Facebook lite a Twitter Rip?

It has been reported that a new slender version of Facebook is now being tested by select users on Facebook. This information was supposedly leaked last night as users were sent accidental invites to use the new service.

Judging by the screen shot it would seem that users can post information in very similar fashion to Twitter or Facebook’s newly acquired FriendFeed.

Techcrunch reported that the lite version was created out of a need to target users that have lower internet connectivity speeds. If successful, this would allow Facebook to gain a larger demographic from areas where high-speed internet is not accessible – as MySpace once did. This influx of new users could ultimately lead into larger earnings for the social media giant by allowing them to cash in on even more ad revenue.

Techcrunch has also reported that Facebook’s official response to the lite app madness as is follows:

We are currently testing a simplified alternative to Facebook.com that loads a specific set of features quickly and efficiently. Similar to the Facebook experience you get on your mobile phones, Facebook “Lite” is a fast-loading, simplified version of Facebook that enables people to make comments, accept Friend requests, write on people’s Walls, and look at photos and Status updates. We are currently testing Facebook Lite in countries where we are seeing lots of new users coming to Facebook for the first time and are looking to start off with a more simple experience.

This evening, the test was temporarily exposed to a larger set of users by mistake. We have not opened up access to lite.facebook.com to all users at this time. People who are not part of the test and are trying to access “Lite” will be directed to Facebook.com as usual.

A quick search on Twitter reveals much speculation and curiosity about the new Facebook lite application. While searching using the keyword “facebook lite” I found that some users are excited to be able to use a lighter version of Facebook. Some user’s just want to find out what it is and some feel that Facebook lite may be just a repacked rip-off of the increasingly popular Twitter.

(Facebook Screen Shot Source Twitgoo)

Update: According to Fast Company, Facebook lite is now being tested in China, India and Russia.

6 Responses to “Facebook lite a Twitter Rip?”

1. Facebook lite a Twitter Rip? | WebDoctus – The Facebook News says:

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2. Facebook lite a Twitter Rip? | WebDoctus – The Facebook News says:

   August 14, 2009 at 8:51 pm

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4. Facebook Lite | All Days Long says:

   August 18, 2009 at 7:45 am

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