What if I Liked the Old Facebook Better?

In July, Facebook revealed the "new Facebook." Surprisingly, they made it optional. I tried it out, decided I didn't like, and then went back to the old Facebook. According to Mashable, Facebook says only 40% of its users have even tried the new design, and some of those, like me, chose to go back to the old design after trying it. Facebook reported that "nearly 30 million" users had stuck with the new Facebook -- but that's out of about 100 million total.

Now Facebook has decided that they are going to make the new design permanent. My Facebook was just forcibly switched today. It's hard for me to pinpoint why I don't like it. I miss the wall now that its integrated with everything else in the feed. It might just be general dislike of change. But my personal view of the new Facebook is not my point here.

I'm curious about their idea of a gradual changeover and whether its been a positive or negative influence over all. I suspect that by giving users the ability to stick to the old Facebook they increased their attachment to it. I wouldn't have been that upset or surprised if Facebook has just suddenly shifted over in July. Now that I've decided to stick to the old design for so long, I've become even more against the new one. By giving users the choice and then taking it away they made a story of it -- there are various groups against the new Facebook and many users are petitioning them to change it. Of course, the same sort of hubbub was made about newsfeed, and now everyone seems okay with that, so I think this too will blow over. However, I think it would have been a better decision to just change all at once instead of pretending users had a choice in the matter. What do you think? Was the gradual change a good idea?

Comments

[mexamerican]

i hate the new facebook.

[MontereyDean]

I think both the old and the new Facebook are silly. But, then, I think people talking on cellphones in the supermarket, in video rental stores, in restaurants, are silly, too. Nor do I watch "American Idol," or "Project Runway," or "Wife Swap" (or whatever it's called). Don't care what TMZ's got to say either. What trivial people you are.

[courtb]

That's a little harsh, don't you think? Just because you don't like facebook or cell phones or apparently reality television (maybe tv in general) I wouldn't presume to call you "old fashioned" or "outdated.­" Yet you assume that people who care about facebook must also talk on their cell phones in public and watch reality tv and read TMZ. But you know what they say about people who assume...

I respect your right to voice an opinion. Half my housemates don't have facebook as they think it's silly and potentially damaging. But they have never been rude and called me trivial for having one. Yes, I use facebook and I care about the new look. I also have never watched any of the shows you mention nor have I ever seen TMZ either online or on TV. I also work for a non-profit organization in England and use facebook to keep in touch with friends and family. Am I still trivial?

[mexamerican]

wow, i guess you're just a very superior person. congratulations on that.

[MaxZook]

If you use the Firefox browser (Windows, Mac or Linux), there's a fairly simple way to get the old Facebook back.

I got this from the Facebook Group "6,600,000,000 Against the New Facebook!":

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26642086894

If you have any problems please post them on the group wall, I'm not going to pretend to be an expert in this ...

Firefox is a free download and I highly recommend it:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Second, install the Greasemonkey add-on:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
This add-on is used to recognize the script.

Then, install the script at this page:
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/33638
Download the script to your desktop, and drag it into a new Firefox browser window.

It should work after you close/reopen your browser/tab. When you first start it, it might take a second to change the format, but after that, it will work fine.

You can change back to the new Facebook by right-clicking on the little monkey on the bottom right of the screen and select Enabled or Old Facebook Redirect.

Finally, go to the above-noted Facebook group, join it, and sign the linked petition, also go to Facebook feedback and let them know what you think. There's no reason they can't go back to giving people a choice -- but they won't bother unless a lot of us let them know how we we feel.

[pamalina]

when everyone logged in and had that huge page long letter of "please don't hate us... but we're changing facebook - check it out" i doubt many people bothered to read the letter which is why only 40% of people realized what was going on. i'm indifferent either way. the design on the new layout is nicer, smoother. but the placement of certain things such as photo albums blows my mind.

[dagnome27]

I liked the old Facebook - sucks that they gave NO indication the change would be mandatory.­.. would have been better to just change it, and not delude anyone about having a choice... which we didn't...

[SuperMan11MS]

It wasn't all about getting users used to the new Facebook slowly. The gradual introduction was more about getting all the kinks worked out. I was an early adopter of the new Facebook and at first it was extremely buggy and slow. But just a few days after that, they sped things up quite nicely and once you get used to it you'll learn to like it much better just like I have.