Facebook Launches Facebook Classic and Facebook Premium
Posted 04/01/09 at 03:15:01 PM by Will Smith
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Just one week after Facebook deployed its latest design update, the social network is quietly rolling out a pair of beta services -- Facebook Premium and Facebook Classic -- to select users. Facebook Classic lets each user opt in to the Facebook design of his or her choice. From the pre-news feed design (circa 2006) to the single-page design used through much of 2008, beta users will be able to select the Facebook interface that they’re most comfortable with. In an official status update, Christopher Cox, Facebook’s Director of Product, cited the reasons behind this move, which he feels are "in line with the Facebook's intent to both respond to user feedback and adapt the product for different usage models and forward-looking feature opportunities".
Also in beta, and available to select users is the new Facebook Premium service. According to Cox, "Facebook Premium adds more features that users have been clamoring for, including better integration with Twitter and other social networking services, better photo album navigation, improved granularity in the app and user blocking processes, MySpace-style theming support, auto-play music, and new privacy options". Cox didn't announce specifics of a pricing model for Facebook Premium, but in a Wall-to-Wall conversation, he intimated that it would be on par with similar services, such as Xbox Live and TiVo and include some sort of enhanced micropayment scheme. (Xbox Live charges $60/year for membership, TiVo starts at 13/month).
What's the hitch? Users who sign up for Facebook Premium must agree to a new dynamic Terms of Service agreement. "Just as we want to give users the freedom to scale aspects of Facebook's design and functionality to fit their individual needs, we feel that it is within our right to scale the details of Terms of Service to fit each individual user," wrote Cox. In addition to assuming ownership of all content posted on Facebook, the new dynamic Terms of Service will change every time a user adds or removes a design element from their customized homepage. Cox didn't specify which sections of the TOS document would be altered, but argued that this is actually better for the user, because it gives them a reason to frequently check the TOS page and gain familiarity with the text. "It's important for users to know their rights, and we weren't doing a good enough job educating our userbase," noted Cox.
According to Cox, Facebook Premium evolved out of user feedback testing for Facebook Classic, "We found that users wanted more ways to customize their Facebook experience, and they were willing to pay for them". Other Premium features include the ability to remove unwanted elements--like the banner ads and Facebook Beacon--enhance your homepage and status updates with custom Premium themes. Additionally, Premium beta users will gain access to Facebook's Background service, which has been in closed trials for the last three years. Background gives any user full access to both public and private data in another user's profile, for a one-time fee of $8 per user.
"Facebook Background remains the perfect way to keep tabs on people who are important to you, whether it's a jilted lover or disgruntled employee who's gone to work for a competitor," says Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. Background has been in closed trials since 2006, but will be available to all Facebook users when Facebook Premium goes live this June. Cox added, "Facebook Background is the beginning of a new world of revenue opportunities. We're launching a beta of Facebook Lockbox in August, for a nominal $50/month fee, Lockbox will gives users hardware-based profile encryption so secure that even our groundbreaking Background service cannot penetrate it."
What do you think of the new Facebook changes? Are you excited about Facebook Classic? Eager to track down that old girlfriend using Facebook Background? Let us know in the comments!
DAMMIT! having gotten behind
Submitted by pizzaguy on Sat, 04/04/2009 - 10:42am
DAMMIT! having gotten behind on my RSS feeds I thought this was real... *sigh* got my hopes up too much... why can't we have the good old facebook back ?!?!
Submitted by three6mafia1665 on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 12:18pm
Mark as joke already.... googling 'Facebook Premium' lists this site as 3rd... Don't want to mislead the 90% of people who can't think for themselves.
Submitted by kevjohn on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 9:36am
I hate having to double check the dates on every article for the first few days in April.
Submitted by hammerfell on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 8:05am
funny shtuff smill wiff. funny shtuff.
Submitted by Kazabet on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 4:12am
Bahaha! Awesome guys. Just awesome!
I am a little disappointed I won't be getting my Facebook Classic though
*single tear*
Wow, the comments are
Submitted by Nuxes on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:29pm
Wow, the comments are funnier than the article. I didn't know MaxPC readers could be so gullible. Don't bother looking up "gullible" in the dictionary, it's not there.
Submitted by truk007 on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 6:47pm
I love you guys. I'm emailing this to my wife. Let's see how she reacts.
Submitted by SuperiorBeing on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 4:36pm
I sincerely hope this is an April fools joke. It seems to be, because there aren't any links.
it does seem fake...
Submitted by herochild on Thu, 04/02/2009 - 6:23pm
I think it's a joke, but I want confirmation.
Holy Shit
Submitted by winmaster on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 3:49pm
Either this is an April Fools joke, or somebody's smokin' pot. I sincerely hope, for the sake of all of my friends who feel the need to post every fucking thing on the internet that this is a joke. I am glade I don't social network.
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Submitted by QuadCoreAbe on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 2:40pm
I guess the whole plan makes sense now !!!!!! All facebook ever wanted to do was to spy on EVERY DUMBASS stupid enough to give sensible information in their facebook account !!!! "But nobody can see it except me and my friends !!" NOT ANYMORE F***ER !!
Submitted by Enozo73 on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 2:21pm
OK so if all this is true I would need to remove things like my email address and cell phone number from my profile so that someone can't get that info for $8 but they want me to pay $50 to keep my info private if I do not remove it? Sounds like some law breaking and class action law suite stuff to me.
Submitted by herochild on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 2:00pm
I don't use Facebook, and now I see I have good reason! for the sake of all those who do use Facebook, please let this be an April Fools joke.
Buh?
Submitted by jwalch.hawk on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 1:52pm
I can't imagine Cox would put something like that in a Wall-To-Wall (which are more publicly visible) rather than a message. And an ever-changing TOS? Becoming a paid background check agency, with an expensive opt-out price? Wtf?
I call shenanigans, Will. Very cute.
Please oh please let this be
Submitted by yogurt80 on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 1:17pm
Please oh please let this be a joke. This is rediculous. Private info is private for a reasonn. And how can they ever claim copyright over my images if I copyright them first? Premium my ass. I guess these guys don't make enough money over adds?
Submitted by wolf17 on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 5:11pm
Agreed. So ppl are _paying_ a monthly fee to have any content they post to facebook taken _away_ from them!!?!?! what the #*@#*@!!
Plus, 8$ to do background checks on anyone w/out restrictions and $50 to protect private info... what's the word I'm looking for? O yes, extortion! lol
"Life is about living, not stressing" - a very smart girl :)
Submitted by skhills on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 12:11pm
Am I understanding this right? Someone can pay a one-time fee of $8 to get access to someone's private data, and if that user wants to prevent that access, they have to pay a "nominal" $50/month?
Doh! They got me.
$60 for Xbox Live??
Submitted by Mr Pockets151 on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:27am
$60 for Xbox Live?? Uh....I paid $30.
Submitted by Opterongeek on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:28am
... and stop using Facebook. Screw them both. I left MySpace because Facebook was different. Now this? Pfeh. Social Networking my arse. I'm done.
If it's an April Fool's joke, I'd be surprised... Facebook has been trying to find reasons to get more money.
Submitted by KaylaKaze on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:13am
"We'll let people pay to see all you data unless you pay us even MORE!" Sounds like a good reason not to use Facebook.
Edit: OH! I just realized that MUST be some kind of April Fool's joke.
Submitted by Rob86 on Wed, 04/01/2009 - 11:13am
yeah, this sounds pretty fu*ked to me.
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