New Facebook Changes

New Facebook changes have been made to the number one social media site, according to a Facebook blog post yesterday.

The most dramatic change Facebook users will notice is a change in Facebook news feeds.  Rather than appearing in chronological order, Facebook news feeds will now be displayed by each individual’s viewing habits.

Facebook explained its change:

“When you pick up a newspaper after not reading it for a week, the front page quickly clues you into the most interesting stories. In the past, News Feed hasn’t worked like that.  Updates slide down in chronological order so it’s tough to zero in on what matters most. 

Now, News Feed will act more like your own personal newspaper. You won’t have to worry about missing important stuff. All your news will be in a single stream with the most interesting stories featured at the top. If you haven’t visited Facebook for a while, the first things you’ll see are top photos and statuses posted while you’ve been away. They’re marked with an easy-to-spot blue corner.”

The other major change announced yesterday was a real-time ticker which is designed to allow friends to instantly join conversations over new posts.  Facebook’s managing engineer talked about the new design improvement:

“News Feed often has a time lag. Usually when you’re on Facebook, a lot of your friends are too. Until now, there hasn’t been an easy way to see and chat with your friends about photos, articles, and other things they’re posting in real-time. The new ticker helps you do just that.