Facebook users hate Twitter-style redesign
By Dave Parrack
Facebook recently changed its layout in order to better compete with Twitter, the (relatively) new kid on the block fast approaching mainstream lift-off. Unfortunately, it looks as though a large number of Facebook users aren’t happy with the redesign. First of all, why? And secondly, what should Facebook do about it?
It seems as though Facebook can’t do a thing right in the eyes of it massive user base. Last month saw huge uproar when the company tried to change its Terms of Service, and now there’s a mini user revolt over the homepage redesign. While I can understand some level of trepidation over the changes, after all, some people just don’t like change of any variety, the hatred and levels of complaint being aimed at the new design seem slightly over the top.
The new redesign was rolled out to everyone in the first two weeks of March. The changes were many and varied, with the largest being to do with how information was handled. In effect, Facebook became a real-time repository of conversation very much like Twitter. This, rather suspiciously, after Facebook failed in its attempts at buying Twitter last year.
Straight away, there were cries of indignation from a great many Facebook users. My personal stream was peppered with comments from people saying how much they disliked the new layout. Now, an unofficial poll has been started asking people to vote on the new Facebook layout. A simple thumbs up or thumbs down is required, but there is the ability to leave a comment if the desire takes you.
At the time of writing, the thumbs down have it by a huge margin. While 50,342 people have said they like the new design, 814,820 have said they don’t. Obviously, this result could be skewed by the fact that those against the changes are more likely to be vocal about it, but still, the figures are unquestionably negative.
I personally can’t understand this point of view. The old Facebook felt out-of-date and conversation was stifled, whereas the new one is simple to use, visually more attractive, and encourages communication. Maybe it’ll grow on the people who currently hate it?
Facebook has changed its layout before, quite regularly. And every time it does, a certain percentage rally against it. As with every other time this has happened, I suspect the uproar will pass and Facebook will stick to its guns. I for one hope so, because looking forward, the changes make Facebook a much more attractive proposition than it did before.
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March 20th, 2009
If we wanted to be part of a website like twitter, we would have joined twitter.
March 20th, 2009
“Visually more attractive”??? Everyone I’ve asked is disgusted, especially about the profile pages. And the general consensus among my graphic designer friends is that FB clearly didn’t consult anyone in their field. “It’s the equivalent of the flyers my mom does in TextEdit for her church’s bake sale,” was how one put it.
With the old version, I used to take care to provide large images on a note that I wanted folks to pay attention to. Whenever I put up a new album of photos, the first one uploaded would appear on the profile nice and large, as a way to announce the fact. Text sizes made sense relative to the sorts of posts they were connected to.
Now everything is jammed into three type sizes and one image size, with the repetition ad nauseum of oversized avatars in rounded corners (rounded corners?? hey, welcome to 1994).
If fact the utter ugliness and confusion of the profile page is why I’ve hardly posted anything since the change. Today I actually considered using all caps for the more important posts, just so they’ll stand out above the general visual racket.
March 20th, 2009
Amen, Steve–and now you can’t hide blurbs on your stream from applications; you must choose to hide *all* “stories” from a given friend, or accept them all. That’s ridiculous. I really enjoy reading my friends’ status updates, for instance, but I don’t care at all about whatever quiz they’ve just taken or whether or not they’ve thrown a sheep at their third cousin using superpoke.
March 20th, 2009
It’s not the design people are pissed about so much as them taking away VIEWING OPTIONS such as that Martin describes — and reducing space and timeline of upcoming events/birthdays for that HORRIBLE Highlights crap with the blended ads. Their ad placement was friendlier, easier to read and didn’t sleazily mingle with my personal messages like they do now.
Furthermore – making status updates blend in visually with other types of posts is blinding if you have more than a few dozen very active friends.
It’s a far less useful tool now — home page especially.
Less useful and far less clean — so pretty means squat.
This is a fine opportunity for some other social network who understand the ease of keeping in touch, seeing useful info at a glance and presenting ads in a way that’s engaging but not FORCED, sleazily interwoven too much in your personal friends’ stuff.
We “get” you gotta keep the lights on and pay the bills like we do, but this isn’t the way.