Facebook forcing users to new layout in September

facebooklogo2.jpg
I tried it. I really did. But I just couldn’t get on with it. The new Facebook layout ultimately received a FAIL from me last week, when I switched back to the old version. But no sooner do I hit the button, breath a sigh of relief and make a cup of tea, than I get this piece of news: we’re all going to be forced to convert to the new layout come September, to make way for some new advertising functionality.

A Facebook executive said: “Around 20% of our users have now migrated to the new platform and it has been received well after people get used to it”. Two things strike me about this – firstly, 20% is not a big number at all. That’s 80% who are still choosing to use the old one. And the fact that it’s being well received ‘after people get used to it’ makes me wonder if it’s really that great a design.

Personally, I was relieved when I found the ‘go back to the old version’ button, and I’m not that down with the new one. I was impressed that Facebook gave its users the choice, and now it seems that that isn’t the case.

Facebook is only where it is thanks to the number of people who have adopted it. You know what we need here? A protesting Facebook group.

What do you think? Have you adopted the new design? Do you love it? Hate it? Can’t really dredge up an opinion about it?

[via NMA]

Susi Weaser

13 comments

  • Recently facebook has introducing the drag and drop took in facebook album.Any one used this tool.If yes so reply..I not using this tool yet.

  • From what I researched, Facebook basically created this new layout in order to combat all of those retarded applications. I suppose it’s alright, but I still prefer the original layout. However, I’m really up in arms about the new wall. UGH.

    I’ve already reviewed it here: http://lifesgarbage.com/?p=759

  • It’s particularly irksome when you’re building a page and find that extra apps (FBML and YouTube Box for two) can’t be edited under ‘new’ Facebook. So what happens to those after the forced switch? The app makers need to deal with this, but why did a new layout make the functionality go pear-shaped in the first place? Sort it out, Facebook… some of us use you for work, but we will go where the people are if they desert you in droves.

  • Yes, I too recently checked out the “new” Facebook and after only a week decided to return to the old layout. It just doesn’t seem to be as easy to navigate around in. 20%? Heh, that’s sure a majority figure :P

  • Of course it’s only 20%. Anywhere in society, give people the choice of a familiar thing that they know how to use, and a new version that they don’t know how to use and might be better or worse, and most will stick with what they know. They feel that they don’t have time or energy to learn something new when they’re happy with what they have.

    The other 20%, including me, are early adopters. They want to see what’s new, what’s been improved. And I do think new Facebook is an improvement.

    The tabs are especially handy on friends’ profiles – I can skip straight to the bit I want to see. And I don’t have to have a thousand million stupid applications slow my computer to a crawl while the profile loads.

  • It’s happened me and several of my friends – since we used the New facebook for the first time, our newsfeeds are seriously f*cked up. We’re getting news items that are weeks old instead of up to date news!

    I contacted facebook and they replied 2 weeks ago to say they were fixing the problem but so far it’s just as bad.

  • I have to agree with you. There are some aspects that I like, such as being able to get more stories from friends with a single click, but then other things are just annoying. It’s not very easy to post notes or photos anymore. I have a ton of apps, and hovering over the app menu then scrolling (or using the “more” link on the right) just doesn’t seem like a very good arrangement. I seem to always miss the pokes too because they get shoved down below the advert.

Comments are closed.