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 The number of Americans using Facebook fell by nearly 1.4 million in early December, according to new data from social media monitoring company SocialBakers. Brown says she grew tired of the “vitriol” surrounding the current gun-control debate after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. 
 
 “Students and teachers are headed back to school, and they might not need as much of their digital friendships now that they can interact more in person,” says Jason Keath, founder and CEO of SocialFresh.com, a social media training company. But the bigger question will be whether the connections Facebook mines grow substantial enough to give Facebook Graph Search serious utility. “Facebook felt like a never-ending high school reunion,” he says. And no matter how privacy aware the software engine is, that seems to carry significant privacy implications. And yet, on the other hand, it will only work really well if we are promiscuous in what we "like" and willing to share oodles of information about ourselves.
– Facebook unveiled its new search tool today even as stats showed that the number of Americans using the site fell by 1.4 million in December, reports MarketWatch. A blip, or did the US hit a saturation point? Maybe it's those new ads and fees? Time will tell, but it's a safe bet that Mark Zuckerberg hopes his new "Graph Search"—lots of reviewers hate the abstract name—will reverse the trend by embedding Facebook further into our lives. The tech press generally seems intrigued, with many taking a wait-and-see approach in reviews. Andrew Leonard at Salon says it "looks like a big deal," with the potential to change the business models of online dating, job searches, and the like. Yelp, Craigslist, and, of course, Google, are surely taking notice. Here's his example of a potential use: "It’s Saturday night in the not too distant future. You walk into a crowded bar. At first glance, you don’t recognize anyone, so you pull out your phone and log into your Facebook app. You tap in a query: Show me the single women (or men) who are in this bar, adore Mozart, Macklemore and the TV show Community and are part of the network defined as 'friends of my Facebook friends.' ... If you’re lucky, Facebook spits back a few profile pics at you, and you’re suddenly ready to buy someone a drink who is already pre-approved for your personal checklist." Full post here. Of course, none of this works unless you and your friends, and their friends, are diligent "likers." Sure, you can theoretically find a dentist recommended by this circle, but how many people "like" their dentist right now? "Consider me," writes Danny Sullivan at SearchEngineLand. "Not only have I not liked my electrician, my plumber, my dentist, my doctor or my tax person on Facebook but I don’t even know if they have Facebook pages. I have nothing to offer to my Facebook friends in this regard." Facebook understands the challenge, he adds, "but it’s hoping the promise of what search can provide will help encourage people to build the connections they may lack now." Full post here.