New Facebook Group Teaches Users How To Revert Back To Old Facebook Design

A new Facebook group has surged in popularity over the past few days as it claims to provide instructions on how to revert your Facebook to the old design. The group titled “I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO GET THE OLD FACEBOOK BACK!” gives step by step instructions on how do just that. While I haven’t tried out the process, it sounds logical.

Numerous users that have joined the group claim that it doesn’t work. Regardless of the tutorial’s accuracy, users are joining at a rapid pace. Just in the last hour I’ve counted over 300 new users. What has accounted for the group’s rapid growth? The primary growth is due to the group administrator’s decision to post step by step instructions for promoting the group prior to listing out the instructions for reverting back to the previous design.

Everything listed in the instructions makes sense but I don’t have any desire to go back to the old design. My guess is that Facebook will disable this functionality in the near future. Theoretically Facebook could store copies of the “old design” and “new design” at all times, in order to make it easier to roll-back in case of substantial errors or backlash from users.

While I haven’t heard substantial feedback from users about frustration with the new design, many users have expressed frustration with Facebook regularly changing the layout of the site. Some users claim that Facebook switches the design just as they get the previous iteration functioning properly. Have you found the new design easy to use? Have you tested out the steps described in this group? If so, did it work? We’d love to know!

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466659 Comments2009-03-18+19%3A24%3A28Nick+O%27Neill »

Absolutely hate the new facebook redesign. It's absurd that how I view my homepage depends on how other people have their applications set. You know, I don't want to know that you should live in Paris, that your IQ is 140, or that you are a master of 80s movie trivia. I used to have it set that I got very little "news" about applications in my newsfeed, but now that seems to be all it is.

Did they even have any focus groups for this thing?

Comment by Robin/OakKnollMom — March 18, 2009 @ 11:34 am
I think that the redesign of the new Facebook is terrible mess. I miss a lot of the original Facebook features.

Things that you don't see anymore is:

- Friends that are tagged

- Relationships

- Events

and a lot more. Go to http://m.facebook.com to see the functions that I miss in the redesign.

Ohh and then I really miss the 'control' that you had over your old profile page. That is totally gone now.

Also you're constant spammed by various quizzes and other application junk in your newsfeed – and thats even after I blocked those applications. SO ANNOYING!!

So yes, this is a major stepdown in my eyes.

Comment by Christian Poulsen — March 18, 2009 @ 11:40 am
I'd love to go back to the old Facebook, but this app didn;t work for me. I would also much rather FB themselves allow us to go back rather than doing it by the back door so to speak – as this could be stopped at any time.

My main reason for using facebook is to keep up with my friends and this new version actively prevents me from doing this effectively. It only shows me selected status updates (I have to go via the friends update page to see more_) – one from my husband took 20 hours to arrive on the feed(!) Photo albums also take an age to arrive. I was tagged in one so knew it was up but it took approximately 48 hours for it to appear in the feed. I don't need to see my friends pictures alongside their status messages – I know who they are thank you! – and this just takes up space and wastes time.

In fact there is *nothing* I like about this new version. It is inferior in every way shape and form. I have no idea what they were thinking when they rolled this out, but I have noticed that I've been spending more time on Twitter and Myspace and less on facebook since it happened, so maybe it is a good thing

Comment by Karon Hollis — March 18, 2009 @ 11:42 am
Generally, Facebook users are resistant to change. I've heard nothing but complaints about the new design.

Again, I am generalizing, but Facebook users seem to think they own the site. Not all users have this mentality, but it's the loud ones that get all the attention. I have to remind people that Facebook can change the design or the terms of service as they please, since Facebook runs the site, not the users. The use of Facebook is indeed a privilege, not a right, and Web 2.0 users seem to forget that from time to time. If you don't like the changes, leave Facebook and move on to another site. To some people this might sound harsh, but it's the reality.

I'm not saying Facebook shouldn't listen to users' feedback — they should, but if Facebook believes a design change or a change in the TOS is in the website's best interest, then they have every right to do so. If Facebook values its relationships with the users, then they will take the feedback into consideration and make changes. But it's just annoying to see Facebook users strutting around banging on their drums without realizing it's Facebook's site, and if they want to run the site then they can put up the $6 billion (or whatever Zuckerberg values the site at) and buy the site and then they can do whatever they want with the site. Until then, it's Facebook running the show.

Comment by Facebook User — March 18, 2009 @ 11:42 am
I'd love to love the new layout… and esthetically I do. What I can't understand is how is it possible that they passed from a working real-time feed to what clearly appears to be a static feed. I'm hoping this is some kind of bug that'll get fixed, since they did advertise the new version as "real time". But I'm getting more and more hopeless.

Comment by Facebook User — March 18, 2009 @ 11:46 am
As posted in a previous comment my major problem with the new design is that many important FB stories (new friendships, group joining, photo comments, relationship status, application installs etc) are missing!

Why the do that ?

Comment by Manos Matsakis — March 18, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Yes, Facebook owns the site and they can do whatever they want, but doesn't that old cliche still apply – "The customer is always right?"

No, I don't like the new interface… but I compare the change to when grocery stores make changes to their isles and move things around so you can't find anything anymore without a GPS system. We fuss, moan and groan, but we'll get used to it…then one day Facebook will change it again and users will, once again, fuss, moan and groan!

Change makes the world go round…it's going to happen whether we like it or not.

Comment by Eydie — March 18, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
It'd be fine if they'd reinstate the Live Feed. I like the ability to sort the news feed, but bring back the live feed or integrate it into the news feed. I want to interact with my friends, not just read stale status updates. The Highlites section is a waste of space unless we can interact with it. It's the same old stuff, day after day, and if someone puts something unpleasant up there I have to look at it for days! I haven't seen any Pages updates in a while either.

