Facebook's 'Next Generation' Email, Messaging Service: What It Means For You

"This is the way that the future should work," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said of Facebook's revamped Messages system, which will provide all Facebook users with "@facebook.com" email addresses.

So what does this "modern messaging system" look like? What can it do--and what does it mean for you?

We've outlined 7 things you need to know about Facebook's new product. Still have questions? Share your questions by emailing us at technology [at] huffingtonpost.com. Read more about Facebook's announcement here and see how users have reacted to it.

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Facebook highlighted 'seamless messaging' as a key feature of the new Messages product, which unites multiple forms of e-communication and integrates text messages, IMs, and emails. "You decide how you want to talk to your friends: via SMS, chat, email or Message," Facebook explained in a blog post. "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."

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Facebook highlighted 'seamless messaging' as a key feature of the new Messages product, which unites multiple forms of e-communication and integrates text messages, IMs, and emails.

"You decide how you want to talk to your friends: via SMS, chat, email or Message," Facebook explained in a blog post. "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."

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Angelus2007 said on 15 Monday 2010 pm30 5:12 pm: Except my smartphone already does all this. Someone texts me...I get it, someone emails me, I get it, someone IMs me, I get it.

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Comments

[Aarathy Ramkumar]

12:59 AM on 11/17/2010

It's a really cool concept, although it's not new. Tools like Unified Inbox www.unifiedinbox.com has already been using it - All messages at one place! Waiting to have some hands on experience on this new messaging service.

[lilylee86]

09:52 PM on 11/16/2010

That is good..
WinPST Share Outlook.

[Jon Whooley]

09:48 PM on 11/16/2010

Ummm..what's wrong with the way it is now?

[Sandy Knauer]

01:42 PM on 11/16/2010

It's interesting to see the negative comments coming from people who frequent Huffington Post. Sorta made me shake my head until it hurt.

[Gil76]

09:38 AM on 11/16/2010

I have never been on Facebook.

[norby413]

02:24 PM on 11/16/2010

500,000,000 people have...

[Faxus]

03:04 PM on 11/16/2010

I tried Facebook but I just have better things to do than play Farmville and Mafia Wars all day. People can talk about the wonders of Facebook all they want but Facebook is often a colossal waste of time. I don't need to be electronically connected to my friends and associates 24 hours a day via the Internet. If others wish to have their personal lives dissected and analyzed so that they can be better positioned as mass-consumers of what ever is being sold to them, so be it, but pardon me if I don't run off the cliff with you all.

[Paula Richmond]

09:25 AM on 11/16/2010

Sorry Mr. Zuckerberg.. not Zuckerman

[Paula Richmond]

09:24 AM on 11/16/2010

SOCIAL NETWORK is an amazing movie about this genius Zuckerman.. another Bill Gates. If you want to know exactly how this all began check it out!

[CongaChile]

08:50 AM on 11/16/2010

Who cares? Time to get a life maybe?

[eShirl]

06:53 AM on 11/16/2010

I don't need your Fail Mail, Zuckerberg.

[zingdaddy]

05:35 AM on 11/16/2010

Anyone else see the Exxon ad on this page, claiming that the company pays more in US taxes than they make in income? What a ludicrous lie! If that was true, they wouldn't be in business.

[rougebaisers]

05:18 AM on 11/16/2010

Uhm. My iphone and ipad and third party email clients on my mac computers have already been doing this for years. Sorry facebook. I hope to be the last human if needsbe to never ever sign up for your ridiculous sites.

[richardjones81]

05:15 AM on 11/16/2010

This comes across as just another way to get more personal user information. Soon Facebook will be selling our contact list to advertisers. I have had enough of the soap opera that is Facebook. We dont need Facebook to do everything in life. Facebook is still appealing to the twentysomething crowd and will never be able to take over other mail services as a primary email. In fact, I'm so tired of Facebook's privacy issues that I've decided to wait for MyCube or Diaspora to launch. Atleast these sites won't sell our content to advertisers

[rougebaisers]

05:19 AM on 11/16/2010

Precisely. He is some sort of info freak but why? Aside from his ad bucks, who is paying for that info and how much and to what end?

[Sandy Knauer]

01:40 PM on 11/16/2010

Interesting that you should say this. I have hundreds of Facebook friends whose grandchildren are closer to twentysomething than they are.

[GEM-592]

12:35 AM on 11/16/2010

Yawn on you FB

[zingdaddy]

12:09 AM on 11/16/2010

And what will Facebook do with your messages, the list of people you talk to, etc? Who will they sell them to?

[Bellanova]

12:11 AM on 11/16/2010

The highest bidder.

[barrada nicto]

03:24 AM on 11/17/2010

And all the other bidders.

[rougebaisers]

05:21 AM on 11/16/2010

If you have anything to do with this guys sites you get what they have coming to you. Email is not secure at all. Someone in a basement in the Pentagon is reading any and all of them that they wish to see. Never send personal info or credit card info or anything financial at all, because someone somewhere is reading it. This guy however, it has already been established, sells info.

[Sysaphean]

11:32 PM on 11/15/2010

Best Facebook defense: Don't be there.