---
title: "Facebook Lite Goes Live – More Twitter Imitation"
date: 2009-09-10
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2009"
    url: "/tag/2009.md"
---

# Facebook Lite Goes Live – More Twitter Imitation

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/fb_lite_logo.jpg)A month ago we reported that [Facebook was beta testing a ‘lite’ version](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_goes_lite_and_tests_twitter-like_version.php) of its popular social networking site. [http://lite.facebook.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://lite.facebook.com/) has just become available to U.S. users. The lite version offers users a “faster, simpler version of Facebook.” Judging from what we have seen so far, Facebook Lite turns Facebook into a very Twitter-like experience. Facebook Lite has comment threading, more features than Twitter and no word count limits. But the influence is plain to see.

It’s a been a busy news day at Facebook. Earlier today Facebook launched [a new Twitter-like tagging feature](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebooks_twitter-like_tagging_useful_or_tiring.php), plus they announced it has [open sourced the real-time web development framework](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_open_sources_friendfeeds_real-time_web_fr.php) that runs [its new acquisition Friendfeed](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_just_bought_friendfeed.php).

We’re hearing the term “Twitter-like” a lot in regard to Facebook’s announcements these days – just as earlier in the year [Facebook was apt to copy Friendfeed](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_has_friendfeed_envy_a.php). *Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery* indeed, but remember that Facebook’s user base is still much larger than Twitter’s.

It’s a tried and true strategy for big Internet companies (ref Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL): copy the best new features from smaller startups and gradually introduce them over time to a mainstream audience. Even though Twitter is nearly mainstream, its [only just broken into the comScore top 50 sites](https://web.archive.org/web/20100128062056/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_50_us_web_properties_facebook_enters_top_5.php) in the U.S. – whereas Facebook is now in the top 5.

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_lite_goes_live.php))*