Facebook Introduces a Mobile-Oriented Redesign 61
New submitter PuZZleDucK writes "If you hadn't had enough 'mobile UI' thrust upon you by OS makers, you'll be relieved to know Facebook will be chipping in. The company is redesigning its desktop user interface in a way which 'standardizes the feed across mobile devices and desktop computers, is designed to keep users active and interacting as well as appeal to advertisers.' According to the article, 'Greater emphasis is given to images — which are now much larger. Photos now make up nearly 50% of news feed stories and are now front and center. If you see shades of Instagram — or Google+ — in the new feed, you aren't alone. We see them too. Facebook says it is following trends on where design is headed and it is clear that trend includes big photos and a clean, navigable design.' Enjoy, I'll be over here."
If this follows past Facebook redesigns... (Score:5, Insightful)
They will simultaneously change the structure of the privacy settings, and of course opt you in to everything automatically. So, if you're a Facebook user, be sure to check your privacy settings after you see the update on your feed.
Also, their mobile app (likely intentionally) gives you less ability to always hide things - particularly sponsored stories from particular advertisers - from your feed. I'm guessing this will be the new normal on the desktop too.
Bottom line: Like everyone that came before, Facebook has no idea how to turn social media into a sustainably profitable business. They're basically making all the moves MySpace made 5 or so years ago - moves that pretty much killed MySpace. I expect a new iteration from a competitor will pop up in the next couple of years; people will flee the now ad-infested Facebook; and another identical cycle will begin with that new company. Not that the founders will care; they'll get rich selling to the investors (who will, once again, belatedly learn the new company doesn't have any more of a business model than MySpace and Facebook had).