Comment by Katherine — March 18, 2009 @ 2:11 pm
I'm with Manos and the guy above. seriously, why in the HELL did they say it was "real-time" when it's NOT. unbelievable.

Comment by Facebook User — March 18, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
@ 3:42 pm:

Yes, it *is* Facebook's site, but it is the users of that site who make it popular. Do they really want people to leave and go somewhere else? I don't think so, but, eventually that's what will happen.

Personally, I hate the new layout because it segregates things, makes them harder to find and see. I love the "redesign" that they had before. Their new filtering is terrible and they have removed some of the granular abilities and functionality they had before. That is unfortunate.

Comment by Monique — March 18, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
I know this sound strange. But I just did a refresh at my frontpage, and just like nothing I got my old new Facebook design back. It's magic!

Comment by Christian Poulsen — March 18, 2009 @ 4:38 pm
Hmm! This is even more strange. Now I got the one back again.

First I got this error:

"Account Temporarily Unavailable.

Your account is currently unavailable due to a site issue. We expect this to be resolved shortly. Please try again in a few minutes."

Comment by Christian Poulsen — March 18, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
Problems:

1. I don't have enough control over what I see. What happened to "less of" "more of." Why can't i delete things without deleting all updates from that person.

2.The static "highlighted" links on the right bar don't change often enough. They get stale. And why can't i delete things i don't like

3. Photos. You can't see the album view that the old facebook allowed. If you click on photos now you just get the one or two at a time recently updated.

4. No "x of your friends changed their profile pic"

Comment by amory — March 18, 2009 @ 8:22 pm
Oh yeah I also miss live feed. And its worth noting that I also much prefer this aesthetically.

Comment by amory — March 18, 2009 @ 8:25 pm
having to visit individual profiles to see activities that were previously visible on the home page is a real step backwards with the new profile. I can honestly say that I spend less time on Facebook since the new implementation. I do not have time to go visit each friends profile to see what they are up to besides the status updates, which for some reason Facebook seems to think is all that matters to the users. Speaking for myself, they could not be more wrong.

Comment by Kevin — March 18, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
I just miss the old live feed, now I can only see status updates and some more information but really dont know what happens as before, sometimes I still look at m.facebook.com where the live feed still works. Jan

Comment by Jan Kyselak — March 18, 2009 @ 11:24 pm
I manage quite a few apps and have been getting lots of complaints from users about the new design. My friends have been asking where features like "live feed" are. Quite a few complain the new design gives them a headache and they can't find anything (too many pictures).

One biggy is the removal of being able to post full stories to your own wall. Many of my users miss this feature, which Facebook says they removed because it wasn't used enough. You could only post full stories to your own wall, so I can understand lower usage.

Personally, I don't like it. I miss the one-line stories that were mostly background noise, but sometimes contained nice tidbits.

Comment by Brent Baisley — March 19, 2009 @ 2:29 am
2 bad (out of many) Facebook design changes:

I don't think it is a question about whether the new design is easy to use or not. It's a question about the new design and feed algorithms impairing what was good about Facebook.

My two examples:

Applications you have not added can post feeds on your Wall!! (I just got an application feed on my wall from Friends For Sale! – An app I would never add and don't want to pollute my pages)

Applications appear more in the News Feed / Live Feed and the only way to opt-out is by hiding your friends using the apps. With the old design you could hide the applications (I don't want to hide interesting friends just because they are using some stupid app. I want the good old fb algorithm to know that I hate apps, just like it used to know.)

Well, at least I see an upside to this bad change of design:

I'm from Denmark where Facebook is huge (more than 1/3 is on) and Twitter so far has only been for the really net-savvy.

But since the new Facebook came on, it seems the early adopters and the early majority is being pushed over to Twitter (people following me, and asking in their fb status updates who is on Twitter!). This is good news for Danish information seekers and Twitter, but a bad move for Facebook the company.

That is, if they are not planning to buy Twitter??

(thanks Nick for a great site)

Comment by Keeplefty — March 19, 2009 @ 2:41 am
I dont like the new design. It seems when everyone just starts to get used to a site, Facebook goes and changes it. Annoying!

Comment by Greg Beazley — March 19, 2009 @ 4:02 am
Normally I welcome all changes that Facebook makes and I have been pleased with the ones they made in the past. But this last change is has more drawbacks then advantages.

The only advantage that I see is that the home page news feed is real-time.

However, I see the following problems with the new design:

1. The stories from applications show up in the news feed even though I have not installed those applications. There must be a way to hide stories from selected applications just like there is an ability to hide stories from selected users.

2. Filtering by friends list is useless to me. I set up friends list for privacy controls and for being able to invite a bunch of people to events at once. I did not create the friends list for filtering of the news feed. Although it may be interesting to filter news feed by friends lists, this should not be the primary way of filtering the news feed. It should be moved to the bottom of the filter column on the left.

3. Certain types of stories are no longer in the news feed: New friendshipes, joining of groups, change of profile photos, change of relationship statuses

4. On user's walls, comments on photos and videos are just one-liners now. There are no longer thumbnail of the photo or video that is being commented on. It is very useful to see the thumbnails before bothering to see the comment. And it is nice to see the comment itself right in the news feed.

5. Recent Activity grouping is a terrible idea. The activities are no longer strictly chronological. Often times the activity happens after some other news story, but it is grouped to the Recent Activity block which appears below that story.

6. There are no more variable story sizes on users walls. It was great being able to emphasize certain stories by changing their size.

7. The upcoming birthdays and events are no longer shown on the home page. Only birthdays and events that happen today are shown.

So that being said, I don't think Facebook should revert back to the old version. I think they should just fix the issues that I outlined above.

Raphael

Comment by Raphael Pungin — March 19, 2009 @ 7:18 am
People seem to be misinterpreting the term "real-time" in the new homepage.

