Is Facebook getting too complicated?

It's the old "innovate or die" conundrum for Facebook and all the other social properties out there. A feature set that is over 6 months old is essentially non-competitive. That may be a slight exaggeration, but hopefully you get my premise. The digital society in which we live expects the newest whiz-bang thing every few months - just look at the lines at the Apple stores!

I think the "too complicated" view is also somewhat generational. Millennials, Gen X'ers and Gen Y'ers probably don't have too much heartburn over changes in features. It's the environment in which they have grown up over the past 20+ years or so. Baby Boomers, well, they may have a little more trouble with the changes. Not necessarily because they can't accept change, but more likely because they are just not as accustomed to the ins and outs of the social mindset and technologies. Of course, this is all based on speculation on my part, so feel free to agree/disagree.

Finally, some things are only as complicated as we choose to make them. I have a Polar RS300X running watch. It's a mid-range watch with "lots" of nice features. I have a pretty set running pattern and route. What I found myself doing was trying to adjust my behavior to match that dictated (or in fairness, offered) by the watch, which forced me out of my rhythm. Which in turn frustrated me. So it somewhat ends up being a matter of choice. You can choose to frustrate yourself from time to time...

Taking this example to the next level, if Polar arbitrarily upgraded the firmware in my watch and completely changed the features and user interface, without my consent - then that would be irritating and make life complicated. And that's what Facebook essentially does. But, the big difference is that I paid for the Polar watch. Facebook is free - and that's why they can get away with making changes the way they do. They run the risk of losing users (which indirectly generate their revenue), but I am sure they have factored that into their business strategy. There's always the next generation waiting in the wings.

I think it is getting too annoying. :)

I understand why they're making all the changes, and as a technologist, I can understand the need for technology improvement and refinement, but almost all of Facebook's recent changes have made it harder to do things that we've always done before. I'm sure there are some people making use of the new features, but I don't care for most of them, as they would induce distraction for me.

They need to introduce new features in a way that allows the people who are comfortable to remain so, and the people that need more engagement to get that. Disrupting everyone is probably not the best course of action.

Of course, if it turns out that there are more people who stay and are engaged vs those of us that opine and reduce our involvement, then they know what their objectives are being achieved. There has been much grumbling before, and it hasn't turned into a real loss for FB, so there's no incentive for them to stop now.

My usage, however, is going to be much more measured, though.

-ASB: http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker

Personal opinion, obviously, but yes I think it's gotten too cluttered and noisy. I find myself spending less and less time on Facebook - it is much more of a personal than a business resource for me anyhow. I do like the ability to 'look back' (Timeline) but aside from that, the changes made to the UI have been a net negative.

for the 'average' user, yes, the change has complicated many people's interactions with Facebook. I agree with Andrew, would have been smoother if there was a way advanced users could turn on the newer features, similar to how some consumer applications have menus with Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert settings.

I respectfully disagree with those that say the change is no big deal, everything is still there. I do not like the quick scrolling summar timeline top right, I don't like the change in notification. So say I (re)design a car, but I put the turn signal on the right, and I put the accelerator on the left because it makes more sense to me there. Sure, the controls are still there, and for those that can and want to take the time to adapt, no big deal. But for those that have come to be comfortable with the 'standard' it would be a major disruption.

And just because I don't pay Facebook for their service does not make it totally free, considering all the data mining they do.

I think Facebook has *always* been too complicated. Not that it can't be figured out, but it is not clean, simple and intuitive. The vast majority of users I know aren't 100% sure they know what they are doing--or the ramifications and reach of what they post, "like," and sign up for.

And worst of all, it is--and has always been--an enormous time-suck. It can be a great communication tool but the more moving parts, the more time wasted. Some people don't care and are "addicts," but for those of us with very busy schedules it becomes increasingly unattractive to even log in. The site, simply put, is not designed for efficiency, nor with the user in mind. It is designed for keeping people on as long as possible ("stickiness," in web terms), and for maximum page views, which is how you build an ad-based online business.

You might be interested in an article I wrote a while back on the value of keeping things as simple as possible:

http://tinyurl.com/3q29p9d

However, it is not in Facebook's business to simplify the site. The more time we spend moving around its maze and trying to figure out its features, the better it is for them, Not us.

No. In my opinion (from what I've read and heard and experienced myself) most of the changes are user-requested. The more intimately you work with something, the more you depend on it, the more you want it to WORK for you. I believe that what we'll be able to DO with facebook will improve quickly as the changes take hold and others adjust their behaviors (and understanding of the product) to take advantage of the new features.

Yep! For the average user who has little or no technological experience.

The companies that are marketing on there really need to keep up to speed and encourage their 'fan's to stick with them, besides all th changes.

For me personally, everytime I'm on there something has changed.
However I see no need in complaining...it's a free service.

