If you’re like most active users on the internet, then you probabl have a Facebook page.  In fact, there are now 500 million active Facebook users worldwide.  The entire world population is around 6.8 billion.  That means that about one in every fourteen individuals – men, women, and children…all third world countries considered, etc. – are an active Facebook user.  That’s a huge number.



Now, look at it from a project manager’s perspective.  Do you use it for anything professional?  Or do you just reconnect with old and current friends, classmates, etc. to maintain long distance friendly relationships?  That’s me.  But I’m curious about the other side.  I have gone to the trouble of setting up message groups to share specific information with only certain people.  I’ve used it in that group for collaboration and for rapid information sharing.  I set it up, but all the users have used it.



I’m beginning to see potential uses for it in the project management world.  I’m not yet seeing the value of Facebook as a collaborative tool with the customer.  I could be wrong, but I’m still seeing the customer as someone to keep at a slightly farther distance as we test out full collaboration on a project.  But for the project team to quickly share information, files, graphics, etc. ….. I’m seeing the potential.



A feature added by Facebook in 2010 called Groups allows you to create a group and then add individuals to the group without them having to join or like anything.  It’s instantaneous and you can keep it closed.  This feature allows you to post links, documents, video, pictures, and events.  I’m seeing this as a huge potential for a collaboration tool on a project.