Facebook goes Amazon – The social networks evolution goes on

Funny, ”facebook goes amazon” gives me no results on Google in verbatim (phrase) search! So, well this is a bet more than a serious forecast – some risk involved. But I had to  respond to this news headline and the details:

Facebook trials a new way to push your buttons (world.edu)

“Want”, “Collect” and “Buy”

Depending on its performance in the current trial, Facebook may deploy a “want” button, with you – or your friends – indicating that you want a specific product or service, as promoted by this or that commercial entity.

Image source: world.edu/facebook-trials-a-new-way-to-push-your-buttons/

I did read further and actually they come to the same conclusion in the text:

That wishlist, in turn, hosts a “buy” button – also being trialled – offering a click-through feature to buy a given product, setting up Facebook as a competitor to Amazon. Of course, in clicking through, users provide the company with yet more information about themselves and, by inference, their associates.

Why is this important for you as a FB user?

Ok, you will see new interest in Facebook now on investors’ side for sure. What does it mean for the users of social networks? This is part of the consolidation phase in the realm of social networks. If Facebook shifts to be more a meta mega 24/7 store, then despite all the words of Mark Zuckerberg the user experience goes away from the social networking and sharing moments with friends experience. Not to kill it, but maybe resulting in a tectonic shift in the realm of that social web players. I think that Linkedin, Google+ and newcomers will profit from that move – a move, which is strategically reasonable in terms of the company logic and questionable at the same time in the terms of the user interests. The shareholder value of Facebook will be rising, the user stakeholder value will decrease.