I think this is interesting, although I don't think it would be a deal breaker for me.

Perhaps unlike yourself ByronM - my facebook network is a combination of friends from school, university associates, work colleagues, and probably a fair few randoms from along the way.

Will my online needs be better served by sources which that motley crew have found useful? I'm not sure.

I also think (or perhaps, like to think) that most of my queries may be a bit unique / long tail to benefit much from something like this, but could well be proven wrong.

Maybe to get the best value out of something like this, I need to make a new facebook profile, and only make friends with the small number of people whose opinions I genuinely trust! Either that, or I need to become more trusting in general.

I think one problem for me, is when I'm searching, I like to feel like I'm am the master of my own destiny. I'll often look for people's recommendations on a restaurant, or an exhibition for example, but I'm perfectly happy scanning through the already significant number of reviews and ratings posted online by people I've never met. At least then, when I make a bad decision, I've only got myself to blame.

I'll definitely give this a look tho. And regardless of the poor taste most of my friends have, this is a great innovation from Bing.

I don't think I know anyone that uses Bing, except maybe for a few people who aren't savvy enough to understand that Bing could have a like button from a different website.

Just sayin'

i have a lots of friends in facebook and they are always trolling. if Bing add such stuff my search result get crazy ...
this is not good :(

More info from other source... [theregister.co.uk...]

I don't think I know anyone that uses Bing

I sure do, and I continue to promote it with the less tech saavy every chance I get.

I'm not a facebook user, but my wife and several other close friends are very facebook-centric. I could see this being a huge draw to that community.

Good move Bing.

As an aside, we've been seeing a flurry of new feature activity from both Bing and Google lately. I haven't been in the industry as long as some here but I can't remember a time when there was so much happening so fast. In my opinion, Bing is winning that fight. Google's changes are often perplexing and occasionally 'creepy', whereas I can usually see the benefit of Bing's changes even if they may not be a benefit to me.

Google's changes are often perplexing and occasionally 'creepy'

What changes has Google done in search that are creepy? I think embedding your friends "like" requests in serps is creepy myself.

Okay, okay, the 'creepy' comment was a more of a dig on Shmidt's latest blurb, plus my concern over the overall shift in Google's corporate philosophy.

However, here are a couple of recent Google changes that I found downright disconcerting, if not quite creepy:

1. Google Instant - I feel it pulls searches away from the long tail back to more competitive (profitable) keywords.

2. AdWords camouflaging - Sponsored ads are now almost identical to organic search links

3. Google Places - The next generation of local search, except now Google keeps your traffic on their site, and places your competitors ads next to your business listing.

4. Plus several other frightening beta tests such as taking away links to search results beyond the first page, reducing organic links on the first SERP to just a handful, adding tweets to search results, and many more.

On the other hand, Bing adding Facebook likes to their results should add real value to those hard-core Facebook users. As long as they make it opt-in that is...

Well, by Eric's own admission - Google like to get right up and personal with that line.

What bugs me is when Bing does something interesting, then Google nick it, and before you know it - they're gloating about it. At the Think Google event, they were talking about their new image results - and how it's so smart that users don't have to click from page to page now.

I'm sure Google will be watching this closely, with a super similar plan of attack should it look like it's going well.

Poor bing.

Funny thing is Google can add the same functionality to their SERPS just by using the free tools provided by FB.

Countdown until Google adds facebook like buttons to serps... has begun.

When I search for one of my primary terms I'm seeing that my site ranks #1, #2 and #4 in Bing now. These two companies are copying each other wholesale.

Google will not respond for sure as they had Search Wiki. they saw how spammers can piss search result off and closed after a few weeks

It would be so nice if the engines would simply realize that when I type in a query, if they take me literally they will deliver the best results and not try to read my mind or base my search results on the likes of engineers I was in college with, family, x-girlfriends, ski buddies, people from reflexology classes and coworkers from bar tending to web stuff and random people I've run into while traveling.

It's just not that complicated, when I ask for something in the form of a query, take it literally and serve up some results.

Gonna have to start using Ask.com or something along those lines. They are sending more traffic now than either Bing or Yahoo!

Skibum, it asks you if you want to opt out the first time you use it and its easy to turn on or off. It also seems to boost relevency, not ignore it. I don't see random likes in search results but relevent ones.

Google's changes are often perplexing and occasionally 'creepy'

What changes has Google done in search that are creepy? I think embedding your friends "like" requests in serps is creepy myself.

Ironically, in the next 23 hours and 14 minutes.. Google wants more people logged in [webmasterworld.com]

Anyone seeing this in their serps yet?

It seems like it is now officially live