Social networking site Facebook has begun letting users keep their page updated via email.
The long-awaited move was announced yesterday (12) and means people will no longer have to log into the site to be able to update their page. Users will instead be able to email responses to comments on their status and post updates, pictures and videos.
Writing on the company’s official blog, Facebook spokesman, Tom Whitnah said it was now one of the easiest ways to stay in the loop regarding your Facebook friends’ activities, without being logged in when you’re on the go, on your phone or at work.
He said: “We’re launching the ability for you to participate in these conversations by replying directly to these email notifications. When you receive an email notification about comments, you can just click ‘reply’ and start typing a comment at the top of the email.
“Then hit ‘send’ from your email and your reply will automatically be added as a comment on Facebook without you having to even log in.”
The new email facility is unlikely to be warmly received by employers who are concerned about the effect social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have on productivity. There have been many reports of employers blocking access to Facebook and so the new service which bypasses the main site is unlikely to be a hit.
Today Facebook has also announced its 350 million users will be offered free virus protection for six months, after the company signed a deal with internet security firm McAfee.
According to a report in the Independent, the move will see McAfee distributing £7.5billion worth of free software.
Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s vice-president of global communications, marketing and public policy, said: “We are taking an unprecedented step towards making the entire internet more secure and reducing the possibility of threats being brought on to our service by unsuspecting users.
“Keeping the internet secure requires users, security vendors and internet companies all work together. We think we’ve developed an excellent model for this collaboration, and to ensure the greatest possible value to our users, Facebook will not accept any revenue from subscriptions. We hope this is something that other services will emulate.”