Real-time means that when you refresh the page manually, the news will contain the MOST RECENT stories from ALL of your friends. Before it would contain only selected stories from only selected friends based on your interactions with them on the site.

The Real-Time tab on the old home page used to automatically refresh the page with all of your friends activities. I agree that it was nice. But they removed it probably because it was a wasted server load. People may have that tab selected and leave it up in their browser and forget about it. The browser will keep making server requests even if no one is looking at the page. By requiring people to manually refresh the page, the server request will only be issued when users really need it.

Comment by Raphael Pungin — March 19, 2009 @ 7:34 am
Regarding old facebook –

Look at this poll, more than 90% say they do not like the new layout.

http://apps.facebook.com/layoutvote/?ref=nf

BTW – It was not simple to find your comment area.

Hadara

Comment by Hadara — March 19, 2009 @ 7:50 am
I think the new design is awful. I hate the emphasis on friend's status updates. The huge font makes it feel like everyone is shouting at you. I thought the ability to filter feeds was one of the most useful features of the previous design; now it's just a disorganized mess. I honestly haven't been using Facebook as much since the change. I might as well join Twitter, or go back to Myspace: it's all the same now.

Comment by Jess — March 19, 2009 @ 9:51 am
If they want to change it fine. It's their site. However, my chief complaint is and will remain for now: I keep my FB profile rated G because of my family and friends with small children around. With Facebook's new layout, the highlight section to the right of my home page shows RATED R APPLICATIONS and their icons/labels and I am NOT interested in seeing women's breasts, lacy bottoms, and I don't care whether or not you "like to have sex" or enjoy "cuddling in bed". There must be some way to give me the capability to keep my facebook rated G by allowing us the option to disable rated R applications from our own home pages! IF I wanted to join a porn site I would. I didn't though, I joined Facebook…

Comment by Cheryl Stark — March 19, 2009 @ 11:22 am
Does anyone know, if the facebook team is about to turn the old version back? What are they waiting for? Nobody likes it and its really terrible this new version. Is there any way to persuade them to do put on the old facebook??

Comment by Veronika — March 20, 2009 @ 5:27 am
We've given up trying to change our facebook back now. It's seemed a bit more fun to edit it instead!

http://www.thoughtden.co.uk/blog/2009/03/20/faceb...

Have fun!

Comment by Dan Course — March 20, 2009 @ 5:58 am
Looks like the group got deleted…

Comment by Will — March 20, 2009 @ 9:18 am
I don’t like the new facebook. I don’t like the new look, but the reason I haven’t been on FB in a week is that the functionality has changed. It doesn’t provide the service it did before. Very sad, because it provided a very useful service to me before: the ability to casually socialize with people I know.

It used to have a block party feel. I could look at the home page and see what people were up to. Now it has a frenetic feel. I can look at the home page and see every single activity the friend who happens to be on right now has done. Its irritating and frenetic and no longer functional for socializing.

Comment by Braidwood — March 21, 2009 @ 8:37 am
It sucks! It's impossible to follow. I don't get updates from my friends anymore, except what tests they all take. The design is too big and in your face. I can't even look at it anymore. Over 1million people have voted that the hate it… but Facebook as a company seems to be getting worse and worse..which confirms Einstein's opinion on stupidity…

Comment by Dora — March 21, 2009 @ 11:11 am
If the new design actually WORKED, I would live with the pain-in-the-ass features, and insane layout. HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T WORK. It takes forever to load, it freezes. It has crashed Firefox a number of times. And no, I don't have VISTA. I'm not about to go BUY A NEW COMPUTER, just to use Facebook. And yes I have the latest edition of flash. GRRRR!

Comment by Joy D'Angelo — March 24, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
I don't like the new layout either.

Reasons:

1. Use to like this option: “less of” “more of.” That way I could filter out the stuff or people I did not want to see updates on.

2. Live update, and also if someone joined or left a group was useful for me.

3. Someone mentioned this but the upcoming birthdays was very useful.

Overall the homepage sucks now. Before I could edit it and make it my own and I got all the information I wanted to see. Now it's useless and just want them to go back to the way it was.

Comment by James — March 26, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
I agree. I hate the change that they have made to facebook home page. Please change it back. I am missing out on alot of information that my friends are posting.

Comment by margie snowden — October 26, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
Here's an idea. Instead of living on the computer, why not have a real life instead? I still don't have a facebook page and I don't think I'm missing a thing. I basically limit my internet activities to paying bills, looking-up info, reading news, shopping, and leaving snotty comments like this one.

Computers are great, but there's no substitute for face-to-face interaction. If I went to Walmart today, would the world be any better off if I posted it on facebook? You laugh, but thousands do it every day, not thinking about HOW LAME they are!

Comment by Bill H. — November 22, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Please put my facebook page back the way it was. I don't like this new one you guys just did today on 2/5/10.

Comment by Kathy Sickles Wiggin — February 5, 2010 @ 3:59 pm
Hate the new homepage…some of my apps are not there anymore..do you have to go to homepage everytime you want to open each app…I dont like it..I want the old one back..How do ,or can I…and why do some people have this and some dont???????

Comment by Elaine S — February 6, 2010 @ 12:27 am
i hate the new facebook!! why try to fix something that isn't broken?? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GIVE US BACK THE OLD FACEBOOK!!!!

Comment by susan marshallsea — February 6, 2010 @ 10:34 am
i want my old facebook homepage back…..pls pls help.

i really hate this new one….

Comment by rames machar — February 7, 2010 @ 5:47 am
Please i don't like this new facebook the things are all in my way. I can't go from app to app with out going home first. please tell me how to go back to old facebook like it so much better pleas.

