The last few days there have been major changes, someone could say a complete makeover on the gigantic social network, Facebook. Starting from the revolutionary redesign the applied changes were made to facilitate one purpose: give the user the experience that he is living in a social media living room rather than a social media town.
Introducing these groundbreaking developments at the annual Facebook F8 conference, which was held (April 30-May 1) at San Jose, CA, Mark Zuckerberg and his senior team made it clear that this makeover has to do with the transition which Facebook is eager to make to become “the privacy-focused platform”.
Groups and Events
Galvanising this evolution around the idea that there is a community for everyone, Facebook aims to make communities as central as friends. Instead of roaming purposelessly around a huge city (News Feed) why you don’t introduce yourself to smaller communities (groups) that will guarantee you with an ultimate sense of belonging? Therefore, the new design puts your communities at the centre. While the mobile version will soon be available globally, the new desktop site is coming in the next few months.
The groups tabs have been completely redesigned and Groups Discovery is made better than ever. With more suggestions and a new optional button to match you to Groups you might be interested in. The new tab will allow you to have direct access to the Groups that you already love and show a more personalised view of everything that’s happening across them. Moving one step forward they are also bringing Groups to the Composer, so from now we can share to group the same way we share with friends and family. Because you should know first and foremost, everywhere there are friends, there should also be groups. There will also be various more specialised Groups.
1. Health Support Groups which will let members ask admins to post anonymously on their behalf and protect their privacy around sensitive topics.
2. Shop Groups will get a new template to help employers post openings and to let job-seekers apply directly through Facebook, and message the employer.
3. Gaming Groups will get a new chat feature, so members will be able to create sub-threads for every topic that they have in topic.
4. They will be introducing native support for shipping, so sellers can list items for sale across the U.S. Buyers will be able to check out directly on Facebook. And when they get the items the payment will be deposited in the seller’s bank account.
The redesign is also supposed to help people expand their social circles. It includes a feature called Meet New Friends, which connects strangers who have something (like a school or employer) in
common. And it’s offering an easier way to find events near you as well. Android and iOS apps are getting an update right away; the desktop site will be revamped in the coming months.
Facebook messenger
Messenger is getting a big refresh in general. The great challenge here is if messenger can be the fastest private communication app on the entire planet. Preparing to launch an upgrade to Lightspeed which is going to use less battery, less storage, the development team has created a new experience for every Messenger user that soon will have the chance to call and message not just their friends on Facebook, but their close peers, family on Instagram and on WhatsApp. In other words, Messenger will be a dedicated place for your closest connections. A second tab is put inside of Messenger to make it more organised around the people you care about most in your life. There you will be able to share status, to view stories and even reminisce about your favourite memories together. Soon one more new feature will be introduced as we are going to have also the opportunity to watch videos together directly inside of Messenger.
Dating through Facebook
To make sure that people will come to Facebook not just to connect with people they already know, but also to find people they might want to know – maybe even the one- Facebook launches Facebook Dating. With Facebook Dating, you can find matches based on things you have in common like your shared groups and events. Your dating profile is separate from your main profile and your activity there is only visible to other people who have opted in. This Facebook Dating feature is already live in countries (Colombia, Mexico, Thailand, Argentina, Canada, Philippines, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Bolivia, Ecuador) and in the US by the end of the year.
They will be introducing also the “Secret Crush” which will let you create a private list of friends that you might be interested in. And if your friend also puts you on their list, you match.
Have you ever wondered why Facebook uses the blue colour in its logo? A blue logo is often trying to convey that the company has characteristics that correspond with people’s perceptions of blue, including dependability and trustworthiness, values that decision makers on Facebook try to build during this period that everyone is questioning about Facebook’s credibility upon privacy issues.
Reports now say that Facebook is now testing to turn news feed into story feed. This will integrate posts and stories into one, allowing users to consume both within the same reel of content. Giving priority to private messaging, small groups, and stories Facebook is trying to capitalise on the trend that today we all communicate fast through these three types. The future is private. Highlighting groups and events, creating a prominent groups tab and a personalised feed from the groups you’ve joined – rather than a generalised update feed from your friends. Group interaction options will show up while you are browsing other parts of Facebook, too.
