Facebook rolls out Timeline

[Jazzy]

Facebook users have noticed some changes rolling out to the social site in recent days, but odds are they aren't prepared for today's biggest social shakeup. At today's F8 Developers Conference, Mark Zuckerberg took the stage (after look-alike Andy Samberg left it) to announce a wide swath of changes that will seek to keep the six year-old social network thriving — and growing.



Foremost among the announcements is the news that the humble profile page is getting a much-needed makeover — one that could steamroll Google+ and Twitter alike: the Timeline. Mashable has called the new feature the biggest risk since launching the social network in 2004. The Next Web calls the death of the profile page a bit of a shock and notes that the massive makeover might just be a bit too much, especially for less tech-savvy users.



The Facebook community doesn't take kindly to changes — even minor ones, and this isn't minor by any means. Dedicated Facebookers are already in an uproar about the changes that heralded today's news: annoyed status updates have readily denounced Smart Lists, the Subscribe button, the Ticker, and even the new privacy settings. All of these tweaks are available now to most users, and when they appear, you should notice a pop-up prompt that will walk you through the changes. Can't find the Ticker? It should appear on the right side of any Facebook page, above the chat box.



While many of the new features are now live, the biggest change — the Timeline— will roll out gradually. To be first in line, you can opt in now by clicking Sign Me Up at the bottom of Facebook's official Timeline preview page. The first Timelines will be published on September 29, and we can expect to see them pop up for most users thereafter.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/future-facebook-profile-pages-timeline-005820123.html



Question: What are your thoughts about this new Timeline feature?

 

[Loucifer]

I'm just gonna wait and see before I pass judgement. But I haven't been impressed with the new changes so far.

 

[DrLeftover]

To me it seems the brain trust of Facebook want to follow Myspace into the scarp-yard of online aps by forcing out changes their users do not want.



It was a good service, for the most part, people liked it, why F with it to the point that it becomes unusable?



Case in point.



One of my friends is my brother. Yesterday, he had made a post on FB. I found it halfway down the page, under several other comments that had multiple replies and comments on them.



My brother's posting was less than an hour old. the LEAD UPDATE on my page was over eight hours old. But it had 17 replies, my brother's had 0, so Facebook's default setting decided that it was more important.



Yes, I can go in and change this setting and that group and tweak it just so while facing White Plains, NY (Zuckerberg's birthplace) and lighting the sacred candle to Saint Isildore of Seville (one of the patrons of the Internet)... but why should I have to when it was doing what I wanted it to do before the bosses at Facebook decided that that wasn't good enough?



Remember, a few years ago, Myspace was THE social network. Then they began playing with it and it ended up nearly unusable so nobody is using it and it is in the process of bankrupting its owners.

 

[Jazzy]

Last night Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive did it again: he made the web even more social. And naturally, he put Facebook at the heart of it.



At f8, Facebook’s annual developers conference in San Francisco, an increasingly polished and media savvy Zuckerberg took to stage to explain the site’s latest makeover – after a little aside in which he told the crowd that the site had managed to attract half a billion users in a single day.



After the cheers and whooping, which have become customary at these American live-streamed tech bonanzas, Zuckerberg introduced the ‘Timeline’.



The concept of Timeline, is that users put their entire lives on Facebook, organized by days, months and years. And then they can fill in the blanks – right back to their births.



Scan in baby pictures, upload old home movies, load in maps to chart memorable journeys – Facebook wants everyone’s life story loaded into its system.



Facebook members can edit the ‘Timeline’, erasing or adding chapters as they go. Boyfriends can be deleted and new ones added – it’s your life and therefore your story.



Rest of article with video: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8783750/Facebook-wants-your-life-story.html



Question: Would you be willing to use this new feature? Why or why not?

 

[Cranos]

I wouldn't, the information currently displayed on facebook by most people is already dangerous enough. To add every detail of your life would be unwise, to say the least.

 

[DrLeftover]

No, and Hell No.



Instead of Big Brother he wants to be Big Zucker.



Sorry, not interested.



Although I know some that are, which is fine for them.

 

[Crusader]

I shall correct the title for you

Facebook wants you to leave and go to Google+

 

[Jazzy]

The concept of Timeline, is that users put their entire lives on Facebook

Then the crime rate goes way up because all the not so nice people are being lead right to you. How about identity theft? Sure, let's make that easy for them too. As Forrest Gump so aptly put it, 'Mama says stupid is as stupid does.'

 

[Sariki]

I don't know if i would feel comfortable telling the whole world where i come from so to speak. I mean it's a great idea in the sense it changes the social media as we know it which is what he is great at but I just don't see the point or the saftey involved. It's not a great idea security wise.

 

[Evil Eye]

Facebook's getting creepier... and it already was pretty scary.

Instead of Big Brother he wants to be Big Zucker.

Wonder when they'll get into hardware... Now all new Facebook Telescreen! Share your day without a single key press! Also plays music and brings you the latest news!

 

[DrLeftover]

You mean like this?



https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/live-stream/

 

[Evil Eye]

Yes, only hardware integrated... without a switch.

 

[Loucifer]

I shall correct the title for you

Facebook wants you to leave and go to Google+

Haha! Yep! The amount of users on G+ has gone up a phenomenal amount over the last few days. Personally, I prefer G+ to Facebook now, but I will be keeping my Facebook profile open. I won't, however, be adding every single detail of my life to it.

 

[beowulf]

i made a google+ account a few days ago................but it is crap....really dont like it

 

[Loucifer]

i made a google+ account a few days ago................but it is crap....really dont like it

It's quite different to Facebook and MySpace (and it's definitely different to Twitter), but - for me - that's part of its charm. I think there is a period of 'getting used to it'.



But, if you don't like it, that's cool - the world would be a very dull place if we were all the same

 

[Nick]

Umm, this update will crush FB imo. Even though teh feature IS pretty cool in general, I don't know how popular it will be.

 

[Flurry]

Meh, who would honestly even want to do all that?

 

[Jazzy]

i made a google+ account a few days ago................but it is crap....really dont like it

I was going to open a google+ account. Not so sure I want to now. Can you tell me what you don't like about it?

 

[Evil Eye]

Meh, who would honestly even want to do all that?

Plenty of people, no doubt about it.

 

[Flurry]

Plenty of people, no doubt about it.

True, but it would just make em easier targets. You think they would realize that.