Comments on: Facebook faces language, privacy fears http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/ Japan News Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:11:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: edwardhasnewgoggles http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-190887 edwardhasnewgoggles Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:02:58 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-190887 "culture misinterpretation errors", or whatever. You know what I'm trying to say!! :-) “culture misinterpretation errors”, or whatever. You know what I’m trying to say!! :-)

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]]> By: edwardhasnewgoggles http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-190884 edwardhasnewgoggles Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:01:42 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-190884 I installed the translation software, but I found that facebook didn't really apply as much to Japanese culture as it does to American culture. Some of the translations were off (granted there are differences in interpretation by those who translated), but the ones that were correct didn't really appeal to the Japanese. The reason why mixi is so popular is because it's built by Japanese people who are marketing to Japanese. When you translate facebook word-for-word into Japanese, it isn't as marketable (and thus, far less popular). Unfortunately, the team at facebook said they wanted the translations as close to the English version as possible, so that results in cultural errors. Just my opinion though. I installed the translation software, but I found that facebook didn’t really apply as much to Japanese culture as it does to American culture. Some of the translations were off (granted there are differences in interpretation by those who translated), but the ones that were correct didn’t really appeal to the Japanese.

The reason why mixi is so popular is because it’s built by Japanese people who are marketing to Japanese. When you translate facebook word-for-word into Japanese, it isn’t as marketable (and thus, far less popular). Unfortunately, the team at facebook said they wanted the translations as close to the English version as possible, so that results in cultural errors.

Just my opinion though.

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]]> By: Pamela http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-190373 Pamela Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:41:07 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-190373 ah, so is the japanese version also on the small screen? maybe when i get my iphone next month i'll check it out :P ah, so is the japanese version also on the small screen? maybe when i get my iphone next month i’ll check it out :P

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]]> By: Dave http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-190100 Dave Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:35:33 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-190100 I think Facebook is actually TOO private, compared to Mixi and Myspace. With Facebook, you don't have the option to set your profile open for everyone -- only to people in your networks. I guess that's great if you're in the "Japan" network, but since you can only have one "location" Network (aside from educational/professional networks), it severely limits the ability to stumble upon new friends. With Mixi I can see people posting in their journals and if I find them interesting, message them and progress from there. With Facebook, I have my friends added, but I rarely see what I'm supposed to do with it other than that. I don't feel I have any way to meet new people like I do with Mixi (or even MySpace). I think Facebook is actually TOO private, compared to Mixi and Myspace. With Facebook, you don’t have the option to set your profile open for everyone — only to people in your networks. I guess that’s great if you’re in the “Japan” network, but since you can only have one “location” Network (aside from educational/professional networks), it severely limits the ability to stumble upon new friends.

With Mixi I can see people posting in their journals and if I find them interesting, message them and progress from there. With Facebook, I have my friends added, but I rarely see what I’m supposed to do with it other than that. I don’t feel I have any way to meet new people like I do with Mixi (or even MySpace).

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]]> By: helical http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-190089 helical Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:09:34 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-190089 Oops. I meant to quote: <blockquote>Newcomers can join by invite only, which provides the degree of privacy and safety </blockquote> Oops. I meant to quote:

Newcomers can join by invite only, which provides the degree of privacy and safety

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]]> By: helical http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-190088 helical Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:08:16 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-190088 <blockquote cite="Newcomers can join by invite only, which provides the degree of privacy and safety..."> This was true in the early days, but now there's so many people that anyone can get an invite anywhere, so this system is defunct now that there are tens of millions of users. I have a for-all-purposes abandonned account on Facebook and I can't remember all the features but IIRC Facebook didn't have a "diary" or "blog" feature. There is also the stream of news articles which you can attach your entries to and have your 15 minutes of fame as your 2 cents hovers near the top of list of people who responded to the article, provides lots of incentives for people to come keep coming back. A fun/creepy function is the "footprint" which lists all the people who set foot on your patch of the SNS network, and gives you direct feedback on how much you are viewed by other people. IMO, these little features as well as the friendly/annoying bright orange color scheme adorning the restrictive/non-customizable = orderly/neat interface combined with the lack of newfangled java/flash/ajax/etc interfaces that tend to be more prominent in western sites probably makes it friendly to the Japanese sensibilities. And the little GIF emoticons. Can't forget the apparent glee some people take in having the ability to assault the viewer's eyes with a deluge of irritating little blinking GIFs...

This was true in the early days, but now there’s so many people that anyone can get an invite anywhere, so this system is defunct now that there are tens of millions of users.

I have a for-all-purposes abandonned account on Facebook and I can’t remember all the features but IIRC Facebook didn’t have a “diary” or “blog” feature.
There is also the stream of news articles which you can attach your entries to and have your 15 minutes of fame as your 2 cents hovers near the top of list of people who responded to the article, provides lots of incentives for people to come keep coming back.
A fun/creepy function is the “footprint” which lists all the people who set foot on your patch of the SNS network, and gives you direct feedback on how much you are viewed by other people.

