Comments on: UIEtips Article: Learning from the Facebook Mini-Feed Disaster http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/ UIE\'s latest insights on the world of design Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:25:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ryan http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-140863 Ryan Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:12:13 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-140863 The "Mini-Feed" is actually a feature on your own facebook profile page listing all of YOUR actions on facebook. I believe you are talking about the "News Feed", which is found on the homepage. This news feed, as you described, lists the activities of your FRIENDS, so you can see what you're friends' actions are and what they're up to. It seems odd to revolt against this feature, considering this is what facebook is all about: sharing your content with others. It's ridiculous that you would publish something on facebook, only to complain later that people are looking at it. There's a simple solution. If you don't want to share it then don't post it! Facebook has also recently implemented improved privacy options that address this issue. The “Mini-Feed” is actually a feature on your own facebook profile page listing all of YOUR actions on facebook.

I believe you are talking about the “News Feed”, which is found on the homepage. This news feed, as you described, lists the activities of your FRIENDS, so you can see what you’re friends’ actions are and what they’re up to.

It seems odd to revolt against this feature, considering this is what facebook is all about: sharing your content with others. It’s ridiculous that you would publish something on facebook, only to complain later that people are looking at it. There’s a simple solution. If you don’t want to share it then don’t post it!

Facebook has also recently implemented improved privacy options that address this issue.

]]> By: Heidi http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-83633 Heidi Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:25:12 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-83633 I can't help wondering whether the mini-feed disaster was not in reality a well planned coup by the design team. It seems unlikely that Facebook designers would lack understanding of the core values of the solution, how social networks and the concept of friends worked in the minds of their users. Was the registration rate before mini-feed and during the introduction of the feature and protest campaigns ever compared? How many outraged users did in the end unregister? The success of the feature suggests the innovation filled a real need, its introduction could have been smoother but I wonder if e.g. opting in would have made nation-wide news. I know I should take the users' part but I can't help seeing brilliance in the "evil" path. I can’t help wondering whether the mini-feed disaster was not in reality a well planned coup by the design team. It seems unlikely that Facebook designers would lack understanding of the core values of the solution, how social networks and the concept of friends worked in the minds of their users. Was the registration rate before mini-feed and during the introduction of the feature and protest campaigns ever compared? How many outraged users did in the end unregister? The success of the feature suggests the innovation filled a real need, its introduction could have been smoother but I wonder if e.g. opting in would have made nation-wide news. I know I should take the users’ part but I can’t help seeing brilliance in the “evil” path.

]]> By: blog.dsetia.com» Blog Archive » UIEtips Article: Learning from the Facebook Mini-Feed Disaster http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-82876 blog.dsetia.com» Blog Archive » UIEtips Article: Learning from the Facebook Mini-Feed Disaster Sun, 22 Jul 2007 08:49:24 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-82876 [...] UIEtips 7/16/07: Learning from the Facebook Mini-Feed Disaster When teams make critical feature changes in their designs, there’s always a risk of backlash from loyal users. That’s what happened to Facebook, the social networking site, a few months ago. Facebook’s designers created the mini feed, an exciting new feature that promised to offer users a vastly […] Source: [Link] [...] [...] UIEtips 7/16/07: Learning from the Facebook Mini-Feed Disaster When teams make critical feature changes in their designs, there’s always a risk of backlash from loyal users. That’s what happened to Facebook, the social networking site, a few months ago. Facebook’s designers created the mini feed, an exciting new feature that promised to offer users a vastly […] Source: [Link] [...]

]]> By: Joshua Ledwell http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-82458 Joshua Ledwell Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:45:58 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-82458 I've been thinking about this article. I agree with all of Jared's conclusions, but nevertheless I feel a sense of futility about it. As I read it, the key points are that organizations must know their users and how they use system features. They must design not only new features, but also the process by which users will learn them. It seems to me there are only two cases. One, an organization is user-centered and already knows and follows these practices. Two, an organization is not, so it doesn't take external feedback, *including this article*, into account. How do you get an organization that actually needs this advice to take it? I’ve been thinking about this article. I agree with all of Jared’s conclusions, but nevertheless I feel a sense of futility about it. As I read it, the key points are that organizations must know their users and how they use system features. They must design not only new features, but also the process by which users will learn them.

It seems to me there are only two cases. One, an organization is user-centered and already knows and follows these practices. Two, an organization is not, so it doesn’t take external feedback, *including this article*, into account.

How do you get an organization that actually needs this advice to take it?

]]> By: Wes Reed http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-82382 Wes Reed Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:01:26 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2007/07/16/uietips-article-learning-from-the-facebook-mini-feed-disaster/#comment-82382 It seems like it would have been much smoother to build this as an opt-in feature allowing the user to turn it on when informed and sold on the value. That would prevent backlash and give a natural path to scale-up among the most tolerant users. This also would have added energy to the networking dynamics already in play by allowing users to tell their friends about it. It seems like it would have been much smoother to build this as an opt-in feature allowing the user to turn it on when informed and sold on the value. That would prevent backlash and give a natural path to scale-up among the most tolerant users. This also would have added energy to the networking dynamics already in play by allowing users to tell their friends about it.

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