Facebook knows where you are

No huge surprise yesterday when Facebook announced the release of Places, a location specific update feature similar to Foursquare and Gowalla. User can "check in" to locations, add comments and see where their friends are doing the same. The feature is available on the newest version of the Facebook application for iPhone or you can go to touch.facebook.com if your mobile browser supports HTML 5 and geolocation.

This new addition to the Facebook world is a smart compliment for what is already the leader in social networks. While Foursquare was the innovator in this arena their offering is very much a niche compared to the more general social aspects of Facebook. The gang at Facebook should be given credit for being willing to adapt to the best practices and trends in the social space. Once innovative ideas like micro-blogging (Twitter) or social photo share (Flickr) prove themselves to early adopters it is smart for Facebook to consider integrating them into the service. Some will work in the mix and some will not but either way it is good for everyone when they are brought to the masses.

Page not found is not a dead end

Whether you think that idea of social shopping site Blippy.com is cool or couldn't imagine letting the world know about your latest Amazon purchase you can't deny these guys have the best 404 page (page not found) ever.

While you may not think putting so much effort into a page you would rather people never see is crazy I would suggest just the opposite.  Of course, you don't have to be as humorous with your 404 but keep in mind the objective is to keep your users engaged and direct them to content they are looking for. Be sure to include a search box, links to key pages in your site and do not clutter the 404 with tons of content that would make them move on from your site.