Yesterday Facebook made yet another “update” to its interface, and, as always, people started complaining. But if you just spend about two minutes with it…it’s actually very easy.
First off, remember, Facebook usually makes these changes based on feedback from users (i.e., you and me). The main impetus behind this change was similar to the reasoning behind the previous release of Facebook Lite: trying to cut back on information overload. For instance, as of this writing, I have 1363 friends, many of whom I don’t really “know,” but they are there for a variety of personal and professional reasons. I can’t hardly keep up with all of them. So here’s how to navigate the latest incarnation of Facebook.
When you log in, you used to see your “News Feed.” Now you have both a “News Feed” and a “Live Feed.”
The Live Feed – Don’t fret. This is what you have been used to seeing when you log in. If you don’t like the “News Feed,” simply click on “Live Feed” and you’re back to the old Facebook!
The News Feed – This is the biggest change, and the default when you log in. Basically it’s an abbreviated version of the live feed, prioritized by a variety of factors that Facebook won’t reveal. But, it apparently is designed to give you info based on it’s importance. It also supposedly factors in the people with whom you interact the most. So you’ll see items that people post which have been “liked” or “commented” on a lot, and are among your closest circle of friens. Supposedly. Facebook assumes this makes them more relevant to you (we could debate on that one!).
You’ll also notice that the News Feed is not chronological. Again, because of some prioritization equation. (The reason for keeping the equation a secret is so that users can’t cheat and try to force their items to rise in the news feed. Similar to Googles constantly evolving search equations.)
The Return of User Activity Stories – Remember how you used to know when Fred was “in a relationship” or Betty became a “friend” of Wilma? They disappeared at some point, but are now back in your feed. I always found that info kind of useful. The beauty of this, especially for marketers, is that it brings back some more of the potential viral functionality that makes Facebook so great.
Editing options – Now if all of this is overwhelming, just scroll all the way down to the bottom. On both the “Live Feed” and the “News Feed” you’ll see an “edit options” function. This allows you to choose which “friends” you wanna “hide” from your feed. In other words, you like them enough to keep them as friends, but you really don’t give a rip about what’s going on in their lives. You can also choose which of your friends (up to 250) you’d like to read more about. So tinker a bit…
Suggestions – Up in the right hand corner is where we get suggestions as to whom we MIGHT like to request as “friends”. Now, this feed also includes other reminders. If you haven’t interacted with someone in a long time, it may suggest you write on their wall. If they only have a few friends, it may ask you to suggest friends for them.
One thing I noticed is that a lot of those people made me say “Who?” So while it may be a good reminder to give someone a shout-out, it may also prompt you to say, “Well, maybe I should unfriend them and declutter a bit.” Either way, it can be kind of useful.
Cleaner Look – Remember all those HUGE, garish images telling you about your friend’s activity on Yo’Ville or that accompanied all the latest quizzes? Well you certainly hide those updates, but now Facebook has done away with all the huge graphics, making your feed look cleaner, and less like the front window of a pawn shop.
I’m sure there are other subtle changes, but those are the most important. The key here is: if you don’t like it, just click on “Live Feed” and you’re back where you started, for the most part.
And remember, social networks are like living, breathing beings. They have to tinker and change in order to keep up with the demands of their users, as well as remain competitive. I think in recent months Facebook has done a better job of rolling out these updates without too many problems, or public outcry.