Comment by Carolyn Page — February 7, 2010 @ 6:26 am
well this new fb client sucks big time , its complete and utter crap, why others seem to thinkk they know what we all want is absurd, did they ask me no they flipping didnt , did they offer a tick what box i prefer , no they flipping didnt. does anyone know how i can limit what it shows on the main wall , i just want to view a certain link of posts but so far all i can find is news feed or most recent nowt in between

Comment by claire — February 7, 2010 @ 7:55 am
Im hate the new layout and want to know if I can change it beack. I am tired of facebook changeing all the time if its not broke dont fix it. And for all who say if you dont like it dont use facebook well without users what is the paint in them running faceook? Thats would be like a store with few or no customers because they carry only what a few customers want. That wouldnt make to much sence now would it.

Comment by Facebook User — February 7, 2010 @ 12:30 pm
i hate the new facebook layout! ugggggh =(

Comment by Kyla — February 8, 2010 @ 6:24 pm
Okay I think Ima leave FB for Friendster or sumthing cause I DO NOT–I REPEAT, DO NOT like the latest change…the last one was fine. It worked you could get to anything from whatever page you were on instead of having to go back to the home page every time. Plus what is the point of having your online friends on the homepage I mean it clutters my field of vision and you don’t have an option to minimize or put that new side bar away. Like when I go on and IM service I can minimize my buddy list and see it when and only when I want to. That’s how it used to be and that’s how it should be! A bit of change is fine every once in a while but this time THIS TIME Facebook has gone TOO FAR!

Comment by KC — February 8, 2010 @ 6:03 pm
ca on the new home pafe i want old one backnt get the feeds to work so cant play farmville that sucks

Comment by jackie — February 8, 2010 @ 6:50 pm
Please kindly take me back to the old facebook

Comment by Adeniyi Blessing — February 9, 2010 @ 5:36 am
I want to do a new facebook i will be happy if i did it

Comment by olivia — February 9, 2010 @ 6:35 am
Always i will be happy.

Comment by olivia — February 9, 2010 @ 6:39 am
I don’t like the new layout at all! Please go back, everytime I get the pages how I like them, you go and change it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m well aware that this is a free site and it yours to do with it as you please, butyou would think that you want your FANS to like being on here! At least give us the option to change it back. Or tell us the real reason you keep switchin it up!

Comment by gina — February 9, 2010 @ 5:30 pm
The new layout for homepage SUCKS!!!!!!! Bring back the old homepage. Posts are slow as snail shit. PLEASE SWITCH BACK. The new design is impossible. and makes no sense.

Comment by Bob Palmieri — February 9, 2010 @ 8:18 pm
There are a zillion groups and retarded “causes” to change this or that aspect of Facebook and the apps, mostly games, that it hosts. “Join my cause! farmvile need goat stables!” “1 million must join to stop Facebook from charging $5/month in 2010!” “UNLIMITED ENERGY in Mafia Whars – 100% working! (doesn’t work unless you get half your friends to join group)”

At best, these groups are overwhelmingly misguided. There is no evidence that Facebook or its game-providing affiliates have any inclination to change anything about their service on the basis of users joining groups.

If you hate the new Facebook layout, THE effective way to make your preferences known is to send a polite, concise email to some customer service at Facebook. Keep in mind that a service with millions of users isn’t making changes without research, planning and commitment. The odds of Facebook rolling back their redesign are slim, and even if they do, it will not be because some sheeplike minority of their users attach themselves to a Facebook protest group. These users are, after all, still using. If frequent change makes you mad, then maybe computers and the Internet are not for you.

Often, these groups promote misinformation; a quick trot over to snopes.com reveals that Facebook doesn’t and never did intend to start charging for basic service, for example. Somebody simply made it up, and ridiculous numbers of people believed it and acted on it without any effort at fact-checking.

At worst, such groups have been known to promote browser exploits and malware, leading to hacked accounts. Spammers, scam artists and identity thieves are loving Facebook; it’s a veritable goldmine of technological ignorance and general gullibility. Any given day on Facebook, I can find (and report) half a dozen apps and groups that make misleading or outright false claims. Until someone successfully sues them for negligence, Facebook will remain fundamentally unsafe for users lacking critical thinking skills.

Comment by Dayton — February 10, 2010 @ 9:41 am
I HATE THE NEW DESIGN OF FACE BOOK,SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO PLAY THE MY BEST GAME FARMVILLE -IT IS NOT OPENING IN THIS NEW ONE.

NOW I AM UNABLE TO GO BACK TO OLD FACE BOOK DESIGN.

PLEASE HELP US

Comment by UMESH — February 11, 2010 @ 12:32 am
Absolutely Awful…. Its Just Not The Same Anymore.

Comment by jacklyn wheatcroft — February 14, 2010 @ 8:14 am
not happy with facebook at all .can not get my home page anymore &l cant pull up friends.

Comment by Betty Booher — February 15, 2010 @ 12:34 pm
Is anyone else having a problem with not being able to recieve application gift requests? Since the layout switched over I don't even have a section on my page that even shows them. I have seen other people pages and they have a place for it, but mine was switched over a few weeks before everyone else. I dont know how to contact Facebook to let them know about the stupid glitche, that is half the problem. Facebook is so unaccessable, they make it impossible for anyone to contact them. And where is there contact info???? If anyone can help me please let me know, I am a major gamer and not being able to recieve gift app requests ruins the entire experience for me, I now hate FB!!!

Comment by Alice — February 15, 2010 @ 4:44 pm
i hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by stella — February 16, 2010 @ 1:55 am
This stinks, I've only used facebook for a few months and this is the swecond time they've changed it, Crap, I can't even find my friend list on this one….and oh yes, to try to change it back with their dirrection….you get charge $19.99 a month by some stupid thing, OBVIOUSLY connected to Facebook on your cell phone bill called" FLYCELL" don't they want to keep their people or do they want everyone to just go to their "MY SPACE"?????

Comment by Gidget Gestring — February 16, 2010 @ 5:36 am
I will let everyone that I know, KNOW ABOUT THIS RIP-OFF !!!

