Facebook's Timeline

[David]

So, now that Facebook's Timeline has been out for a few months, what do you think about it?

Personally, I think that Timeline is slightly more personal than the original profile and page views, but there are certainly things wrong with it.

The Bad

Here's a decent list of things that I think are bad about Facebook's timeline.

1. The two column layout.
From a design standpoint, the two equal-width column layout is really stupid and makes little to no sense. If anything, a 3 column layout would be better than the stupid 2 column one.

2. The actual width of the layout.
Again, from a design standpoint, the width of the page is really stupid. 850px wide for the layout? That's a really strange number for a layout, especially when Facebook has so many web developers working on the project.

3. The fact that they want you to fill out information from before Facebook.
Now, I'd be cool with this if it wasn't Facebook. I don't feel comfortable sharing big events that I haven't already shared on Facebook with my friends. I like to have a more public Facebook profile, but even with the privacy settings that I can set, I just don't feel like doing it.

4. The shift from sharing to knowing about each other
I use Facebook to share things that I find on the Internet, or things that happen to me in real life. I don't want to use Facebook to tell people about my life that give away special details of what is actually going on. I know that I certainly don't have to do this stuff, but it certainly feels like they really want me to.


The Good

Now, despite my criticisms for the product, I think that it can be beneficial in a few different ways.

1. The layout is better for Facebook pages.
With this new layout, pages now have a way to share important events in the company's lifespan. Pages also get a way better Admin panel to see and control what is happening on the page, something that page admins have been asking for for a long time.

2. The layout is more personal.
With Timeline, you can actually control a lot of the things that happen on your page. The cover art is an awesome way to define who you are in a small amount of space. It is a ton more space than any other layout Facebook has had that you have full control over. You can also use Timeline to highlight particularly awesome posts for people to look at if they stroll through your profile page. You can essentially brag about yourself without filling up your info spots.


The Conclusion
In all, I think that Facebook Timeline is a good step for the company to make. I just don't feel that it was quite ready for the general public to roll out. The design is stupid, some features are still lacking, and it makes you feel compelled to share almost everything about your life to Facebook. I know that there is a plugin that helps "fix" timeline called Social Fixer, but I don't feel compelled to actually use it. It is not something that I really care about installing and figuring out.

So, what do you think about timeline? I'm really curious to know what people think about it.

 

[Nicole]

I really dislike it. I also heard that everyone is getting the timeline on April 2. I'm definitely not looking forward to that. I dislike it for a number of reasons, mostly involving how hard it is for me to navigate. For one thing, I can't figure it out that well and can't find things easily, but for another, it is extremely laggy and really gets on my nerves. I like having a "wall" to post things on. Plain and simple, easy to navigate and easy to find certain things. I really don't want the timeline, but I'll end up adjusting to it. Doesn't mean I'll be happy about it, though.

 

[JuicieJ]

I honestly don't like it that much. While it's not horrendous, everyone that's not the owner of the page/profile gets this tiny little box to the right, and if there are photos in it, they aren't shown. It's quite pointless and highly unfair to do that. Other than that, it's not too bad, though.

Edit: At least it's better than Zelda's timeline. :bleh:

 

[Vanessa28]

I like it better than the original FB page but it is not my thing. I do like we can now have our own banner but still it looks kinda cheesy to me. Then stories appear on the right side and one moment later on the left. The old FB page however was easier to navigate when it comes to photos etc.

 

[8bubbles8joe]

I actually love it. I added it way back in February, and, although it took awhile to warm up to, I really like it now. The two columns are much easier to display a lot more information now, and adding life events makes it more of like a story in a way. The cover photo is awesome and I've seen some people do some very creative things with it. I wouldn't dread being forced to get it, because I think of it as version 2.0 of the original profile page.

 

[Kupsacker]

I really could care less. I just got it because it looks nice. And you can also be quite creative with the new photo cover thing (saw this on memebase)

 

[TheMasterSword]

It has a good idea, but I just dont think i could get sued to it. I could make a nice cover photo, but still, just, no.

 

[DisappearingMist]

I agree that the design could be a lot better, but I enjoy timeline for the most part. I have really enjoyed it for my photography page especially. It is a bit complicated to navigate sometimes, but we'll either get used to it, or FB will change it all yet again

 

[David]

Well, since pages are being pushed to Timeline on Friday... I've been thinking of ideas for Zelda Dungeon's cover and avatar. Any suggestions? I want it to look really good.

 

[ZeldaFan11]

I actually like it. my profile has this really good picture of me playing softball, and the width of it fits it perfectly. i like it alot more than what they used to have because you get to personalize to your liking. but on the other hand i do agree with you on the 2 column lay-out, its not a great idea.

Edit- you should get a photo of link falling from the sky in skyward sword!:nod:

 

[Ghosi]

I don't really like the whole "timeline thing" all that much. The good things that did come out though is that the profile looks very opening in terms of design, and it is very easy to go back to past posts and activities. The bad part is that most activities are kinda summarized, and some don't even show up on the timeline. It is also kinda hard to find past gadgets like notes, which are now posted on the top instead of the side. I mostly only use Facebook for connecting with friends, and timelines show off a lot of more personal info, I think. For pages of companies who are trying to sell their products though, this was a great addition and I think it is a great tool to commercialize with.

 

[guapo2003]

I personally don't have it and I don't like looking at peoples profiles that do have it. I think it's annoying and not user friendly and I can't ever seem to find anything I'm looking for. I see no good in it because I'm not going to take the time to look around.

 

[Joshz0rs]

I've never liked Timeline... What I don't get is why don't Facebook just listen to it's users and stop changing it so much.
I think the direction Facebook SHOULD go is put out a notification ASKING users: "Do you like this new theme?", along with a preview of it... To at least see people's opinions on any/all changes.

 

[misskitten]

Don't care about it, don't want it. I'm keeping my profile with the old layout for as long as I can.

 

[dot dynamite]

I don't really use FB that much and only really go on it when I get a new email notification or such, but...I've been to friends' profiles where they have the timeline implemented and it just looks weird. XD Stuff just seems all over the place, and having posts in two columns seems a little bit disorganized, but maybe it's because I haven't really tried to get used to it. Anyone know when they're forcing it on everybody? An earlier post here said April 2 but I still have the old layout. Not that I mind of course, I'll keep it for as long as I can. ;p