There have been a lot of rumors about the “Gmail Killer,” ruling the internet lately.  Well this past Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, put some of those rumors to rest when he unveiled Facebook’s newest feature Facebook Messages.  The goal of this new messaging system is not to immediately lure Gmail and Yahoo away from their traditional email systems, but to slowly introduce the idea that while you are checking in on your Facebook, you can also see your texts, chats and emails all in one social inbox.  The hope is that maybe one day people won’t need their traditional email accounts any more, but will be able to utilize Facebook to get in touch with all family, friends and colleagues, even if you aren’t “Facebook friends.”

With over 500 million members Facebook was not immediately able to provide everyone with their @Facebook.com email address, but they are testing it out with a couple thousand lucky people and hope to roll it out to all members in a few months.

A few key identifiers of the Facebook Messaging system include:

• A view for messages from Facebook friends and friends of friends. Less-important communications, such as newsletters, are routed to a folder for “other” messages.
• Users can attach files, including photos and videos, without a file size limit.
• Facebook Messages don’t have subject lines.
• Messages can only be sent to one user at a time.
• There is not an option for an “out of office” message.

For more information about Facebook’s new messaging system, check out http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-11-16-facebookmail16_ST_N.htm

And for a great article detailing why this may not be the “email killer” that it has been detailed as, go to: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/82798/20101117/facebook-email-gmail-killer-new-message-service-integrated-communications-youngsters-text-messages-s.htm