Comment by Gidget Gestring — February 16, 2010 @ 5:38 am
I like older version

Comment by cody — February 16, 2010 @ 2:35 pm
ever since this new facebook design came out, all I am getting is "Error on page" and unable to uploads pictures, send gift requests and play my games that I have been using for a long time now…..this is really getting frusterating!!!!

Comment by Cathy — February 16, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
Focus groups aren't issued by facebook. Just people who are trying to target web traffic.

Comment by Zija — June 24, 2011 @ 1:36 pm

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Absolutely hate the new facebook redesign. It's absurd that how I view my homepage depends on how other people have their applications set. You know, I don't want to know that you should live in Paris, that your IQ is 140, or that you are a master of 80s movie trivia. I used to have it set that I got very little "news" about applications in my newsfeed, but now that seems to be all it is.

Did they even have any focus groups for this thing?

Comment by Robin/OakKnollMom — March 18, 2009 @ 11:34 am

I think that the redesign of the new Facebook is terrible mess. I miss a lot of the original Facebook features.

Things that you don't see anymore is:

- Friends that are tagged

- Relationships

- Events

and a lot more. Go to http://m.facebook.com to see the functions that I miss in the redesign.

Ohh and then I really miss the 'control' that you had over your old profile page. That is totally gone now.

Also you're constant spammed by various quizzes and other application junk in your newsfeed – and thats even after I blocked those applications. SO ANNOYING!!

So yes, this is a major stepdown in my eyes.

Comment by Christian Poulsen — March 18, 2009 @ 11:40 am

I'd love to go back to the old Facebook, but this app didn;t work for me. I would also much rather FB themselves allow us to go back rather than doing it by the back door so to speak – as this could be stopped at any time.

My main reason for using facebook is to keep up with my friends and this new version actively prevents me from doing this effectively. It only shows me selected status updates (I have to go via the friends update page to see more_) – one from my husband took 20 hours to arrive on the feed(!) Photo albums also take an age to arrive. I was tagged in one so knew it was up but it took approximately 48 hours for it to appear in the feed. I don't need to see my friends pictures alongside their status messages – I know who they are thank you! – and this just takes up space and wastes time.

In fact there is *nothing* I like about this new version. It is inferior in every way shape and form. I have no idea what they were thinking when they rolled this out, but I have noticed that I've been spending more time on Twitter and Myspace and less on facebook since it happened, so maybe it is a good thing

Comment by Karon Hollis — March 18, 2009 @ 11:42 am

Generally, Facebook users are resistant to change. I've heard nothing but complaints about the new design.

Again, I am generalizing, but Facebook users seem to think they own the site. Not all users have this mentality, but it's the loud ones that get all the attention. I have to remind people that Facebook can change the design or the terms of service as they please, since Facebook runs the site, not the users. The use of Facebook is indeed a privilege, not a right, and Web 2.0 users seem to forget that from time to time. If you don't like the changes, leave Facebook and move on to another site. To some people this might sound harsh, but it's the reality.

I'm not saying Facebook shouldn't listen to users' feedback — they should, but if Facebook believes a design change or a change in the TOS is in the website's best interest, then they have every right to do so. If Facebook values its relationships with the users, then they will take the feedback into consideration and make changes. But it's just annoying to see Facebook users strutting around banging on their drums without realizing it's Facebook's site, and if they want to run the site then they can put up the $6 billion (or whatever Zuckerberg values the site at) and buy the site and then they can do whatever they want with the site. Until then, it's Facebook running the show.

Comment by Facebook User — March 18, 2009 @ 11:42 am

I'd love to love the new layout… and esthetically I do. What I can't understand is how is it possible that they passed from a working real-time feed to what clearly appears to be a static feed. I'm hoping this is some kind of bug that'll get fixed, since they did advertise the new version as "real time". But I'm getting more and more hopeless.

Comment by Facebook User — March 18, 2009 @ 11:46 am

As posted in a previous comment my major problem with the new design is that many important FB stories (new friendships, group joining, photo comments, relationship status, application installs etc) are missing!

Why the do that ?

Comment by Manos Matsakis — March 18, 2009 @ 12:21 pm

Yes, Facebook owns the site and they can do whatever they want, but doesn't that old cliche still apply – "The customer is always right?"

No, I don't like the new interface… but I compare the change to when grocery stores make changes to their isles and move things around so you can't find anything anymore without a GPS system. We fuss, moan and groan, but we'll get used to it…then one day Facebook will change it again and users will, once again, fuss, moan and groan!

Change makes the world go round…it's going to happen whether we like it or not.

Comment by Eydie — March 18, 2009 @ 1:02 pm

It'd be fine if they'd reinstate the Live Feed. I like the ability to sort the news feed, but bring back the live feed or integrate it into the news feed. I want to interact with my friends, not just read stale status updates. The Highlites section is a waste of space unless we can interact with it. It's the same old stuff, day after day, and if someone puts something unpleasant up there I have to look at it for days! I haven't seen any Pages updates in a while either.

Comment by Katherine — March 18, 2009 @ 2:11 pm

I'm with Manos and the guy above. seriously, why in the HELL did they say it was "real-time" when it's NOT. unbelievable.

Comment by Facebook User — March 18, 2009 @ 2:52 pm

@ 3:42 pm:

Yes, it *is* Facebook's site, but it is the users of that site who make it popular. Do they really want people to leave and go somewhere else? I don't think so, but, eventually that's what will happen.

Personally, I hate the new layout because it segregates things, makes them harder to find and see. I love the "redesign" that they had before. Their new filtering is terrible and they have removed some of the granular abilities and functionality they had before. That is unfortunate.

Comment by Monique — March 18, 2009 @ 4:07 pm

I know this sound strange. But I just did a refresh at my frontpage, and just like nothing I got my old new Facebook design back. It's magic!

