GLOBAL-SEPTEMBER 23, 2011: Social network giant Facebook underwent gradual changes over the past few days in a move to keep it “thriving and growing” for its 800 million users after six years of dominating its field, drawing both flak and praise from its users worldwide.
Facebook users complained that the new layout was “too busy” or had “too much going on”, noting that the interface is more complicated than the previous layout and that some options (like the trademark “Poke”) appeared to have been hidden and are much harder to find. Meanwhile, those in favor of the new layout said that it was more organized and while it does take some time setting up and getting used to, a more interactive, personalized setting could be very useful, interesting, and engaging.
“We wanted to design a place that feels like your home. You invest a lot of time in it and you curate it,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the 2011 F8 Developers Conference.
Zuckerberg shared how the changes in the site’s update and sharing methods are designed to allow users to control and maintain the content of their own pages in a more streamlined, clutter-free manner. Previously, if a friend comments on your status or “Likes” one of your photos, it will be posted immediately on your home page. The new Facebook will no longer publish these tiniest bits of activity as stories – instead, the Ticker will handle and post these small updates, including Facebook game achievements.
Most notable in this latest Facebook revamp is the new Timeline, which will transform the user’s collection of status updates, comments, and photos into a scrapbook-like collection. It will also keep all previous posts within easy reach, instead of scrolling down to the very bottom of the page and waiting for them to load, and readily connectible to your more current posts.
This more focused form of updates will also provide a more comprehensive view for advertisers and marketers on what products and brands that users patronize, which could drive the production of more specific advertisements, promos, and applications to maximize consumer reach.
Smart Lists, which many have compared to rival Google+’s “Circles”, group posts from friends who went to the same school or are part of the same organization, making for a more centralized stream of updates. Repeatedly under fire for its privacy options, new measures now let users choose immediately whether to share their posts to the public, friends, networks, or certain individuals only. Other actions include limiting tags from friends and managing the “viewability” of your previous posts.
