Facebook Graph Search is explained like this, from the book of face themselves:

“Graph Search will help you instantly find others, learn more about them and make connections, explore photos, quickly find places like local attractions and restaurants, and learn about common interests like music, movies, books and more. All results are unique based on the strength of relationships and connections.” (source: Facebook Graph Search)

Here is is how I read it:

“Graph search will help make it easier to creep on people you once knew, learn things about them you otherwise would have never noticed or cared about, scan all of their personal photos, and take common interests from these people you may or may not know and think that you suddenly have a connection.”

I understand that it is apparently supposed to give you results based on your existing connections and relationships and how strong those are, but let’s be honest, we are all ‘friends’ with probably hundreds (in some cases thousands) of people on Facebook that we knew 10 years ago, and haven’t given a second of thought towards since accepting that friends request.   I have friends that I knew when I was 6-years-old and know absolutely nothing about now.  But, since they are a connection to me, will they pop up in my Graph Search results?  And, my friends that I do know really well, I wouldn’t need them to pop up in a search to learn something about them.

What I’m trying to say here, is that it seems like it will just give new life to creeping, within your already existing friend base.  I normally don’t go looking for new people to connect with on Facebook.  I already have a good deal of connections on there that I barely know, or once knew, or will probably never know again.  Graph Search opens a new opportunity to quickly learn about these people, find common interests and make it seem like we should chat or something?

If Graph Search expands to brand pages and allows people to find businesses they might like that they otherwise didn’t know existed, that makes more sense to me.  Then it really starts to become a Google competitor, all within the Facebook world.

The functionality does seem cool, don’t get me wrong.  And I’m looking forward to seeing how it works.  They are always innovating and trying to make the free product better, more engaging, and interesting.  But, personally, I don’t need help creeping on my Facebook friends.  The news feed is in-your-face enough with the content Facebook chooses to show me.

(The opinions are only those of Jeff Werkheiser)