Social networking giant Facebook has offered its members an automated option to manage their friend list: "Smart Lists." Facebook product director Blake Ross said this will make it easier for Facebook users to see more from the people they care about. "Lists have existed for several years, but you've told us how time-consuming it is to organize lists for different parts of your life and keep them up to date," he said in a blog post. He said the Smart List is one of three improvements Facebook had made to the Friend List:
Smart lists: Smart lists create themselves and stay up-to-date based on profile info your friends have in common with you--like your work, school, family and city. Close Friends and Acquaintances lists: You can see your best friends' photos and posts in one place, and see less from people you're not as close to. Better suggestions: You can add the right friends to your lists without much effort. "The people on the list you've shared with will be able to see each others' names. This gives them more context. For example, if I see that a post is shared with my five closest friends, I am much more likely to comment freely on it than I would be if I didn't know who else could see the post," Ross said. Ross maintained the Friend Lists are completely optional. "If you don't like lists, you don't have to use them," he said. As for bosses and people one likes but does not want to share with on Facebook, a user can add them to the Restricted list and they will only see Public posts. "You'll still be friends on Facebook so you can send them messages or tag them in a post if you want to connect to them from time to time. It's totally up to you," he said. He also said a user who created his or her own lists in the past can still use them. Also, Ross said one can also use lists to help control who sees what on your profile, using the audience selector next to each detail on your profile. "Improved Friend lists will be available to everyone this week and will be rolling out on mobile over the next few weeks," he said. Another Google+ copy? A separate article on tech site CNET said Facebook’s newest feature may be similar to the "Circles" of upcoming rival Google+. In July, Facebook unveiled video calling, a feature that Google+ launched with earlier this year and that Facebook users had been hoping to have for quite some time. — RSJ, GMA News 
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