Facebook recently started notifying users of its Notes app that it will be removing RSS support on November 22, 2011. The Notes app will still be available, but automatic importing from your blog or website will not be possible. Here is the message some users are seeing:
Changes to How You Share Content in Notes
You currently automatically import content from your website or blog into your Facebook notes. Starting November 22nd, this feature will no longer available, although you’ll still be able to write individual notes. The best way to share content from your website is to post links on your timeline. Learn more about notes.
Until the upcoming kill date, Facebook users have been able to automatically import content from their website or blog. This was achieved by going to the Notes app, clicking on the Notes Settings option, choosing Import a Blog, entering the appropriate URL, and clicking on Start Importing.
So, what’s the alternative? There really isn’t one, according to the following Facebook Help Center entry: “My blog isn’t importing to Facebook.” Here is the answer:
Importing a blog or RSS feed to your personal Facebook account is no longer available. If you want to share your blog posts on Facebook, you can:
- Use Facebook Notes to customize your blog posts in a rich format that’s compatible for readers on Facebook
- Link directly to your blog posts from your status
If you’re a page admin, find more information.
The last line leads to the Facebook Help Center question titled “ Why can I no longer import posts from my website to my Page’s notes?” Here’s the answer:
We want you to connect with your fans in the most effective ways possible. That’s why as of September 30th you’ll no longer be able to automatically import posts from your website to your Page notes. The best way to get people to interact with your content is to give them insight into the links you share on your Wall by adding personal comments and responding to feedback from fans.
We’re focused on creating even better tools for Pages. Look for announcements soon.
Many social network studies have shown that automatically posting content results in significantly lower engagement. Still, many users and Page owners will not be pleased by this change as they don’t have the time to share their content manually.
It’s not clear why the social network is making this change, but based on the last few tweaks and feature removals, I think I have an idea. I believe it’s possible Facebook is trying to ensure all content that shows up in the Ticker and the upcoming Timeline and Open Graph rollout is manually posted. In other words, it’s a quality versus quantity thing.
See also:
- Facebook kills official Music Player and Discography apps
- Facebook to remove Discussions tab from Pages
- Facebook kills daily Facebook Deals, keeps Check-in Deals alive
- Facebook kills Places, but emphasizes location sharing more
- Facebook removes the Comment button
- Facebook kills App Directory, wants users to search for apps
