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FriendFeed launched a new feature last night,  real-time updating.  With this feature, you can see all the most recent FriendFeed posts without even having to refresh the page.  As nifty as this new feature is, it can also get a bit crazy.

The site has essentially turned the web into a giant chatroom according to Robert Scoble.  You’ve got it all going on here, not just the chatting, but videos, photos, tweets, and more.  Every item has its own URL, as well as its own RSS feed.  You’re able to comment on everything there, not just on the “commentary” like in a chat room.

Even though the live feature is listed as beta, it’s available for all of your FriendFeed pages when you click the “Real Time” link.  Plus, there’s an embeddable code that lets you stick a live updating widget just about anywhere.  Also very likable is the fact that you can pop the Real-time view into its own little window so you can still see it while you are doing other stuff on the ‘Net.

While it is great to have real time updates, the speed can get kind of crazy.  To that end, they do allow you to pause it, and everything that is queued up will load once you resume the updates.  I wish you could pick a “keep it going, but slow it down some” mode.

Another area that I wish they would do something about is the fact that you aren’t able to pick the updates coming in.  Now, you are able to select for rooms, but you can’t be that specific once inside a room.  For example, I’m sure the reason FriendFeed launched the beta-live last evening had much to do with the Presidential debate. 

Now, if people were able to select updates by the words “McCain” or “Obama,” they probably would have to muddle through a lot less crap they weren’t really interested in reading and be able to discuss and focus on what they were interested in talking about.

Regardless, with all FriendFeed has going on, I think a lot of people are going to be getting a lot less work done throughout the day.

Via [venturebeat]