IMO, these little features as well as the friendly/annoying bright orange color scheme adorning the restrictive/non-customizable = orderly/neat interface combined with the lack of newfangled java/flash/ajax/etc interfaces that tend to be more prominent in western sites probably makes it friendly to the Japanese sensibilities.

And the little GIF emoticons.
Can’t forget the apparent glee some people take in having the ability to assault the viewer’s eyes with a deluge of irritating little blinking GIFs…

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]]> By: ダビ http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-189797 ダビ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:47:11 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-189797 Oikawa has a point - many a time have I tried to speak to a Japanese person only to have them look back in absolute terror giving me the side-to-side hand motion gesture presumably meaning "I don't speak English!". (Of course I was addressing them in Japanese, but hey, I guess my accent is so bad they thought it was English). Oikawa has a point – many a time have I tried to speak to a Japanese person only to have them look back in absolute terror giving me the side-to-side hand motion gesture presumably meaning “I don’t speak English!”. (Of course I was addressing them in Japanese, but hey, I guess my accent is so bad they thought it was English).

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]]> By: Ken http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-189788 Ken Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:23:01 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-189788 Oikawa is WAY off. Japanese users drove a big chunk of YouTube and　Twitter growth before they had Japanese versions. Katayama is also off. Facebook was developed in the US, where privacy laws are stricter and carry real penalties. Japan's personal information law has no teeth. Oikawa is WAY off. Japanese users drove a big chunk of YouTube and　Twitter growth before they had Japanese versions.

Katayama is also off. Facebook was developed in the US, where privacy laws are stricter and carry real penalties. Japan’s personal information law has no teeth.

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]]> By: Oops http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-189751 Oops Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:16:18 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-189751 Your description in the first paragraph sounds exactly like what myspace is, which, of course, is very popular because it <i>does</i> have a cult following: "It's not great, but what the hell, I'm going to make an account because everyone is on there". Your description in the first paragraph sounds exactly like what myspace is, which, of course, is very popular because it does have a cult following: “It’s not great, but what the hell, I’m going to make an account because everyone is on there”.

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]]> By: Joseph K http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-189735 Joseph K Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:13:22 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-189735 I always use facebook on my phone. Through the ezweb browser it’s a little limited in functionality, but certainly easy to use. Through the Opera browser it is capable of a bit more. Japanese friends, and friends of friends, seem to be joining facebook at a steady pace these days. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to explode, but I’d wager it’ll be more successful than myspace. I always use facebook on my phone. Through the ezweb browser it’s a little limited in functionality, but certainly easy to use. Through the Opera browser it is capable of a bit more.

Japanese friends, and friends of friends, seem to be joining facebook at a steady pace these days. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to explode, but I’d wager it’ll be more successful than myspace.

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]]> By: Neil Duckett http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-189701 Neil Duckett Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:48:34 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-189701 Mixi is popular but i have no idea why ... it's just a cult following and compulsory for every kid to have an account. The sheer lack of truthful information, the lack of real profile pictures, the nicknames only ... it's hard to see any truth on the site. People breeze in once a day and write something meaningless and that's about it. I'm sure when the facebook following gets bigger in Japan it will be like a domino effect ..... and they'll all follow. I never saw the benefit of facebook in the beggining but now it really does put you back in touch and keep you up to date with friends so much more easier than email and other online means. Mixi is popular but i have no idea why … it’s just a cult following and compulsory for every kid to have an account. The sheer lack of truthful information, the lack of real profile pictures, the nicknames only … it’s hard to see any truth on the site. People breeze in once a day and write something meaningless and that’s about it.

I’m sure when the facebook following gets bigger in Japan it will be like a domino effect ….. and they’ll all follow.

I never saw the benefit of facebook in the beggining but now it really does put you back in touch and keep you up to date with friends so much more easier than email and other online means.

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]]> By: bob http://www.japanprobe.com/2008/06/27/facebook-seeps-into-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-189698 bob Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:26:49 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4988#comment-189698 Lisa Katayama doesn't know what she's talking about. Very few mixi users give any real information about themselves online. Fake names, fake photos, etc. Facebook's privacy features are lightyears ahead of what mixi has to offer. And in the case of facebook, probably 99.9% of accounts use real names, photos, phone numbers, jobs, etc. Mixi is the new hotmail. Everyone has an account but rarely uses it like they use to. I think facebook will be successful enough here when people start discovering what it has to offer. Lisa Katayama doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Very few mixi users give any real information about themselves online. Fake names, fake photos, etc. Facebook’s privacy features are lightyears ahead of what mixi has to offer. And in the case of facebook, probably 99.9% of accounts use real names, photos, phone numbers, jobs, etc.
Mixi is the new hotmail. Everyone has an account but rarely uses it like they use to. I think facebook will be successful enough here when people start discovering what it has to offer.

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