David
But you called me here...
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2010
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.
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.