Facebook is shaking up the way it handles messaging, complete with an update to its iPhone app.
However, contrary to speculation, the new system ISN'T a Gmail-rivalling webmail service. Even though it will make @facebook.com email addresses available to all users.
Facebook is describing the new system as "the next evolution of Messages", which involves gathering all communications with friends in one 'social inbox' - including emails, instant messages and SMS.
"You shouldn't have to remember who prefers IM over email or worry about which technology to use," blogs engineer Joel Seligstein. "Simply choose their name and type a message."
During the launch event in San Francisco - and in Seligstein's blog post - Facebook was keen to stress that this isn't just email.

"To be clear, Messages is not email. There are no subject lines, no cc, no bcc, and you can send a message by hitting the Enter key. We modeled it more closely to chat and reduced the number of things you need to do to send a message. We wanted to make this more like a conversation."
Facebook has shown off the new Messaging functionality in its iPhone app, with an update to be released shortly.
Online, communications from Facebook friends will be prioritised in the main Inbox, while messages and emails from other contacts will go into an Other folder, until they're manually moved into the Inbox.
Facebook says it will be rolling out the new features over the coming months.
A big leap forwards in messaging (including mobile), or the new Google Wave? Let us know your thoughts by posting a comment.

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