Oct. 29--When Facebook released its Rooms app last week, I, along with just about everyone else, expected the company's answer to Snapchat, Secret and Whisper -- an app where everything you do quickly disappears.
We didn't get that. What we got was kind of confusing. We got the anonymity, but we also got an old-school chat room that requires QR codes to get in.
Turns out that while Rooms is definitely still confusing, it's really quite brilliant.
Here's how it works in three steps:
--Download the Rooms app (currently iOS only; you can get it here). It's not connected to Facebook at all. You can choose a different nickname in each room. Right now it's totally anonymous, but you have to provide an email address.
--Take a screen shot of a Rooms key, which looks like a QR code. (On your iPhone, press the home button and power button quickly to save it to your camera roll.)
--Open the app, and you should see the room on the main screen. If not, just hit "use invite" in the lower right corner. Then you can click to get it from your camera roll. In all of my experimenting, the room just appeared after I took the screen shot.
Now here's the tricky part: You have to do some work to find the codes. The makers of Rooms said in a blog post that part of the allure is finding a room, so there's no directory. Personally, I see no allure in that, and it's part of what makes the app confusing, so I expect that to change pretty quickly.
You can create a room and share that key to open it to a wider audience, or share the key to an existing one when you find it. The owner of the room can decide how public or private to make it. If you want a room for your bowling team and there are five people, you can give out five keys. Or, if you want to find something new, you can look around on Twitter, Instagram and Reddit for public keys. Search hashtag #rooms and you'll find plenty.
Here's a way to try it for yourself. I created a Room called #SoSocial, and you can find a key on my Twitter and Instagram feeds. The code is also at the top of this column, so if you are reading it on an iPhone you can save it to your camera roll or take a screen shot as you read. The #SoSocial room will be the online hub for social conversation, and I think it's a perfect complement to this column.
Now the question remains: Will people go through the initial weirdness to really appreciate the power of Rooms? Some will, but I fear many won't. This is one situation where listening carefully to user feedback is going to make or break the app. So here's hoping Facebook does the right thing and realizes Rooms is not about them. This app needs a directory, and it needs clearer instructions.
What questions do you have about social media? Tweet them to @scottkleinberg with hashtag #SoSocial. He might select yours for use in a future column.
