The New Facebook

I want to like it. I really do. But I'm not there yet. If you haven't taken a look at it yet, check out new.facebook.com to see the beta version of the new layout for the social network juggernaut that launched yesterday.

Silicon Valley's golden child has made many such changes in it's short history that were initially accepted as drastic and now widely accepted by it's huddled masses. Many of you probably remember the expanding of membership beyond college students, introduction of the news feed, addition of status updates, and the list goes on and on.

With the launch of the Facebook Platform more than a year ago, the network was able to separate itself from the giant that was Myspace (who is ironically playing catch up with a developer platform of their own.)

So back to the latest development in the evolution of Mark Zuckerberg's social platform site. The goal seems be further broadcasting users' online activity by implementing FriendFeed characteristics while simultaneously placing applications closer to the backburner.

Granted, many of the applications on the site are childish and utterly useless...spam really. But many of the apps add tons of value to the site. iLike, Where I've Been, Visual Bookshelf, and others allow users to share content in ways FB's official apps don't currently offer. So right off the bat, I'm not a fan of sidelining my apps in another tab.

Although the new site appears to be a bit cluttered, I do like the emphasis on the wall being a user's mini-feed. If nothing else it should encourage casual users to interact more with their friends by posting content in order to have activity in their profile's main page.

So check it out, and let me know what you think. Is the new version a marked improvement or a step backwards in the evolution of a site that labels itself a social internet revolution?

What say you?