Facebook had it first, and then MySpace beat this company to the punch. But the concept of a news feed has now spread to Xing, the professional networking site.
It will spread this coming Monday, anyway, according to Adam Ostrow. With the name “What’s new in my network,” the feature should operate exactly as everyone who’s seen Facebook’s version (or can read the name of Xing’s) would expect.
This may lead you to think of the word “copycat,” and if so, you’re probably right. The spread of features is pretty common, though, and should make for a better overall environment. (Imagine, to make a car analogy, if you could only get power windows in a Nissan, adjustable seats in a Subaru, and anti-lock brakes in a Lexus.)
Also, Xing has gotten an edge by learning from Facebook’s mistakes. Facebook’s original launch was judged to be seriously lacking in privacy controls. Xing states, “‘What’s new in my network’ is completely user-configurable. XING members can decide for themselves which new developments they wish to be informed about. . . . Of course, XING members also have full control over which of their own updates should be displayed to their direct contacts.”
All of this comes after LinkedIn’s CEO announced that it would take “a helluva lot,” i.e., more than $1 billion, to acquire his company. One has to wonder how much value the “What’s new in my network” feature will add to Xing.
