Facebook, Wall Street Journal Partner

When the New York Times introduced a Facebook app, we were suspicious, but the thing did surprisingly well.  Now, in what’s even more of a stretch, the Wall Street Journal and Facebook have also shaken hands.

A feature known as SeenThis? will show (online) readers of the Wall Street Journal what articles their Facebook friends favor.  A top issue – privacy – shouldn’t be a problem, since SeenThis is an optional service, and no direct connections ("Matt read 13 stories about serial killers") will be made.

Otherwise, our only concern is what sort of shared user base there might be.  Andy Beal had a similar thought, and his likeliest explanations for the move are (1) "The WSJ is just desperate to attract some hip under 30-year old readers," (2) "Facebook is just completely selling out," and (3) "Both companies are just desperate."

Still, the introduction of SeenThis? isn’t likely to do any harm, and maybe it will somehow make a few people more fond of Facebook, the Wall Street Journal, or both.  A company called Loomia is also getting some publicity out of the deal, since it’s the app’s maker.

So far, SeenThis? has exactly 430 "daily active users."  Keeping an eye on that tally should give everyone an excellent idea of the undertaking’s success.