As expected, Facebook announced big changes to the platform Thursday, including a splashy visual overhaul that puts photos front and center. As we've all come to learn, anytime Mark Zuckerberg and Co. change anything, tons of people will hate it. Others will love it. Some will think it's just okay. Let's take a look, shall we?
1. A fresh start
First up, here's what the new Facebook news feed is going to look like. Notice how it's much more visually oriented — kind of like Google+:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
One of the more notable features is a new Feeds system, which lets you organize your news feed based on the kind of content you want to see — including a Photo feed, Music feed, Video feed, and Games. These will self-organize depending on which feeds you use the most.
3. Here's what the Music feed looks like:
4. More consistency
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
New Facebook was designed to look similar across all your devices. (The new iPad, iPhone, and Android versions are due out soon.) That means less clumsy poking around on tiny little links; more big pictures to tap:
5. Here's how photo albums will be presented:
6. Upcoming events
Do you use Facebook to manage who's coming to what? If so, you'll be happy to know that the oft-ignored events section will get a visual facelift, too:
7. Maps
The same goes for location-based check-ins. Facebook's engineers announced that you'll be able to further investigate an area of interest on a map that your friends frequent. Facebook used Yosemite as a (rather unimpressive) example:
Interested? Get on the waiting list here. Facebook said roll out starts today. If you get it, let us know what you think.
Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