@SandraBaptist

I don't think complexity is the issue for Facebook. I wish they would work on the reliability of their applications. Business users need reliability. We can't function, if day to day, we don't know whether an application will function.

A second issue is knowing what information they are collecting and how they are using it. For CPA firms, this issue alone could make Facebook out of bounds for client confidentiality reasons.

I don't think Facebook is to complicated. Facebook is better now than what it was before. I like the new Facebook design better because you can monitor it better. You let people on your facebook wall with whom you know and hopefully whom you can trust. Not anyone can be on your facebook wall which is better.

It is WAY too complicated. Newsfeeds, and tickers and who all knows what else. I'm a technical user and I STILL can't figure it out quite.

I see some people's stuff multiple times, and others not at all. There are friends who I don't ever see posts of, others I see occasionally and even more, never.

I do think the "follow" button is a good idea. Apart from that - YUCK!

I feel that they have become increasingly over-complex.

Many people, I realize, are instantly up in arms every time there is the slightest change to a product they know and use. I develop website and user interfaces for living, though, so I am also excited about interface enhancements and always looking for ways to evolve the interfaces that I design, too.

In the case of Facebook, though, their interface has become confused and over-cluttered due to the over-inundation of poorly thought-out features. In trying to stay on the cutting edge and one-up any and every potential competitor (think Google+), they've started throwing features out willy-nilly...without really considering whether those features lend themselves well to the overall system design.

That's MHO...I think Facebook should just be Facebook, and look for ways to improve design and functionality without trying to simply duplicate competitors' features just because.

I think Facebook was complicated enough when it was developed as an answer to a question (albeit a silly one). The minute that answer became a business, we have been guaranteed that it would continue to become more complicated as its owners and managers attempted to find ways to keep attracting new users. The "pushing the envelope" phenomenon operates in most things that depend on traffic and adherents for their business success and stock price. Facebook is no exception and we can expect more of the same as it matures and becomes more desparate for growth.

Believe it or not I thought about that just after the last update with the Twitter type of features.

I know for sure not all the current users are familiar with the side-effects from the last update - probably the safest method for the FB staff would be to monitor the portal's activity in the next 2-3 months and evaluate the update.

I don't think it's getting too complicated but I do believe that if the update would've covered more topics - definitely it would've been way above the limit..

Not familiar with slower system's performance - some expertize might cover that.

I think there's too much there and far too busy for my liking. I don't use it often enough I suppose; but I don't personally care for it. It's becoming a time waster for me.

Yes, it is. I really dislike the changes that were made. I'm thinking of removing my business account from their site.

It is unfortunate but yes, it is too complicated. One of the keys here is Facebook's assumption that all users are tech literate and analytical or that they want to be. Having been through a period in my life when Facebook was very valuable to me without the recent changes, it appears the changes are more of a keeping up with the Jones ( Googles) than considering what users want and need. It appears to be programming for programming sake not because it adds some real value to the experience. Facebook's brand keeps changing and while brand growth is good, this boarders on trying to be all things to all people - none of them customers.

Not too complicated but more a matter of information overload. It is now more challenging to sift through to identify information that I actually want to see so it's becoming overly time consuming. I find that I'm slowly disengaging as a result.

I think that they are maturing. As a professional that utilizes Facebook for marketing I have to stay on top of the changes but I believe these changes are necesary to keep the integrity of Facebook while they monetize.
Their strategy will keep Facebook dominant for a very long time and as a result allow many businesses to capitalize on the new paradigm.

I think facebook is starting to lose it's quelque chose de spécial. I've been a fan of facebook ever since 2007 before it even went mainstream and stayed with it through all the ugly upgrades it got. But the new upgrade is just weird. You can spy on your friends using the side bar on the home page and all that. Loading time for facebook takes longer. The original concept was already pretty good.

It depends on what you use it for. If you are a teenager and use it as teenagers do, then no. If you use it as a business tool, what do you care? Just ignore all that stuff.

I am a search engine Optimizer cum Internet Marketer by profession and I just want to tell Facebook, Stop Now and Slow down the changes , Don't make changes without long term strategy. Most of the people like me don’t even know how to use the recently added features. :p

Facebook has every right to experiment with whatever they want...I don't think it is complicated if used for basic purposes ie. photo sharing, messaging etc.

It is still running on the same foundation it was running two years ago. People are supposed to evolve with rapidly changing technologies.
There is nothing simple today..think of the simple mobile phones we used to carry some years ago and think of the Smartphone .
By the way, most of the changes are aimed at integrating business applications and marketing. Ask a teenager if they have any problem with Facebook....they seem happy experimenting with new things; whereas we, the learned adults, seem to resist change.

Robert above has said it right, "It's the old "innovate or die" conundrum for Facebook and all the other social properties out there."

Facebook is getting complicated. It has rolled out many changes and made it even difficult for average users to use. And although they just want to give us access to all exciting new functions,making it complicated will do more hassle than enjoyment.