Opinion
Facebook receives a facelift
October 7, 2011
Most teenagers have been avid Facebook users since the social network’s launch in 2004. In recent years, the popular site has gone through a few cosmetic changes. I cannot remember the last time that Facebook has kept one constant profile style for more than a few months at a time. You know something is annoying when it makes the nightly news.
I am almost positive that a few readers will agree with me. It may be childish to complain about, because most of us will get used to it just a few days after the new profile is launched. Let’s face it, it is rather frustrating to have to get used to new features and a new layout so often.
I understand that Facebook, like all other news and social networking sites, needs to keep up with the technological advances. Why can’t things just stay the same? Facebook used to be so easy. You could find everything you needed. Users could just bounce from one profile to another, and learn quickly what was going on in each other’s lives. It was a great way to stay in touch with friends.
With the new Facebook, I feel like I’m on the hunt for the holy grail. When I want to delete a message, it has to be archived first, and then I need to delete individual messages. A user cannot delete posts or status updates they no longer need, and the newsfeed is no longer set up by most recent posts. The newsfeed on the side of the screen is just plain random. Why do we need to read about every single move people make? This feature may make some people feel more nosey than usual.
The new Facebook will have different features, such as a timeline. This will show how far everybody has come since the beginning. A user’s profile picture will be stretched over the top of the page, with a smaller version of it in the corner. Friends, photos, likes, and interests will all be right by one another.
This may be more convenient, but I liked everything much better when it was spread out. I feel that friends could see more of your profile, rather than just the top of it. I disagree with the fact that none of us really have a choice on whether or not we want the new profile layout. People have the choice to get the new design, but why can’t we have the option to keep our page the same? Would that be such a bad thing?
Let’s go back a few years. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in order for students to find other students. It was supposed to be fun.
When I signed up for Facebook, the site was cool and something to do when we were bored at school, or at home. Now, I just feel like Facebook is work. Sometimes trying to find something on Facebook is a hassle. That is not what it is supposed to be.
Facebook users should not be worried about logging on one day to find that their profile is completely different from the day before. Facebook is nice to have, but remember, it wouldn’t be the end of the world without it.
Samantha Harkness is a journalism major at UW-River Falls. She loves reading, writing and watching movies.