Comment by Christian Poulsen — March 18, 2009 @ 4:38 pm

Hmm! This is even more strange. Now I got the one back again.

First I got this error:

"Account Temporarily Unavailable.

Your account is currently unavailable due to a site issue. We expect this to be resolved shortly. Please try again in a few minutes."

Comment by Christian Poulsen — March 18, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

Problems:

1. I don't have enough control over what I see. What happened to "less of" "more of." Why can't i delete things without deleting all updates from that person.

2.The static "highlighted" links on the right bar don't change often enough. They get stale. And why can't i delete things i don't like

3. Photos. You can't see the album view that the old facebook allowed. If you click on photos now you just get the one or two at a time recently updated.

4. No "x of your friends changed their profile pic"

Comment by amory — March 18, 2009 @ 8:22 pm

Oh yeah I also miss live feed. And its worth noting that I also much prefer this aesthetically.

Comment by amory — March 18, 2009 @ 8:25 pm

having to visit individual profiles to see activities that were previously visible on the home page is a real step backwards with the new profile. I can honestly say that I spend less time on Facebook since the new implementation. I do not have time to go visit each friends profile to see what they are up to besides the status updates, which for some reason Facebook seems to think is all that matters to the users. Speaking for myself, they could not be more wrong.

Comment by Kevin — March 18, 2009 @ 8:55 pm

I just miss the old live feed, now I can only see status updates and some more information but really dont know what happens as before, sometimes I still look at m.facebook.com where the live feed still works. Jan

Comment by Jan Kyselak — March 18, 2009 @ 11:24 pm

I manage quite a few apps and have been getting lots of complaints from users about the new design. My friends have been asking where features like "live feed" are. Quite a few complain the new design gives them a headache and they can't find anything (too many pictures).

One biggy is the removal of being able to post full stories to your own wall. Many of my users miss this feature, which Facebook says they removed because it wasn't used enough. You could only post full stories to your own wall, so I can understand lower usage.

Personally, I don't like it. I miss the one-line stories that were mostly background noise, but sometimes contained nice tidbits.

Comment by Brent Baisley — March 19, 2009 @ 2:29 am

2 bad (out of many) Facebook design changes:

I don't think it is a question about whether the new design is easy to use or not. It's a question about the new design and feed algorithms impairing what was good about Facebook.

My two examples:

Applications you have not added can post feeds on your Wall!! (I just got an application feed on my wall from Friends For Sale! – An app I would never add and don't want to pollute my pages)

Applications appear more in the News Feed / Live Feed and the only way to opt-out is by hiding your friends using the apps. With the old design you could hide the applications (I don't want to hide interesting friends just because they are using some stupid app. I want the good old fb algorithm to know that I hate apps, just like it used to know.)

Well, at least I see an upside to this bad change of design:

I'm from Denmark where Facebook is huge (more than 1/3 is on) and Twitter so far has only been for the really net-savvy.

But since the new Facebook came on, it seems the early adopters and the early majority is being pushed over to Twitter (people following me, and asking in their fb status updates who is on Twitter!). This is good news for Danish information seekers and Twitter, but a bad move for Facebook the company.

That is, if they are not planning to buy Twitter??

(thanks Nick for a great site)

Comment by Keeplefty — March 19, 2009 @ 2:41 am

I dont like the new design. It seems when everyone just starts to get used to a site, Facebook goes and changes it. Annoying!

Comment by Greg Beazley — March 19, 2009 @ 4:02 am

Normally I welcome all changes that Facebook makes and I have been pleased with the ones they made in the past. But this last change is has more drawbacks then advantages.

The only advantage that I see is that the home page news feed is real-time.

However, I see the following problems with the new design:

1. The stories from applications show up in the news feed even though I have not installed those applications. There must be a way to hide stories from selected applications just like there is an ability to hide stories from selected users.

2. Filtering by friends list is useless to me. I set up friends list for privacy controls and for being able to invite a bunch of people to events at once. I did not create the friends list for filtering of the news feed. Although it may be interesting to filter news feed by friends lists, this should not be the primary way of filtering the news feed. It should be moved to the bottom of the filter column on the left.

3. Certain types of stories are no longer in the news feed: New friendshipes, joining of groups, change of profile photos, change of relationship statuses

4. On user's walls, comments on photos and videos are just one-liners now. There are no longer thumbnail of the photo or video that is being commented on. It is very useful to see the thumbnails before bothering to see the comment. And it is nice to see the comment itself right in the news feed.

5. Recent Activity grouping is a terrible idea. The activities are no longer strictly chronological. Often times the activity happens after some other news story, but it is grouped to the Recent Activity block which appears below that story.

6. There are no more variable story sizes on users walls. It was great being able to emphasize certain stories by changing their size.

7. The upcoming birthdays and events are no longer shown on the home page. Only birthdays and events that happen today are shown.

So that being said, I don't think Facebook should revert back to the old version. I think they should just fix the issues that I outlined above.

Raphael

Comment by Raphael Pungin — March 19, 2009 @ 7:18 am

People seem to be misinterpreting the term "real-time" in the new homepage.

Real-time means that when you refresh the page manually, the news will contain the MOST RECENT stories from ALL of your friends. Before it would contain only selected stories from only selected friends based on your interactions with them on the site.

The Real-Time tab on the old home page used to automatically refresh the page with all of your friends activities. I agree that it was nice. But they removed it probably because it was a wasted server load. People may have that tab selected and leave it up in their browser and forget about it. The browser will keep making server requests even if no one is looking at the page. By requiring people to manually refresh the page, the server request will only be issued when users really need it.

Comment by Raphael Pungin — March 19, 2009 @ 7:34 am

Regarding old facebook –

Look at this poll, more than 90% say they do not like the new layout.

http://apps.facebook.com/layoutvote/?ref=nf

BTW – It was not simple to find your comment area.

