For those of you furious, fascinated or frazzled by recent Facebook tweaks to the user experience, get ready for the next big wave to come crashing in. And it is a big one.
Last week Facebook announced coming changes to the profile pages, creating a new “Timeline” approach that will roll out in a matter of weeks.
Initially, only the core tech/geeks paid much attention, but now it’s starting to pick up speed and coverage in newsletters and trade reports and, of course, on Facebook.
What’s the big deal? How does it compare to the news feed and “Top Stories” adjustments that drew so much ire a couple weeks ago. It compares like a gnat compares to an elephant.
First, your old profile goes away.
It is replaced by what is, basically, a timeline of your life, based on data and content you submit, photos you select, emphasis you place on different types of content you put in your profile. It’s no longer just a list of what you do, what you did, what you think.
It’s a string of words, images, video, maps and layouts struggling to become more “social” and outline who you are, the highs and lows of your existence, and your life timeline.
Sounds a bit far-fetched, yes?
Take an early look, and implement early if you’d like after reading Mashable’s start-up guide, but remember this is very much still in beta mode and developers are still working. Before proceeding, take a look at the readers’ comments and make sure you want to go ahead.
But why not? It will be on your Facebook Profile page in a few weeks, and you can get a head start on tossing complaints around Facebook, or offering a round of applaause.
My personal bet? It’s a winner. It’s different, striking, dramatic and we’ll love to love it, but only after we enjoy hating it for a bit.