Cha-Cha-Changes are Coming to Facebook…
- I first read about the new changes coming to Facebook in a couple of weeks on Six in the Nest’s new article- Holy Smokes… More Facebook Changes. That’s where this picture came from- it’s an example of what your new Facebook page will soon look like.
- I wondered if this was a “possible” type of change, something that they were thinking about, just testing- or if this was a sure thing. So, I went to the Facebook blog, and sure enough, in a few weeks we’ll all start seeing ANOTHER new, and dramatically different, Facebook page when we log-in.
It’s called Timeline, and you can see more of how it works here:
This is BIG deal
One of my favorite social media news sites- (the always amazing Mashable.com) states, “I have seen what Facebook is launching on Thursday, and it’s going to change the world of social media. And while I won’t talk about the mind-boggling things Facebook will be launching, I will say this: The Facebook you know and (don’t) love will be forever transformed.” Read more of how to Prepare for the New Facebook, or if you’re brave, How to Enable the New Facebook Timeline Now.
You can also check out a great explanation, including a really helpful set of screenshots from someone who is already using the new Timeline page- What to Expect from the New Timeline Change on Facebook.
What do you think?
- Honestly, I don’t like it. I say- slow your roll Facebook. You’re beautiful just the way you are. Please- don’t change, again, just for the sake of change.
- Of course Facebook needs to update often, and evolve- all technology has to change constantly to stay relevant. BUT- this seems to be changing Facebook into something totally different than what it is now. If you have a game-changing product, that everyone uses, why would you make it into something else? It might turn out to be an amazing change, but it seems like a huge risk.
- This isn’t an “upgrade”, this is like buying your favorite ham sandwich at the deli and finding out it’s now a tuna melt. It’s the same idea, but a totally different product.
- That said- I’m totally open-minded about it {even though it sure doesn’t sound that way, lol}- and am really hoping I like it. A few friends I’ve talked to who are developers and have made the switch already are really lovin’ it. *Fingers crossed*
Helping you find what’s Important
On the Facebook blog it says, “The way your profile works today, 99% of the stories you share vanish.” They want to make it easier to ignore all of the “I totally woke up too early today. I hate Mondays” type of posts that clutter your stream. But um, if all of my random daily posts will disappear, and only major events will show up…. correct me if I’m wrong- but THAT’S making 99% of my posts disappear, right? And if I only wanted to know major events in my friends lives, I could take a peek at their photo albums to see weddings, babies, and graduations.
Do you use Facebook for your Business?
No word yet on how these major new changes will affect Pages. I know that for many bloggers like myself, a large majority of our traffic comes from the interaction and community that we’ve built on our Facebook pages- I’ve already seen a dramatic drop in traffic after the last Facebook update a week ago, since many people no longer see my posts.
It’s hard to imagine how a business page would make sense with this new Timeline layout, but I’m hoping that Facebook will really consider the needs of business owners, and ensure that Facebook can still be as useful to us as it is now.
My bet is that Timeline will roll out to personal pages first, and business pages later on- that seems to be how most of the Facebook changes have worked in the past. I’ve heard from many designers who are halting their Facebook projects for small business clients until the changes are completed, to fully understand what this will mean for business pages.
I’d love to hear from you…
Share some comments- Love? Hate? Indifferent? Tell me what you think about the new Timeline, and whether you believe that it will really change Facebook as dramatically as people are saying.