Hadara

Comment by Hadara — March 19, 2009 @ 7:50 am

I think the new design is awful. I hate the emphasis on friend's status updates. The huge font makes it feel like everyone is shouting at you. I thought the ability to filter feeds was one of the most useful features of the previous design; now it's just a disorganized mess. I honestly haven't been using Facebook as much since the change. I might as well join Twitter, or go back to Myspace: it's all the same now.

Comment by Jess — March 19, 2009 @ 9:51 am

If they want to change it fine. It's their site. However, my chief complaint is and will remain for now: I keep my FB profile rated G because of my family and friends with small children around. With Facebook's new layout, the highlight section to the right of my home page shows RATED R APPLICATIONS and their icons/labels and I am NOT interested in seeing women's breasts, lacy bottoms, and I don't care whether or not you "like to have sex" or enjoy "cuddling in bed". There must be some way to give me the capability to keep my facebook rated G by allowing us the option to disable rated R applications from our own home pages! IF I wanted to join a porn site I would. I didn't though, I joined Facebook…

Comment by Cheryl Stark — March 19, 2009 @ 11:22 am

Does anyone know, if the facebook team is about to turn the old version back? What are they waiting for? Nobody likes it and its really terrible this new version. Is there any way to persuade them to do put on the old facebook??

Comment by Veronika — March 20, 2009 @ 5:27 am

We've given up trying to change our facebook back now. It's seemed a bit more fun to edit it instead!

http://www.thoughtden.co.uk/blog/2009/03/20/faceb...

Have fun!

Comment by Dan Course — March 20, 2009 @ 5:58 am

Looks like the group got deleted…

Comment by Will — March 20, 2009 @ 9:18 am

I don’t like the new facebook. I don’t like the new look, but the reason I haven’t been on FB in a week is that the functionality has changed. It doesn’t provide the service it did before. Very sad, because it provided a very useful service to me before: the ability to casually socialize with people I know.

It used to have a block party feel. I could look at the home page and see what people were up to. Now it has a frenetic feel. I can look at the home page and see every single activity the friend who happens to be on right now has done. Its irritating and frenetic and no longer functional for socializing.

Comment by Braidwood — March 21, 2009 @ 8:37 am

It sucks! It's impossible to follow. I don't get updates from my friends anymore, except what tests they all take. The design is too big and in your face. I can't even look at it anymore. Over 1million people have voted that the hate it… but Facebook as a company seems to be getting worse and worse..which confirms Einstein's opinion on stupidity…

Comment by Dora — March 21, 2009 @ 11:11 am

If the new design actually WORKED, I would live with the pain-in-the-ass features, and insane layout. HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T WORK. It takes forever to load, it freezes. It has crashed Firefox a number of times. And no, I don't have VISTA. I'm not about to go BUY A NEW COMPUTER, just to use Facebook. And yes I have the latest edition of flash. GRRRR!

Comment by Joy D'Angelo — March 24, 2009 @ 6:05 pm

I don't like the new layout either.

Reasons:

1. Use to like this option: “less of” “more of.” That way I could filter out the stuff or people I did not want to see updates on.

2. Live update, and also if someone joined or left a group was useful for me.

3. Someone mentioned this but the upcoming birthdays was very useful.

Overall the homepage sucks now. Before I could edit it and make it my own and I got all the information I wanted to see. Now it's useless and just want them to go back to the way it was.

Comment by James — March 26, 2009 @ 12:38 pm

I agree. I hate the change that they have made to facebook home page. Please change it back. I am missing out on alot of information that my friends are posting.

Comment by margie snowden — October 26, 2009 @ 2:09 pm

Here's an idea. Instead of living on the computer, why not have a real life instead? I still don't have a facebook page and I don't think I'm missing a thing. I basically limit my internet activities to paying bills, looking-up info, reading news, shopping, and leaving snotty comments like this one.

Computers are great, but there's no substitute for face-to-face interaction. If I went to Walmart today, would the world be any better off if I posted it on facebook? You laugh, but thousands do it every day, not thinking about HOW LAME they are!

Comment by Bill H. — November 22, 2009 @ 10:39 pm

Please put my facebook page back the way it was. I don't like this new one you guys just did today on 2/5/10.

Comment by Kathy Sickles Wiggin — February 5, 2010 @ 3:59 pm

Hate the new homepage…some of my apps are not there anymore..do you have to go to homepage everytime you want to open each app…I dont like it..I want the old one back..How do ,or can I…and why do some people have this and some dont???????

Comment by Elaine S — February 6, 2010 @ 12:27 am

i hate the new facebook!! why try to fix something that isn't broken?? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GIVE US BACK THE OLD FACEBOOK!!!!

Comment by susan marshallsea — February 6, 2010 @ 10:34 am

i want my old facebook homepage back…..pls pls help.

i really hate this new one….

Comment by rames machar — February 7, 2010 @ 5:47 am

Please i don't like this new facebook the things are all in my way. I can't go from app to app with out going home first. please tell me how to go back to old facebook like it so much better pleas.

Comment by Carolyn Page — February 7, 2010 @ 6:26 am

well this new fb client sucks big time , its complete and utter crap, why others seem to thinkk they know what we all want is absurd, did they ask me no they flipping didnt , did they offer a tick what box i prefer , no they flipping didnt. does anyone know how i can limit what it shows on the main wall , i just want to view a certain link of posts but so far all i can find is news feed or most recent nowt in between

Comment by claire — February 7, 2010 @ 7:55 am

Im hate the new layout and want to know if I can change it beack. I am tired of facebook changeing all the time if its not broke dont fix it. And for all who say if you dont like it dont use facebook well without users what is the paint in them running faceook? Thats would be like a store with few or no customers because they carry only what a few customers want. That wouldnt make to much sence now would it.

