Facebook unveiles promising and powerful graph search

Facebook has unveiled a new feature Graph Search that allows users to search and filter content linked to their Facebook connections.

By ET Bureau | Updated: Jan 17, 2013, 07.34 AM IST

Facebook unveiles promising and powerful graph search

Facebook has unveiled a new feature that has set off waves of excitement in the digital media world. Graph Search allows users to search and filter the entire content linked to their Facebook connections, promising new and powerful tools to users looking for jobs, love or new friends, and sharper targetting for brands.

WHAT IS IT?
Graph Search is a new way to use simple search terms to search for something using your Facebook friends, profile and extended network. For you can use Graph Search to see all the photographs you have been tagged in – just search for 'Photos of me'. If you want to get more specific, you can say 'Photos of me before 2012'.

WHAT CAN YOU SEARCH FOR?

It intelligently combines information from user profi les, interests, comments, likes and so on. The obvious examples, for instance, include 'photos my friends like' and 'photos of my friends taken in New Delhi' (which uses the location aware feature). You can also search for interests and people.

IS IT PRIVATE AND SECURE?

Graph Search is not a generic search. You can look up things that have been shared with you by your friend network – similarly, your friends can find things you have posted. Different people in different networks will get completely different results.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

It makes contextual search easier – you can search for something specific using normal language. For example, 'people who like movies and are from my hometown' or 'photos of me before 2008'.

IS IT AVAILABLE NOW?

Graph Search is currently in beta and available only for US English language users. It is not available on your Facebook account page by default. You can request an invite to the beta program at facebook.com/graphsearch.

WILL IT COMPETE WITH GOOGLE AND OTHER SEARCH ENGINES?

Not directly. Graph Search is contextual and socially relevant to you. It uses your network of friends, essentially tapping into Facebook’s extensive database of 'you' to find stuff that you’re looking for.

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