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Technology

Facebook Founder Puts Personal Touch on Familiar Facebook Feature (Hear It Here)

Dec. 23, 2012 12:15am Liz Klimas

If you’ve been a Facebook user for some length of time, you might have noticed the “Poke” feature, which was at first a button and now is nestled in a friend’s “message” dropdown menu. The feature might go relatively unused by many Facebook users — it’s function only alerts the pokee that they’ve been jabbed electronically — but this week the social media site introduced a Poke upgrade.

According to Facebook’s announcement, “Poke” is now a stand alone mobile app. But it’s not the app that allows users to “just say hello” or poke with with a video alert that is gaining attention. TechCrunch pointed out that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg took on a more personal role with this feature.

Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg Is Voice of New Poke Mobile App

(Image: Apple App Store)

Not only did he contribute to some of the app’s programming, but the “Poke” soundbite when a user receives notifications is said to be Zuckerberg’s voice.

“My sources say that Facebook’s CEO recorded the sound snippet on his phone as a joke,” Josh Constine with TechCrunch wrote. “But he was convinced to run the sample through some audio filters and let it become the soundtrack to the modern Poke.”

Listen to it here:

The app is similar to Snapchat, another app that allows users to share photos and videos which are then deleted a few seconds after being received. TechCrunch reported that it was rumored Facebook wanted to purchase this app, but Snapchat didn’t want to join the social media giant.

With that, Facebook made their own version — in just 12 days.

The similarities are so great between the two apps that one customer review said:

Huge ripoff of snapchat! Good app but why try and copy what already exists? Make something original. I think I’ll stick with snapchat at least until this goes big. — Micah Wilson, two stars

TechCrunch said the quick app creation could have been to get it approved before Apple stopped accepting applications before the holidays. Another reviewer who gave the app five stars said, “those Facebook people sure know how to ship mobile apps.”

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Comments (11)

AmericanLass
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 5:52pm
I can’t believe someone actually spends their time working on something like this. Its creepy and I would feel like I was being stalked.

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riker01
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:39am
ooooooh! I am so excited that Mr. Evil himself used his own voice. My God this is news?

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:55am
Straight from the golden calf’s mouth. Who cares?

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grannyrecipe
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:21am
That was stupid for snapchat to not sell. They are really going to get pushed aside now. Think about the branding.
“Hey, I’m going to snapchat Joe with this”
or
“Hey, I’m going to Poke joe with this”
Which one comes off the tongue easier and is more natural?

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Diane TX
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 6:02am
It’s been more than two years since I’ve even gone near my “Facebook” page. Seriously, I don’t need everybody to know my every thought. Also, I’m not interested in what seeds you picked for your flower garden.

If you have something interesting to say, then I’m interested. Mundane life is NOT interesting in any way.

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- BubbleheadDan
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:42am
  Same here. I closed my account over a year ago. It took about 6 months for Facebook to finally delete my account. The short time I was on Facebook I realized that there was a reason I didn’t hang out with these people in High School 30 years ago.
  
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- diskinetic
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:50am
  Why did you even tell us this, dragging us into your mundane handling of FaceBook? How dull. Please, unless you have something interesting to say about FaceBook, quit forcing us to watch you not use it.
  
  By the way, Begonias.
  
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- BubbleheadDan
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:06am
  @Disconnected,
  The story was about Facebook. Why are you so hostile towards Diane? At least she is on topic, unlike the trolls who post on here.
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 8:10am
  Facebook now has a new feature. Used to be, you quit and they kept your page active so you could just log back in and pick up where you left off. Now (and I closed mine a few months ago) you have the option to completely close and delete everything, but they give you 2 weeks to change your mind. i didn’t. I haven’t even checked to see if it’s still there or not. I find the time line creepy.
  
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DisgustedinUSA
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:52am
Sorry but Facebook SUCKS. Now, you can’t even hide any of your personal info or photos from those you dont know. It says you’re supposed to be able to but first they make it nearly impossible to figure out how to do it, and second, theres a glitch/bug which is causing the software to not allow you to do it. I HATE facebook. Looking forward to another company giving it a try since My Space and FB have FAILED.

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N37BU6
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:30am
Oh, yeah? How about modding a video game’s sounds with your own voice?

http://youtu.be/9BxHdxYtrcQ

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