Comment by Facebook User — February 7, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

i hate the new facebook layout! ugggggh =(

Comment by Kyla — February 8, 2010 @ 6:24 pm

Okay I think Ima leave FB for Friendster or sumthing cause I DO NOT–I REPEAT, DO NOT like the latest change…the last one was fine. It worked you could get to anything from whatever page you were on instead of having to go back to the home page every time. Plus what is the point of having your online friends on the homepage I mean it clutters my field of vision and you don’t have an option to minimize or put that new side bar away. Like when I go on and IM service I can minimize my buddy list and see it when and only when I want to. That’s how it used to be and that’s how it should be! A bit of change is fine every once in a while but this time THIS TIME Facebook has gone TOO FAR!

Comment by KC — February 8, 2010 @ 6:03 pm

ca on the new home pafe i want old one backnt get the feeds to work so cant play farmville that sucks

Comment by jackie — February 8, 2010 @ 6:50 pm

Please kindly take me back to the old facebook

Comment by Adeniyi Blessing — February 9, 2010 @ 5:36 am

I want to do a new facebook i will be happy if i did it

Comment by olivia — February 9, 2010 @ 6:35 am

Always i will be happy.

Comment by olivia — February 9, 2010 @ 6:39 am

I don’t like the new layout at all! Please go back, everytime I get the pages how I like them, you go and change it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m well aware that this is a free site and it yours to do with it as you please, butyou would think that you want your FANS to like being on here! At least give us the option to change it back. Or tell us the real reason you keep switchin it up!

Comment by gina — February 9, 2010 @ 5:30 pm

The new layout for homepage SUCKS!!!!!!! Bring back the old homepage. Posts are slow as snail shit. PLEASE SWITCH BACK. The new design is impossible. and makes no sense.

Comment by Bob Palmieri — February 9, 2010 @ 8:18 pm

There are a zillion groups and retarded “causes” to change this or that aspect of Facebook and the apps, mostly games, that it hosts. “Join my cause! farmvile need goat stables!” “1 million must join to stop Facebook from charging $5/month in 2010!” “UNLIMITED ENERGY in Mafia Whars – 100% working! (doesn’t work unless you get half your friends to join group)”

At best, these groups are overwhelmingly misguided. There is no evidence that Facebook or its game-providing affiliates have any inclination to change anything about their service on the basis of users joining groups.

If you hate the new Facebook layout, THE effective way to make your preferences known is to send a polite, concise email to some customer service at Facebook. Keep in mind that a service with millions of users isn’t making changes without research, planning and commitment. The odds of Facebook rolling back their redesign are slim, and even if they do, it will not be because some sheeplike minority of their users attach themselves to a Facebook protest group. These users are, after all, still using. If frequent change makes you mad, then maybe computers and the Internet are not for you.

Often, these groups promote misinformation; a quick trot over to snopes.com reveals that Facebook doesn’t and never did intend to start charging for basic service, for example. Somebody simply made it up, and ridiculous numbers of people believed it and acted on it without any effort at fact-checking.

At worst, such groups have been known to promote browser exploits and malware, leading to hacked accounts. Spammers, scam artists and identity thieves are loving Facebook; it’s a veritable goldmine of technological ignorance and general gullibility. Any given day on Facebook, I can find (and report) half a dozen apps and groups that make misleading or outright false claims. Until someone successfully sues them for negligence, Facebook will remain fundamentally unsafe for users lacking critical thinking skills.

Comment by Dayton — February 10, 2010 @ 9:41 am

I HATE THE NEW DESIGN OF FACE BOOK,SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO PLAY THE MY BEST GAME FARMVILLE -IT IS NOT OPENING IN THIS NEW ONE.

NOW I AM UNABLE TO GO BACK TO OLD FACE BOOK DESIGN.

PLEASE HELP US

Comment by UMESH — February 11, 2010 @ 12:32 am

Absolutely Awful…. Its Just Not The Same Anymore.

Comment by jacklyn wheatcroft — February 14, 2010 @ 8:14 am

not happy with facebook at all .can not get my home page anymore &l cant pull up friends.

Comment by Betty Booher — February 15, 2010 @ 12:34 pm

Is anyone else having a problem with not being able to recieve application gift requests? Since the layout switched over I don't even have a section on my page that even shows them. I have seen other people pages and they have a place for it, but mine was switched over a few weeks before everyone else. I dont know how to contact Facebook to let them know about the stupid glitche, that is half the problem. Facebook is so unaccessable, they make it impossible for anyone to contact them. And where is there contact info???? If anyone can help me please let me know, I am a major gamer and not being able to recieve gift app requests ruins the entire experience for me, I now hate FB!!!

Comment by Alice — February 15, 2010 @ 4:44 pm

i hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by stella — February 16, 2010 @ 1:55 am

This stinks, I've only used facebook for a few months and this is the swecond time they've changed it, Crap, I can't even find my friend list on this one….and oh yes, to try to change it back with their dirrection….you get charge $19.99 a month by some stupid thing, OBVIOUSLY connected to Facebook on your cell phone bill called" FLYCELL" don't they want to keep their people or do they want everyone to just go to their "MY SPACE"?????

Comment by Gidget Gestring — February 16, 2010 @ 5:36 am

I will let everyone that I know, KNOW ABOUT THIS RIP-OFF !!!

Comment by Gidget Gestring — February 16, 2010 @ 5:38 am

I like older version

Comment by cody — February 16, 2010 @ 2:35 pm

ever since this new facebook design came out, all I am getting is "Error on page" and unable to uploads pictures, send gift requests and play my games that I have been using for a long time now…..this is really getting frusterating!!!!

Comment by Cathy — February 16, 2010 @ 9:44 pm

Focus groups aren't issued by facebook. Just people who are trying to target web traffic.

Comment by Zija — June 24, 2011 @ 1:36 pm

New Facebook Group Teaches Users How To Revert Back To Old Facebook Design

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