Facebook

Well, this week Facebook changed once again. This doesn't come as much of a surprise to me. It seems that a significant change to the world's most popular social network occurs about once or twice a year, and the more recent changes have been some of the best. Some of the changes are intended to make necessary improvements to web functions or user interface issues, but I suspect that a lot of the changes are intended to keep users captivated. In internet years, Facebook has been around a very long time and continues to retain original users. I think a lot of the layout changes are intended to peak interest —to keep users exploring and learning the site. Keeping users in a constant state of exploration is a great way to keep people on the site longer.

Every time Facebook changes, I see a lot of statuses protesting the new layout. Weeks later people actually enjoy the new features. This certainly proves that individuals are resistant to change. I support the fact Facebook wants to continually change and improve.

Whether or not Google Plus could be considered a real threat to Facebook, users can see a lot of Google influence in the new Facebook system. For example, the "Top News" section is beginning to look more and more like Google's "+1" system. Facebook already has such a large and dedicated community; They should change and grow in their own way, independent of what Google is doing. Even if Google Plus becomes a prized needle in a haystack, Facebook's attempt to copy them would render the world's biggest social network to look like just another haystack.