As we prepare for F8 tomorrow, all eyes are on Facebook. Recent changes have included a newsubscribe/unsubscribe model, similar to Twitter, smarter friend lists, new status updates and Google+ style photos. Also, where’s the poke button?
Today, Arielle Zuckerberg, a Junior Product Manager at Wildfire Interactive, Inc. in the San Francisco Bay Area and the younger sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted her own thoughts on the recent Facebook changes we’ve all been groaning about. And much to our surprise, they weren’t all positive.
Here’s what she had to say:
The good:
  • Better separation between comments – I love the 1px border and the 4px padding on the bottom of each comment. (screenshot)

  • Subtle drop-shadow on the top bar – So sexy (screenshot)

  • More detail about a ticker story on hover – Especially photo-related stories (screenshot)

    • The bad:
  • Inconsistent top bar behavior – On the homepage and profile pages, the top bar is omnipresent/persistent (stays visible as you scroll down), but disappears when you scroll down on a canvas page. (example)

  • Ticker when the chat sidebar is hidden – Feels cluttered (screenshot)

    • The meh:
  • Home button on the top bar unnecessary – I always click the Facebook logo to go to the homepage, so the home button seems redundant. Also, I think the top bar would look cleaner without it.

  • Chat sidebar goes to the top of the page – I think it would look cleaner if the chat sidebar appeared underneath the top bar instead of over it. (screenshot)

    • *
    I love how much spunk this lady (pictured right) seems to have. Last June, she sent Geekosystem this hilarious poster imitating the Social Network complete with a reference to Inglorious Bastards.
    While I agree with her for the most part (subtle drop shadows are indeed sexy), the fact is that all these new Facebook updates are a bit sloppy because they’re so crowded. Why should I have 8 different options for subscribing or subscribing to my friends? It’s maddening.
    Be sure to stay tuned tomorrow for even more Facebook news. But for now, I leave you with this. Someecards nailed it on the head today: