I recently logged in into Facebook just out of curiosity of what’s going on. I was greeted with a prompt that Facebook has a New Design update to the look and theme of the Website. Looking at Facebook, was confused and was wondering, Is this the new Facebook. I felt Facebook didn’t trick me for the first time.
Here are some things that i noticed in the new Facebook Re-design :
1. The Annoying comments are hidden
Previously while viewing Posts in Facebook, you could see most of the comments on posts right-away. The problem was that most of the time the comments list was bigger than the post itself. So Facebook became a list of comments to read. Now you have to click to expand the comments. Now its easier to search and Read posts and find images and view videos.
2. Everthing is Bigger - looks more like Instagram
Now The Sidebar, the Navigation at the top, the Chat window is all enlarged and takes up more of the space and little space is wasted. Navigation buttons are bigger and easier to click. The Font is bigger and smaller texts are removed. It looks like cleaner version of Facebook with more rounded buttons and corners. Since Instagram is also owned by Facebook, It is clear that they have taken page from Instagram for the Design.
3. There is a Dark mode
Nowadays more and more Social media Sites and apps are getting the Dark mode, which turns the theme of the app/site to Dark theme, inverts the whites to dark blacks and grays. Which is easier on the eyes and looking at the screen at night. Now there is a option in Facebook where you can turn on or off Dark Mode in the settings menu. Dark mode is a welcome change.
4. The Timeline (Posts) are right in the Center
The main thing that people come to Facebook is to read the Posts and Updates that people post in the Timeline. Previously Facebook experimented with the Timeline, sorting the Posts by the year. You could view posts from each year with links showing the each Year number. All of that is gone now. Instead of four column Layout of previous design. Now its a Three column layout with the Timeline fixed smack in the middle and it gives more importance to the Posts in the middle.
5. Most Videos are moved to a Separate Tab
Previously when you logged into Facebook you were hit with a bunch of unwanted videos, and Tiktok like videos that you had to dodge to get to the main content and what people where saying and relevant posts. Now there is a Video tab in Facebook which houses all the Videos similar to a Video website like Youtube. I think is Facebook is taking Video more seriously and making it a Video platform.
Is it Still worth using Facebook even after many people have abandoned the platform and some boycott it ?
1. Facebook is still the bad guy
The Bad practices of Facebook and Sabotaging the Privacy of millions is no news. Has everybody knows the Evil smile of Mark Zukerberg and the dream to rule the whole world. Facebook knows everything about you and where you live and who are your friends, what you like. But the recent changes might be a fresh change to Facebook where it changes the way it is headed add might change its polices and practices.
2. Redesign comes at the end of mixer
The Game Streaming platform Mixer from Microsoft was recently Shutdown and completely closed, which had the millions of Gamers and people who built their Channel streaming games on Mixer and they lost their accounts. But all the users of Mixer (Video game Content-creators) were funneled into Facebook Gaming. All their accounts were Shifted to Facebook Gaming. Facebook had to change the design to make it more appealing to Young kids playing video games and not make Facebook look like something your Grand-Mother would use. This signs to more Video content coming to Facebook especially more gaming.
3. is Facebook still the RELEVANT ?
I am giving Facebook another chance for a few months and using it to sharing my blogs from www.digitalspacetv.in and will find out, Is this just a fresh coat of Paint to Facebook or something more major is going on with Facebook. One more thing is that, I always use Dark-mode and switch it on always. Which looks better and more usable. Facebook might be still relevant for this generation and the kids of the future.
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