Facebook CEO: "Change Can Be Difficult"

Zuckerberg Defends Site Redesign In Face Of Sizable Number Of Griping Users

(CNET)  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has caught on to the fact that a sizeable handful of his 100-million-plus users say they aren't too thrilled with the site's new redesign. But he won't change anything, as Facebook occasionally has in the face of user revolt.

A post on the company blog, authored by Zuckerberg, wrote that the site's new focus--which emphasizes the sharing of media and information -- is "an important step for us."

"In the last four years, we've built new products that help people share more, such as photos, videos, groups, events, wall posts, status updates and so on," the post read. "As people share more, sometimes we need to change the site to accommodate how much information people are posting."

Some Facebook users freaked out over its News Feed in 2006, and its Beacon advertising program last year. But the concerns voiced there dealt with privacy, not user interface. That was something that could've resulted in much more PR damage than a design that a slim percentage of users vehemently dislike (and which most, it seems, don't really care much about).

"Many people disliked News Feed at first because it changed their home page and how they shared information," Zuckerberg's post read. ("How they share information" is putting it lightly.) "Now it's one of the most important parts of Facebook. We think the new design can have the same effect." He added the company had gone through months of a "feedback" stage and that the final product was shaped largely in part by users' input.

In response to some Facebook users who asked if they could have the option to use the old design instead of the new one, Zuckerberg said it wasn't possible for technical reasons. "It's tempting to say that we should just support both designs, but this isn't as simple as it sounds," he wrote. "Supporting two versions is a huge amount of work for our small team, and it would mean that going forward we would have to build everything twice. If we did that then neither version would get our full attention."

Facebook's team isn't exactly tiny -- they have said they hope to hit 800 employees by the end of 2008 - -but running two Web sites that run the same property differently probably is a pain in the neck. Kind of analogous to Microsoft's dealing with those holdouts who are still using Windows 98.

And as for the members who have banded together to form Facebook groups protesting the new design (a bit meta, yes), Zuckerberg claims he's not offended. "We appreciate the thousands of you who have written in to give us feedback," the post read. "Even if you're joining a group to express things you don't like about the new design, you're giving us important feedback and you're sharing your voice, which is what Facebook is all about."

[dancourses]

Not so sure about the next design updates either. I prefer to be editing it now :)

http://www.thoughtden.co.uk/blog/2009/03/20/facebooks-status-update-allyourfacebookarebelongtous/

#allyourfacebookarebelongtous

[oleander8]

This is a typical reaction by users to a system change. They need to get over themselves. They''re a pain in the buttocks.

[billpl-2009]

when you have a billion dollar company that makes no money

...me thinks that they have much bigger problems to worry about

[ann3332]

I like the change i dont any problem with it

[boffo1962]

"Even if you''re joining a group to express things you don''t like about the new design, you''re giving us important feedback** and you''re sharing your voice, which is what Facebook is all about."

**Feedback which we don''t really care about or will listen to.

What good is that, Facebook?

[boffo1962]

"Supporting two versions is a huge amount of work for our small team, and it would mean that going forward we would have to build everything twice."

Solution: You already were working well with one version.

Translation: We don''t want to because we think we can get more money this way.

[boffo1962]

I want to know why it''s so important to not give Facebook customers the option to keep it as it was.

I''m not happy, and I''ve noticed most of my friends are not online when I go in there these days.

I hope this is as successful as Coke Classic-- maybe they''ll see the err of their ways.

Care about your customers!

[tngreen]

I still haven''t figured out how to find my groups. They''re gone. Lovely.

[yohnvilson]

It''s not so much that the new Facebook is different, it''s that it''s SO SLOOOOOOW. It takes something like 60 seconds for my profile page to be ready for mouse clicks, and in the mean time my system is unresponsive (so it''s not like I can look at something in another tab while I''m waiting). Also it''s cute that it pretends to let me rate ads but it doesn''t actually listen to my ratings, same insulting ads over and over.

[efletch1220]

From the Rules of Engagement: "no insulting groups or individuals"

Posted by newster1 at 09:19 PM : Sep 19, 2008
it''''s freaking *FREE* you idiots!!!

If you knew me, you might figure out that I''m an idiot, but you *don''t* know me, thus I''ll consider it an insult.

[nothappyatall]

Some Facebook users freaked out over its News Feed in 2006, and its Beacon advertising program last year. "

Well, if that''s all it took to make people "freak out" they must not be very stable to begin with, who cares what the page LOOKS like, it''s freaking *FREE* you idiots!!! you get what you don''t pay for- krap and ads.

[jezseeca]

the new site sucks. simple as that. it''s no longer easy on the eyes...but now it''s one big mess, like every other social network. oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

[bobnjersey]

[In response to some Facebook users who asked if they could have the option to use the old design instead of the new one, Zuckerberg said it wasn''t possible for technical reasons. "Supporting two versions is a huge amount of work for our small team, and it would mean that going forward we would have to build everything twice. If we did that then neither version would get our full attention." ]

so much for the promise of xml seperating the data (content) from the presentation (look and feel).

it''s possible ... they either didn''t design it for that ... or they just don''t want to do it.

[easeup-2009]

This kid is 24 and now worth $1.5 BILLION.

I don''t want to hear about his problems.

[efletch1220]

Facebook must recruit from the same pool of talent that brought us the Microsoft Office 2007 interface. Never before have so few affected so many while hiding behind the banner of change.