Old Facebook or New Facebook?

Hard to admit but I am addicted to Facebook since my friend introduce this social networking sites to me. I think I am one of the Facebook users that dislike about the frequent change of facebook layout after I getting used to it. An article Facebook makeover leaves some devotees fuming on Sept 11 2008 reported that 100millions fumed over the changes which they need to adopt the new design. However, there are still users that appear enjoying the new changes as some features of old facebook being maintained.

The makeover by Facebook is contradict with what document designers should practice. According to Shriver (1997, p.439), stated that the writers need to think from readers' perspective before they publish it out. Facebook had did it another way where they change the layout without concerning their users point of view. However, it would be a matter of time for the audience would still adapt the new interface of facebook after they familiar with it. In the news report, a customer representative posted up a message saying that the changes would be useful as past improvement even there are people unhappy about it.

Old Facebook: No share button as users are not allows to personalize their profile Source: Facebook, 2008


New Facebook: Tabs on a page, one of the changes on facebook
Source: Facebook,2009

Comparing the old facebook, the new facebook has new feature which is 'tabs' that enable to update their personal status, add photos or share link without leaving the page. Apart from this, Kress and van Leeuwen (1998, p.203) mention about framing which being practiced on the new facebook. The different frame is being provided to cater different information for the users. In addition, this framing devices acts as tools of connecting and disconnecting items as well because the information on each frame would be totally different with each other.

Hence, this new facebook no doubt has added certain value that successfully replace the old facebook. Even there are dissatisfaction over the change, it would just a matter of time the facebook users need in order to get used it.

Reference List

Australian IT, 2008, Facebook makeover leaves some devotees fuming, viewed on 2nd June 2009, <http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24328928-15318,00.html>

Kress, G, van Leeuwen, T 1998, Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout in Bell and Garrett, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford, pp.186-218

Schriver, KA 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, Chapter 6, pp. 361-441