Communication

We just talked about live video chat and how it has not gained much ground on social networks a few stories ago. The website, All Facebook, broke the news that video chatting may indeed be coming to Facebook soon. Through surveying the JavaScript files Facebook uses for their website, a user of All Facebook found a number of notification messages which deal with video calling. With text instant messaging already in place on Facebook, it is the next logical step for them to offer a video feature. Plus, video would also then make their suite of communication tools complete.

According to an update in the article it looks like Facebook is indeed testing a video chat feature but have no cuurent plans to launch it for the general public.

For the full story, check out All Facebook.

There are some interesting points made in the article called Growing Pains for Online Video Chat. It looks at why video chat hasn't taken off in the social network world of Facebook and Twitter. Many companies have tried to get users interested in video chat but only a few live on, like TokBox and Seesmic (but only in niche markets). Users who use online video chat on a regular basis tend to be extroverts and thieve on the pressure to perform. With text messages it is easy for everyone to use, you just have to think about what you want to say. You don't have to worry about how you look and act in real time which can create performance anxiety.

But it's another thing entirely to speak in front of a Webcam while potentially thousands of strangers watch, judging your looks, delivery, and every gesture.

Privacy also is another issue users of video chat have. You can post text messages on number of sites anonymously, but not video. If there is a video of you out there on the internet, chances are it always will be, along with the message you give in it.

In late January, True.con announced that they have added video chatting to their dating service with 26 different chat rooms.

At a given time, a member may find over 1,000 people chatting, flirting and having fun. The feature not only allows chatters to view up to 10 webcam broadcasts simultaneously, but also allows any two people into a private chat together.

True.com's new group video chat room allows members to enjoy a party like atmosphere since you can view and talk with up to 10 people at once, while the private one on one chat allows for subscribers to go on virtual dates. Online dates allows singles to see how they interact with each other in real time before they commit to taking their relationship off line.

For the full story read True.com's press release.

November 18th, 2008 is the day that Match.com officially passed the 1 Billion winks sent, mark. A wink is used to notify other members you are interested in them without actually sending an email. Currently Match.com members send over 735,000 winks a day, worldwide.

A wink in my opinion is not the best way to notify someone you are interested. It basically puts the onus on the other single now to strike up a conversation through email (which almost never works). If you really want the best chances of getting someone's interest, send a well crafted email.

See our previous story on the subject . For more general information on this dating site, read our Match.com review.

Match.com UK celebrated 2 milestones in London yesterday. Since 2001 more than 1 Billion emails and 1 Billion winks have been sent through the Match.com dating site. During this celebration Match.com launched match100, a new consumer panel.

The responsibility of this group is to consult on new services and provide a valuable on-the-ground view of the search for love in 21st century Britain.

The match100 is made up of a diverse group of old and current Match.com members from all over Britain. The groups first job will be to create an Insiders Guide to Online Dating based on their own experiences. Find the new match100 media center here.

Related Story: eHarmony has Issued more than 1 Billion Matches

For the full story visit Marketing Week and for further information on Match.com UK dating site read our detailed review.

It appears that Jangl is going out of business according to Mashable, but nothing has been posted on their website yet. Most readers of this dating reviews site and blog may not know what Jangl is. They offer text and voice messaging and chatting to dating and social networking websites. Jangl is pretty popular and had numerous large websites as clients. I am not totally sure how much they charged the companies using their service (if anything) but from my understanding is they made most of their money from audio ads inserted into the voice calls and text ads inserted into text messaging. Obviously this revenue model did not pan out since they are closing.

In a blog post one of the founders of Jangl, Michael Cerda, talks a bit more of the demise of Jangl. He also stated his opinion that Jangl:

... needed another 18-24 months worth of runway to realize its fullest potential ...

I guess the venture capitalist didn't see it that way.

Match.com uses Jangl for their anonymous calling, so does FriendFinder and Friendster. PlentyofFish also used it but, according to the owner Markus Find he is removing the links for the service from his site right now.

You can also use Jangl on Facebook and it was coming soon to MySpace.

I wonder what business Match.com and the others will be switching too now? Maybe they will develop an in house service instead? Voice chatting is pretty important to a dating service and I hope these companies have a contingency plan in place. When you use 3rd party services for important aspects of your business you always need a backup plan if something unforeseen should happen.