What bugs me more than anything is seeing people using hashtags on Facebook. For those who don’t know, hashtag links, most commonly and visibly utilized on Twitter, are a series of metadata tags that grouped together common tweets, posts, etc. Again, for the non-tweeters out there, somebody could write a tweet about the Blackhawks, then add a “#Blackhawks” tag, which is then grouped together with all other tweets that also incorporate “#Blackhawks. The problem with hashtags is that Facebook doesn’t incorporate them in their system, so when non-privy people post their statuses with stupid hashtags, they don’t really lead to anything, thus making that user look like an idiot.
That’s all set to change over the coming weeks, as Facebook is doing their part to not only ensure such users will stop looking technologically uneducated, but also help them keep up in a social media expanse that’s constantly growing and evolving. Much like MySpace’s new attempt at revolutionizing itself, Facebook has taken one huge step in ensuring they don’t get left in the dust. The implementation of Facebook hashtags will also help artists and businesses alike as they finally have access at grouping together their content for individuals with common interests, allowing them to grow their social media presence on Facebook the same way they would on Twitter. Some users have access to functioning hashtags, while others will be included in the updates as Facebook begins their roll-out of wave updates through the next few weeks.
Welcome to #2009, Facebook.
[via Facebook Newsroom]