Facebook is growing at a rate of knots, it’s hard to imagine where it will stop. This pick up from Mashable is interesting as it speaks to the aforementioned (prior post “Googlotics”) role of the online presence in political races. Put your two cents into this Daily Poll about whether online presence will have an impact. The growth of the FB users in anglophone countries means that it is a veritable minefield for those candidates and/or companies that get a [right] foothold into the network. See Mashable’s chart about the exponential growth in Canada, UK and Australia (which is perhaps just on the verge of tipping).

I enjoyed the questions recently posed by Fabrice Grinda on his blog…seems like it is all very inflationary, but at the same time, the money that Microsoft put behind Facebook is not funny money. And, inspired from Psychology of Cyberspace (albeit a dead blog), Facebook is a great way, especially for us older folk, to stay in tune with what’s going on among the younger crowds. I foresee in the near-term people doing all their communications on Facebook and instead of saying “what’s your email?” the terminology will switch to what’s you Facebook name? what’s your FB app? what’s your private Group? The ability to restrict access to your Facebook profile I believe is elemental and, in the relatively slow build of its user base, there will be a stronger affinity and loyalty if they maintain that sense of restrictiveness (to your friends, networks, etc.). And soon enough Facebook will become a shopping centre (online shopping seems like a gimme doesn’t it?). I can just see it: buy all your family a Christmas present. Send your admirees flowers. Share the launch of your book via Amazon with all your “intellectual” friends (cf Joe Jaffe’s bumrush). See Adrant story.

Great idea is to review what they were saying about Facebook in the past… try the Mashable Facebook “Complete biography”. It was published in August 2006 (feels like years ago, doesn’t it?). The Wikipedia listing for Facebook will have to be one of the most updated items at the moment, considering it is so prevalent in so many people’s minds these days.

Facebook is growing, growing…grown? (aka off to the IPO). Its future growth will depend on three things in my opinion:

1. the strength of its internationalisation rollout (not to do mistakes like Google with Baidu [thanks Fabrice])
2. the willingness to leave the freedom with its users (we’ll have to see what restrictions Microsoft might impose)
3. the ability to convert the Facebook application into a one-stop communication lab.