Evidence of this coming change has been appearing in information about Facebook and I know I have commented that this was the way Facebook was moving. It appears today the big step has been taken. At the top of your “Facebook Fan Page” (if you manage one) you will see this notice:
Like all Facebook changes, I’m sure this will lead to open “dis-like” and eventually grudging acceptance. But what does this really mean and why is Facebook making this change?
1. I think companies and owners of these “Fan Pages” will get more fans in the short run since people are
used to clicking “Like” as a temporary short term action. If I click “Like” on someone’s status or photo, thats it. But if I clicked “Become a Fan” I knew that I would then be a “follower” or “member” of that page opening myself up to notices and updates from that group. This language change will no doubt result in some short term confusion as everyone readjusts.
2. Facebook claims this change will better enhance the “community” feel of Facebook, which will be further emphasized by a new class of Community Profile/Pages allowing you to link and connect every aspect of your profile and interests to other things. (Skeptics will say they are lining their ducks up better for highly targeted advertising and selling of your information. A point I’m not entirely in disagreement with.) These shared wiki-esque “Community” pages will provide useful (and uneditable) information along common interest topics and better differentiate these kinds of connections from the brand and celebrity “Fan Pages” of the past. “At launch Facebook has created over 6.5 million community pages, around topics like Cooking, Cycling, and Hiking. Unlike other pages, there is no wall or way to post photos or videos. Instead, Facebook is currently inviting users to apply to add content to these pages later on…” (read more from TechCrunch)
- Facebook definesCommunity Pages as “built around topics, causes or experiences. Official Pages are maintained by authorized representatives of a business, brand, celebrity, or organization, and they can create and share content about the entities that they represent. Community Pages, on the other hand, won’t generate stories in your News Feed, and won’t be maintained by a single author. While Groups allow you to communicate directly with other people on Facebook about a specific subject, Community Pages simply enable you to learn more about and see what others are saying about additional topics that interest you.”
3. You can edit how and which pages are displayed and categorized on your profile by clicking “Edit Profile” on your page. When you click “Like” a page, it will automatically be linked under the relevant interest (music, books, movies, etc) on your profile page. When it comes to questions about where yoru content is gone or how to change it, Facebook has adapted a new mantra “Connecting to Pages is now the main way to express yourself on your profile.” Basically, you accept their new method of organization or you leave your interests blank. TechCrunch points out the new privacy issue with this system: ”Historically users have been able to control who their activities and interests were visible to. They’re losing that ability today with the new changes, because Pages are considered publicly available information.”
4. During a press briefing yesterday Facebook also released that they would be introducing “hovercards” (like Twitter began employing not t0o long ago) These new pop ups will also show up in your Interests section, “which now links your favorite books, activities, and movies with their corresponding Facebook Pages. Mouseover one of these now, and you’ll see a small popup that shows how many users also ‘Like’ that page. What Facebook didn’t mention is that these popups are also being used throughout the site.” (read more at TechCrunch)
No doubt many more changes will be coming down the pipeline in the next couple of weeks and Facebook is always growing and adapting. We will do our best to keep you abreast of important information, but please always feel free to send us questions or post comments! We are here to help!
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Tags: community, Corrie Davidson, facebook, Social Media
well, I accepted the change to see what it looks like. Is it a permanent change, or can I somehow restore the previous profile layout ?? and what about groups? and I don’t see them neither …
Unfortunately this is a permanent change. Facebook is making this mandatory across the board to unify the user experience under common language terms.
You can still access the Groups in your left hand navigation and for the mean time, it seems that their functionality remains the same. We shall see how their relevance holds up though with the new “community” page emphasis…
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