass.
“Every time you get a notification, wall post, event invite, group invite etc. (obviously you would choose these options) you would receive an instant message from the official Facebook Chat bot.”
This is done right now w/ chat client. Err..at least status updates show if you are chatting. If this is not happening right now it would be an easy feature add to current chat tool.
Guess I would use the desktop app but I’m not dieing to get hands on it.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I suppose there could be a market for it . . . but really do we need yet another desktop IM app? Honestly? No. Not unless it does something so remarkable, so amazing, so revolutionary that it makes me drop Live Messenger, which I barely use anyway. And I don’t see that happening. Like I said in my last comment, how popular is MySpace’s desktop chat client? And by popular I don’t mean how many times has it been downloaded. How often is it actually used?
April 24th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
nice proposition!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Hey AJ, I just found this on lifehacker.com - http://www.labnol.org/software/browsers/run-facebook-chat-messenger-firefox-sidebar/3050/ - just adding a bookmark to the firefox sidebar lets you run facebook chat even if not on facebook.com. Really cool!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I would love to see a desktop client…especially since I’d hate to stay logged on to Facebook just to chat with someone. I’d really love Adium integration
April 24th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Also, just thought about integration into Flock. That’s how I check Facebook anywhoo on the go with my Mac. Anyone else use Flock as their default browser for Facebook?
April 24th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Not another client!
Let the “All in one” clients out there handle it. I don’t need yet another program running in my systray.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Facebook is planning to put a lot of the “feed” functions into Chat.
Having “all in one” clients won’t work. It won’t create a big enough user base. Facebook plans to have allow access via Jabber. “Wait, you’re telling me I need to download another client, and download and install a plugin, and put my login information in, AND know the server? Too much work.”
I think AJ’s dead on with that desktop client. Let me quickly make and see wall posts, messages, and statuses, as well as just IM’ing friends.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:12 am
[…] AJ Vaynerchuk has some interesting insights into the chat application, be sure to check out his article. […]
April 25th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I don’t want another desktop IM client. I want to be able to integrate with Adium. That’d be oh so sweet.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:51 am
I am not 100% impressed with the facebook chat…
especially since it is yet another distraction!!!! :-p
Video chat would even be worse!!
May 12th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Found a desktop client!!
http://lwngnm.net/
May 15th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
good post.
Adium and Pidgin plug-ins would be awesome.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Uh… Digsby?
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I second Digsby. (www.digsby.com) It works great as a Facebook chat client.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Facebook Chat + Google Talk x desktop client = Gabtastik