Facebook brushes off user complaints

Changes to Facebook's design have once again triggered a flood of complaints from users, but the social networking site reportedly believes the protesters represent only an "extraordinarily low" proportion of its total user base.

Almost 1.3 million people have joined an online group called "Change Facebook Back to Normal", after Facebook tinkered on Friday with its news feed feature.

The feature provides users a "feed" containing updates of what their friends have been up to.

Following the change, many users were confused to find the feed was no longer in chronological order.

This was because Facebook had changed it to display "the most interesting things" that had happened in the last day.

Facebook decided which items would appear in the feed "based on a variety of factors including how many friends have liked and commented on it and how likely you are to interact with that story," Facebook engineer Raylene Yung said.

Another feed, dubbed the "Live Feed", now offered the real-time view of posts and activity of friends, she said.

Many users expressed frustration that the site had modified its design despite no overwhelming calls for change.

A group titled "We will change it back if 1,000,000 people hate the new switch", had attracted over 600,000 members by this morning.

Ms Yung acknowledged the anger.

"'Like you, we know it can be disruptive when things are moved around, but we hope that these changes make Facebook a more valuable experience for you," she wrote in a blog post.

But US television network CBS reported Facebook was not overly concerned at the level of outrage at its new design, describing it as "extraordinarily low".

"It's important to note that the change we made impacts 300 million people and the protest group [with 600,000 members] represents less than 3/5 of 1 per cent of those users," a source at Facebook told CBS's San Francisco affiliate, CBS 5.

"Given the scope of the change, we view the disapproving proportion as extraordinarily low and we're actually very pleased with the results thus far.

"Can you think of any new government policy – the only real analogy to a change reaching 300 million people – that has been opposed by only 1 per cent of people?"

The user reaction follows a familiar pattern of outrage at changes to Facebook's design, dating back many years.

Technology website CNET reported in 2006 that users "weren't too thrilled" by the introduction of the news feed, denouncing it as "stalker-ish".

It was this feature to which many users were now resisting changes.

A re-design to the profile page midway through 2008 also evoked a strong reaction from users.

I hate the new live feed!

not a fan of it myself, don't understand why they need to fuck w/ a good thing.
(yes I have a facebook & no I'm not gay)

bagelmom I sent u a PM, want to friend me on FB?

Yes I have a Facebook profile too. At first I was not a fan of the news feed at all because of the people who seem to live on it. I call it the Fritter factor (twitter) I could care less about some of the random stupidity. But there are ways to customize the feeds. Facebook is a nice way to share photos etc. with friends and family.

However,

I'm a geek but I don't connect with people primarily through the impersonal means many seem to use today. Texting, messengers etc. I like to have a more personal means of communicating and socializing.

B-)_~

I don't have a face book or twitter--wellI had a face book but I forgot my pass word and it was well rather boring--for friends and family email works good.Besides it takes time and I can't be every where on the internet and besides I'd probably tell the first homo that showed up to go get aids then he'd turn me into admin and I'd be banned anyway so to hell with it.

wut is dis fasebook you speek of? me noe undarstands

Whoever wants....send me a PM w/ your profile name if you want to FB
(in the message just say your from the R&R)

check your messages