This just in on the New Facebook Email Messaging System:
Mari Smith, facebook expert says: New Facebook messaging system: it’s a blend of email + chat + SMS. It’s invite-only right now. They’ll roll out within the next 2-3 months. It’s designed to augment your existing social communication, not replace your main email account. Everyone will get an @facebook.com address based on username. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder described the New Messaging System with three primary features: 1) Seamless Messaging, 2) Conversation History, 3) Social Inbox. This new system will be seamless, informal, immediate, personal, simple, minimal, and short.” Visit Mari’s site: www.marismith.com
Facebook’s blog says:
Today I’m excited to announce the next evolution of Messages. You decide how you want to talk to your friends: via SMS, chat, email or Messages. They will receive your message through whatever medium or device is convenient for them, and you can both have a conversation in real time. You shouldn’t have to remember who prefers IM over email or worry about which technology to use. Simply choose their name and type a message. See the article here: http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=452288242130
We are also providing an @facebook.com email address to every person on Facebook who wants one. Now people can share with friends over email, whether they’re on Facebook or not. To be clear, Messages is not email. There are no subject lines, no cc, no bcc, and you can send a message by hitting the Enter key. We modeled it more closely to chat and reduced the number of things you need to do to send a message. We wanted to make this more like a conversation.
Update #1: Want your Facebook email account now? Facebook has set up the following page which enables users to upgrade their messaging system immediately. If you go to this page apparently you can sign up for the new messaging system or at least get a to REQUEST an invite!
Update #2 Explained in Facebook style video speak!