Social networking part 2 - Facebook

Well i went and took the plunge and created a Facebook account, no doubt it will soon become as unused and unloved as my Myspace, Friendster, 6degrees and whatever accounts. But what i found interesting was how the Open University are embracing Facebook.

They have created a Facebook application that you can put on your profile page that shows your current OU course (i am an OU History undergraduate as well as working for BCU) and also linked it in with their systems so that you can only join the OU Network on Facebook if you have a current OU e-mail address. The BCU Network, by contrast, is available for everyone to join (as long as they say they are from here). Their Network is thus semi-official yet at the same time doesn't feel it.

In theory it would be possible to link in the Facebook network with the University e-mail system (an interesting task to give to ICT) but maybe this sort of pseudo-official link works more with an institution like the OU and wouldn't with a "traditional" type of University like us?

Anyway our students are embracing the site and have formed numerous groups on Facebook, including "TIC is the only good part of UCE - and it's still shit!" I wish i had had Facebook when i was a student here.