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Facebook's new Graph Search tool lets users search for specific information using simple phrases across their friends' content, including photos, tags, and other information. (Facebook / January 15, 2013) |
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg today announced the world’s largest social network is launching "Graph Search" — a new way of searching across photos, places, users, and connections users follow.
"Graph Search is designed to show you the answer and not links to answers," Zuckerberg said this afternoon during the press conference at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., according to a report on The Verge.
The Graph Search function, currently in beta format and available to only some users, is not a general search engine like Google or Bing. Instead, it will allow users an easier way of searching for specific things with simple phrases across all the friends they follow in Facebook.
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Facebook's new Graph Search allows users to search through millions of photos and connections with specific search requests. (The Verge / January 15, 2013) |
For example, if a user searches for "photos of my friends" on Graph Search, the results will include photos based on the number of likes, comments and other Facebook markers.
Zuckerberg also said if users search for "countries my friends have visited," the results will show countries ranked by users who have tagged themselves in a particular location.
Facebook will also include a Bing-powered web search tool within its interface for items not indexed in the social network. That feature will place Microsoft's search engine in a stronger position to compete with Google.
Search results will mostly be ranked by friends who are most important to the user. Other results are sorted among the mutual friends and other factors in Facebook. TheVerge.com is following the event live on their blog.
The world's largest social media network with more than 1 billion users last week announced their first major press conference in an invite to media outlets with the cryptic message: "Come and see what we're building." Officials at Facebook offered no details.
The buzz over the announcement is already helping Facebook regain some footing on Wall Street.
Facebook's stock on Monday opened above $32 for the first time since July; however, the stock dipped today to $31.31.
