Bailo:

I think our good friend Sheikh Trash in Egypt now has his work cut out
for him. Now that Google has joined the fray in increasing the divorce
rate in Egypt - ala Facebook style - I wonder if Sheikh Trash will
revise his Fatwa to tackle this new challenge......amazing world we
live.
BTW in case you missed the news flash, it has been confirmed that the
Taliban leader Hakimullah is indeed dead....accept my sympathies
Suntou...

-Laye
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http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-02-09-gmail09_ST_N.htm

Google's Gmail to try to challenge Facebook

By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
Google is feeling the heat from red-hot social network Facebook.

The search giant is upgrading its Gmail program to add social-media
tools similar to those found on Facebook. Google will incorporate
photo and video sharing within the Gmail application, along with a new
tool for status updates. Google will hold a press conference at its
Mountain View, Calif., headquarters today to show off the new
features.

Google (GOOG) is still far and away the No. 1 most-visited website,
with 173 million U.S. visitors in December, according to measurement
service ComScore Media Metrix, up 16% from the previous December. But
Facebook is close behind.

Facebook was the fourth-most-visited site in December, with 111.8
million visitors, up 105% from the prior year.

"If Google can get you to do more things in Gmail, they can sell more
ads, because you've spent more time there," says Danny Sullivan,
editor of the Search Engine Landblog.

That Google would feel the heat from Facebook makes sense. Many former
Google executives now work at Facebook, including Chief Operating
Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who at Google helped build the lucrative
AdWords pay-per-click ad program. Facebook has a similar pay-per-click
program now.

Facebook invites members to share photos, videos and status updates on
their personalized home pages. Advertisers reach out there with ads
that are targeted by age, gender, location and more.

Wedding photographers, for instance, can reach out to women in a
specific ZIP code who are engaged to be married.

"Initially, Google misunderstood social media and its significance,"
says Greg Sterling, an analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence.
"They've got the religion now and have been trying ever since to add
more social utility. Social is how the Web has evolved."

Yet he thinks that bringing social tools to Gmail doesn't make sense.
"Gmail is a good product as it is. I'm not sure these tools add
anything except to make it more bloated."

Google recently added a new social search feature that can in part
show you "results from people in your social circle."

In order to participate, Google users first must fill out profile
information, similar to Facebook, which lists interests, contacts and
friends. Sullivan says few have participated because, unlike Facebook,
it's not mandatory.

In the end, no matter how big Facebook eventually becomes, Sterling
says it will "never take away" Google's core business: search.

MORE ON GOOGLE: Stock quote and Wikinvest commentary

"It could shave off a little search volume and might take some ads
away from Google, but the end result will be small," he says.

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