Redefining how to make a mistake?

Jeff Jarvis posted an interesting defense of Facebook over at his Buzz Machine blog last week.

He argues that Facebook is "redefining how to make a mistake". In an age where people vote on how successful a site is through clicks, web companies have to engage with their audiences or risk losing them. Facebook users complained about the newsfeed, but Zuckerberg explained what it was and users realised it was a good thing.

Another case in point is Facebook announced the ad program, they didn’t include enough privacy controls for the users. But after conversation with their users, they added those controls and improved the service to their users.

In a similar vein, HSBC were reminded of the power of Facebook when they were forced to change the terms of their student accounts after a protest group was set up on Facebook.

Whilst a lot of social media discussion is focussing around Facebook at the moment, I think that these examples can be applied to a wider sphere and serve as a reminder of the essentials of good communciation, especially in the Web 2.0 era - engaging in conversation with your customers/users, explaining clearly why changes are taking place and the benefits (and disadvantages) that the changes bring, and take stock of the messages coming through from thses conversations.

I don't think Facebook is redefining how to make a mistake, but merely how to recognise, react and respond when a mistake is made.