So, what is Facebook Lite?

Depends on who you ask. Tech Crunch reports that it looks much like Twitter or FriendFeed:

Okay, while it seems that most of the users who are getting this message now are not seeing much different, earlier this week, it looks like a very select few may have gotten a sneak peak at Facebook Lite. According to their tweets on it, it appears to be a more Twitter-like. One user notes that it, “looks like a simplified version of twitter with comments enabled. On 2nd thought, it looks like simplified FriendFeed.”

That is of course very interesting since Facebook just bought FriendFeed for around $50 million yesterday.

Tech Crunch features this screen capture of Facebook Lite.

The Washington Post, however, says it ain’t Twitter-esque or FriendFeed-like:

But in reality, Facebook Lite has nothing to do with Twitter or FriendFeed ? at least, not right now. Instead, it was designed to be used in parts of the world where broadband speeds vary and can be expensive, we’re being told by Facebook. Given that the initial testing of it has taken place in India over the past several days, this makes sense.

Think about how slow Facebook is to load at times on some broadband connections here in the U.S., and just imagine what that much be like on connections that are several times slower. And then also consider that all of Facebook’s datacenters are here in the U.S. So for the data to get around the world, it creates an even longer natural load time. So Facebook is stripping the site back and allowing Facebook Lite to be a site where new users can quickly write on friend’s walls, send messages and build their social network. The basics.

As we said, it’s testing in India right now, but the plan is for Facebook Lite to hit places like Russia and China as well, we’re hearing.

The News Media Guildi is protesting (and rightly) on behalf of its members at the AP because of new social media policies at the news organization that will now require reporters and editors to remove comments and other info on their Facebook pages that don’t meet AP standards.

From Editor & Publisher:

“It is making some people cringe,” said Kevin Keane, News Media Guild administrator. “It is not appropriate for a company that heralds free speech.”

Keane also objected to another portion of the new rules that states: “Posting material about the AP’s internal operations is prohibited on employees’ personal pages.”

“You can’t tell people not to talk about anything internal to AP,” Keane said. “It is too broad. People have the right.”

Equally is its backwards policy on reporters using Twitter to communicate news. Here is both the Facebook and Twitter provisions from AP’s Q&A-format policy:

Q. Anything specific to Facebook?

It’s a good idea to monitor your profile page to make sure material posted by others doesn’t violate AP standards; any such material should be deleted. Also, managers should not issue friend requests to subordinates, since that could be awkward for employees. It’s fine if employees want to initiate the friend process with their bosses.

Q. How about Twitter?

We’re still the AP. Don’t report things or break news that we haven’t published, no matter the format, and that includes retweeting unconfirmed information not fit for AP’s wires. Feel free to link to AP material that has been published. It’s difficult for most people to link to AP Mobile stories right now, so link to member and customer sites instead and try to vary the links to spread the traffic around. It’s a good idea to reference the AP in the promo language, i.e. Just how much geek can be chic? Test your fashion IQ with this interactive game. Also, when tweeting, remember that’s there a big difference between providing an observation (”I nearly bumped into Chris Matthews outside Penn Station”) and an opinion (”I nearly bumped into the loudmouthed and obnoxious Chris Matthews”).

BTW, that’s not opinion about Matthews; he is an obnoxious loudmouth. That’s how he puts bread on his table.

UPDATE: We’ve gone back to our old comment box for now, and it should be working fine, so please let me know if it isn’t working for your by emailing me at wayne.garcia@creativeloafing.com.

The brainchild of Tallahassee-based public affairs guy John Fleming, the app lets you buy lunch or send a small gift to lawmakers. No tricky lobbyist disclosure forms to fill out; just gift away.

Of course, you have to go out and find yourself some lawmakers, since they aren’t on the app page and have to be in your Friends List. Two who are on FB: Charlie Justice and Dave Aronberg.

My one suggestion? How about some realllllly big gifts, wildly inappropriate Abramoff-style stuff. Golf outings. Expensive Scotch. Cuban cigars. A US Senatorship from Illinois …

• Now the car companies want $34 billion!
• Verizon’s service is so bad it gets fined millions by the state.
• Tampa City Council OK’s 25-year Tampa Electric deal without renewable energy or anti-coal provisions.
• If India bombs Pakistan, this might be the target.
• Deeson: Top Hillsborough fire brass get paramedic pay bonus even if they don’t work as paramedics.
• Controversial Ed Helm edged out for Democratic State Committeeman in Pinellas.
• Controversial St. Pete middle school principal suspended with pay during internal investigation.
• Wanna buy a money-losing daily newspaper with a great view?
• Ahhh, it’s the first sighting of a “Grinch” headline in the MSM for the holiday season. Won’t be the last.
• Tampa Tribune releases news that has no news.
• “Hello, this is Barack Obama.” Click.
• November was terrible for retailers. Can December be much better?
• Facebook Connect just might change the world (wide web).
• This Christmas, support a worthwhile cause by helping Stephen Colbert humble Kanye West.
• R.I.P. Knight Rider.

• Florida gets much love as the candidates crisscross the state.
• Millions vote early, immediately smash televisions…
• …but not necessarily the Youth Vote.
• Bill stumps with Obama in Kissimmee. Three words we enjoy in any sentence: Bill, stumps and Kissimmee.
• McCain to LAT: Screw your journalistic principles, gimme that damned Obama video.
• Larry King was in town yesterday? I knew there was a reason I felt really icky all day.
• One of the 2,466 keyboardists who ever played with Jerry Garcia is dead.
• The worst part is that I had a ticket for game 6.
• There you go again, Sarah Palin.
• Can someone explain how the U.S. faces deflation after the Fed has created all this money?
• Trouble ahead for Facebook?
• 15 technologies that are about to change everything.
• God help us all: The Beatles go digital with their own edition of Rock Band.

• Iraq’s PM backs Obama’s withdrawal plan. The McCain camp pretends they are still relevant on the issue.
• Complete Bullshit: “Mullen: Timetable in Iraq ‘Dangerous’, Time Horizons Safe.”
• Where in the world is Barack Obama today?
• Ridiculous flying machines? Check. Humorous crash landings? Check. 100,000 spectators cooking in downtown Tampa swelter? Check!
• What Would Jesus Watch? Christian groups try to shut down Marriott’s in-room porn.
• This is why I don’t do triathlons.
• The Dark Knight slays ‘em at the box office.
• Facebook gets an update.

Great moments in presidential speechifying.

• McClellan spills the beans on Bush.
• Obama confuses two Nazi prison camps, the Right declares him unfit to lead.
• Al-Qaeda calls for WMD attacks on the West.
• Where else? “Max Hardcore” on trial for obscenity in Tampa.
• Look who’s on Facebook now …
• The “Zero Punctuation” guy slows down for an interview.
• “True Romance: 15 Years Later.”
• Slice & Dice: The Macbook Air.

The Empire Strikes Barack

• Charlie Crist shows up on McCain’s short list … and mine.
• If Hillary is angling for the VP slot, she sure has a funny way of showing it.
• Clarification: Despite her high-horse prancing, Mrs. Clinton is responsible for Florida’s votes not counting.
• The decider is overridden.
• The Port of Tampa almost exploded this morning.
• American Airlines to start charging $15 for first checked bag. What’s next, $2 to use the can?
• Facebook gets a facelift.
• Six degrees of Paris’s hoo-hah.