Do people like the new Facebook?
Kelly Rovzai, 19, undecided, uses Facebook still despite its recent changes. (Alyssa Hunter)
Facebook brought new changes to its website and service this fall, pushing its members to adapt to the changes and use the site in new ways.
This social-network phenomenon was created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 while he was attending Harvard University.
The site was initially meant for college students, but in the last seven years has dramatically increased its number of users.
Facebook is a world-renowned website, and people of all ages can benefit from it by using it as a networking resource. Many clubs and groups at Saddleback College use the site to communicate with their members and fans.
Saddleback student Lauren Guth, 20, hospitality management, uses Facebook to reconnect with old friends and connects with her phone more often than her computer to check any new updates she receives.
“Facebook is for everyone but I believe it’s mainly for college students for the pictures and the chat. It can be used to find class mates and exchange ideas about homework and exams,” Guth said. “It’s so we can communicate without being face to face.”
Another Facebook change members may notice is the timeline, or scrapbook. This feature tracks everything that has ever been posted to someone’s ever-evolving profile.
The new ‘ticker’ is another noticeable change to Facebook.
The ticker is the small scroll box on the upper-right hand corner of the page, which scrolls all recent information, from someone who commented on a friends status to a Farmville gift exchange.
“I have noticed a few changes in Facebook. I dislike the ads they have on the side now; however, the best part is the new chat,” Guth said.
“It has become a tool for not only keeping in touch with friends, family and colleagues, but through following different companies, news organizations or simply seeing the videos and articles that your friends post, you are gaining knowledge that you would not otherwise learn about,” said Andrae Vigil-Romero, chief digital advisor for Saddleback. “It also is a big distraction to those who over-use it.”
Some students may not know but there is a variety of Facebook pages that promote Saddleback and Irvine Valley College activities, news, sports and clubs.
“I manage Saddleback College Social{LIVE} Series, Saddleback College Campus Life Squad, and Saddleback College Clubs Assistant Facebook pages,” Vigil-Romero said. “We also have the Social{LIVE} Tumblr account, which is run by my co-worker and ASG advisor, Delainey Holt. But, our efforts are mostly focused on Facebook since it is the social media website of choice.”
Vigil-Romero works normal business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. working on Facebook pages where he constantly updates the pages with event information and all things related to higher education and the Saddleback community.
Vigil-Romero also has a personal Facebook account and has noticed the changes as well.
“I actually have the newest Facebook, which has the timeline and the structure of what the site will look like once it is unveiled to the public this Friday,” Vigil Romero said.
“I think that the new sidebar ticker, which I like to refer to as the ‘hyper news feed’ is a little much. It brings ‘Facebook stalking’ or ‘social networking’ to a level that I don’t think it needs to be at.”
Thanks to Facebook, Saddleback and other colleges can promote clubs, campus activities, and student run projects.
“Facebook is good. We don’t have any other way to know of events that are coming up, but if Saddleback has a Facebook we may have more participation in school activities,” Guth said.
“So far, we are making good progress in reaching the students who want to stay informed on campus events and activities,” Vigil-Romero said.