Facebook Kills Networks
Posted by Nick O'Neill on April 3rd, 2008 10:01 AM 
This morning Facebook appeared to have killed the networks link at the top of the site. The only links now are for your profile, friends and inbox. The only way to access network pages now is via the links on your profile. This shows a shift of Facebook being used as a tool for meeting people to a way to stay connected with your friends that you already know. This also marks the removal of the “Browse” link that used to exist.
While a small change, the impact is relatively significant. Then again, if you take a look at my existing network pages, many of the postings are completely spam. Were you an active network user? Did you spend countless hours browsing through random peoples’ profiles just to poke them? While you can still browse through your networks it requires a few more clicks of the mouse to get there. Will you miss this feature?
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Surprising move! I thought they were going to incorporate the new Friend List under Networks. Guess not…
P.S. Check your inbox
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Network was really more a misnomer in the first place…
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Network pages have lost their value big time. None of the people I know spend much time on the network pages.
203 unread messages, that is insane!
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I loved the Networks but then quickly saw a lot of people (me included) being shy about utilizing it. Only spammers and people nobody care for post on the network walls. I thought it had potential. Guess not. It did seem useful during the Virginia Tech tragedy in which the VT network was used as a place for support.
May 9th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
[…] instead. No word on why Facebook has decided to do this but back in April, Facebook completely killed network tab from within their navigation. A quick look at a geographic network page reveals that a large […]
May 10th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I was using this a lot, to connect with my colleagues based in different countries.
I think it’s awful of Facebook of not asking for its users’ opinion before doing something like this.
Besides, it’s a social NETWORK. Isn’t it meant to socialise externally as well as with the people you already know?
It puzzles me.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I used to use the network tab every now and then… As I came to use it today, I noticed it was gone!
“Grouping” people by networks was very helpful and simply awesome. It was a quick way to find locals and to be within the range of locals without the need to add them and such…
Oh well… The lack of the tab makes facebook feel more “open.” I will surely miss the tab.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
By the way, my networks listed in the profile do not link anywhere. They’re dead text! So… I’m using google-like keywording to find the people I’m looking for…
Names aren’t uncommon, even the combination of first name and last name doesn’t help all the time. In regards of facebook now I will have to go an extra step to pinpoint the people I meant to look for.
The way facebook has grown… Well, it’s starting to feel more Myspace-like. I hope facebook’s essence doesn’t disperse until the so-loved social network becomes a generic nothing.