On my last post we talked about FB layout, well today i’ll discuss on the pros and cons. The site boasts of a very flexible layout that gives users the freedom to change and customize the website’s design according to their tastes and preferences. The release of the new FB layouts however, has received a mix of positive and negative feedbacks among site users. Read on if you want to know more about the pros and cons of the site’s new layout.
One of the most visible changes done on the website’s interface is the addition of a “user snapshot” on the topmost portion of the page. This portion features basic information about the website owner – from education, employment and associated organizations, just to mention a few. Thumbnail icons used by employers and friends are featured in the home page as well. The “poke your friend” and “message” buttons are also made more visible at the right topmost portion of the page. Many users also note of the increased numbers of ads which occupy the whole ride side of the site. The Photos page looks very much the same as the old FB layouts, with picture albums taking up most of the space. Basically, the website’s new layout makes use of more pictures and images. Most of which are thumbnails and profile pictures of friends, employers, hobbies, schools and so on.
One of the best things about the new FB layout is that it improves user interaction by introducing more media rich content to the site. Apart from that, the “user snapshot” feature can give page viewers helpful information about the site owner at a single glance. These details are also found at the most visible part of the page so you do not have to scroll down the entire length of the site to view this kind of information. A lot of FB users also think that the friends and family lists are better organized compared to the old layout.
However, the new FB layouts have their set of disadvantages as well. Although the website’s new media rich content has made it more user interactive, the large amount of data can take quite some time to load, especially for those with slow internet connections or those who are accessing the page using mobile devices. Apart from that, a major part of the page is dedicated for ad space that may not be relevant to your site at all.
The home page is defaulted to go directly to the profile page and not the wall page. This new feature has raised several concerns over user privacy. Because of this, viewing and accessing personal and crucial information about anyone on the site can be done with a simple click of a button.
Lastly, the large amount of information that is displayed in a single page makes it look too over-crowded. For some, the absence of a white, vacant space has considerably made the site less visually appealing.
