Facebook’s Graph Search may be its most significant development since launch. Graph Search will allow you to make and keep highly personal searches based on Facebook’s huge data set.
An example search might be:
“My friends in London who like Sonic Youth and who were born in 1970.”
That’s pretty specific! Based on that search I would see people, places and photos that have been shared on Facebook. It’s all a bit theoretical at the moment because we can’t actually USE the damn thing, but pretty exciting nonetheless.
Two things you must understand about Graph Search:
- Graph Search is not web search. A Google search is done on a key-phrase; whereas Graph Search uses combinations of terms and and only interrogates Facebook.
- Public Facebook information is available to anyone, no matter whether they are a Facebook friend or not, and will be included in Graph Search. Facebook’s own announcements bend over backwards to emphasise that Graph Search is built “with privacy in mind… it respects the privacy and audience of each piece of content on Facebook.”
Further example searches:
- “Friends who live in New York”
- “Photos of my family before 2000″
- “Restaurants in my hometown”
- “Music my friends like”
Exactly what shows up in these searches will depend on your settings and how and what you choose to share. Are your Privacy and Account Settings up to date?
Facebook’s mission is to make the world more open and connected
Graph Search is only available in BETA to a handful of US users right now. When it hits the UK it is going to upset the apple cart.