Popular social networking site Facebook has released its new-look pages.

The company has been developing its new design over the past six months, and has received feedback from more than 100,000 users as part of the process.

One of the principal changes is an expanded ‘Wall’ section, which will incorporate feed information about friends’ activities as well as the ability to leave comments.

A Publisher feature allows users add photos, upload video, or write notes from one place.

Other information, such as applications or photos have been organised into tabs.

The new look is already available to users at www.new.facebook.com and will shortly become the default look for all users when they log on to the site.

Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: "We’ve made the changes rolling out today in order to highlight the most recent and relevant information that users value, give users even more control and ownership over their profiles and simplify the user experience.

"Facebook’s new design makes it a lot easier for users to share information."

The development comes as Facebook and rival MySpace vie to become the central hub of online communications and social networking.

Facebook expert Tony Beresford said that the site’s revamp was a positive move.

He told Sky News Online: "All social network sites are trying to be the one place where we maintain our relationships with our friends.

"Whichever has the best environment to do that is the one that will win in the long term."

He said that the redesign makes it the easiest site to "see your friends and what they have been up to".

 

 Source : http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Technology/

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-hands-on-facebook-redesign-tries-to-clear-the-social-smog.html