5 Comments

Facebook Redesign (and other thoughts on Facebook)

Jul 29, 2008
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I’m sitting in my office at home happy that my Facebook UI didn’t change. It looks just like it did yesterday. Unfortunately, the other two people sitting here with me just discovered that Facebook looks totally different. And I keep hearing more issues they face as they surf around the site trying to figure out how to do the things they normally do every day.

Different isn’t bad a lot of the time. The News Feed turned out to be a good thing. But this time it looks like the new design is going to take time for people to adjust. I’m sure you’ll see it soon when you login to Facebook.

Testing

It looks like Facebook just launched the change as I can’t find anything about it online. I thought my 17-year-old nephew was just out of luck due to his age but then my wife got hit with the bug, er new design. At least Facebook is testing unlike companies like Yahoo which roll out defective services without testing them first (and, no Yahoo, slapping the word beta next to the name doesn’t make it a test).

Goodbye Scrabulous

It seemed that the real shocker today was the end of Scrabulous. I’ve been wondering for quite some time when Hasbro, owner of Scrabble, would get Scrabulous taken offline. It seemed odd that a couple of guys stealing IP could get away with it and that a big company like Hasbro didn’t get it and didn’t launch its own app. Well, it looks like EA has built Scrabble for Hasbro as there is a version available on Facebook only in the US and Canada where Hasbro owns the rights (Mattel own the rights for the rest of the world). [Note: I tried adding the app and it turns out they pulled it and it won't be ready until mid-August. Note to self: If I win a legal battle forcing someone to remove infringing product, make sure to have my product ready.]

Stealing IP

Speaking of stolen IP, have you gotten the messages about the petition to save Facebook? Normally intelligent people have been sending me messages that Facebook is going to be shut down because Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea and initial code from a company he worked for in college.

Hmmm, how does that help anyone? Facebook isn’t going anywhere. Money (or stock) will change hands. People will become rich. But Facebook will still be here. It seems it just will look a little different.

Filed under: Online Marketing
  • http://www.cashbaq.com David Lewis

    Mark, thanks for your comment. Did they Germans steal the code while working for FB or did they see it online and copy it? If it's the latter, did they use an idea that has been online without any patent protection? It is very different if they had an employment agreement and had access to confidential information of the company (not to mention in the same country).

    I just don't get the people who are sending around the petition hysterical that FB will be shut down.

  • http://www.designdelux.com Mark Mitchell

    So if Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea for Facebook along with the code are the Germans who stole Facebook from him now off the hook:) Seems like it should be called “Casebook”. The case against MZ just keeps getting better and better.

  • http://www.rhinofish.com Pat Grady

    "I just don’t get the people who are sending around the petition hysterical that FB will be shut down."

    I know what you mean, but I also know you do understand it. Two of the essential things that long surviving online marketers have honed are don't overreact (you'll be too busy chasing nothing) -and- recognize that you're somewhat alone in your learned nonchalance.

    Not everyone wants to be as cool as us David.
    :-)

  • Scott

    I think what's most interesting here is EA is building Facebook apps now. Maybe social networks can monetize the same way video games monetize.

  • http://www.mediatrust.com peter bordes

    Facebook is notorious for making changes and not notifying users, app makers and marketers. Several great RSS apps shut down because they were constantly having to monitor and make changes due to being blind sided by Facebook.

    A few weeks ago changes were made that radically effected our large a rapidly growing social media affiliate partners.

    There really needs to be a mechanism for Facebook and google to be able to communicate to users and marketers more effectively. The changes have adverse ripple effects that can be avoided.

    This is a great function the newly formed Performance Marketing Alliance PMA can do to better serve the community by being a communication channel for services to the marketing community…