Is Facebook getting bigger and better or just bigger?

For every user, content on their Facebook newsfeed page defines their experience. Facebook has announced three changes to its newsfeed algorithm.

At times, the mix is largely skewed with certain updates garnering more visibility over others.

A user’s newsfeed then starts to look more generic than preferred/personal, thus reducing the value of sharing content. The idea is to create a personalized newsfeed for each user.

Multiple newsfeed posts from the same source will now be possible. This is intended to make sure the user’s newsfeed page doesn't run out of content/ get exhausted of content. The page will keep running with posts, despite being the same source. It’s probably a good day for brands who are one among the few on a certain user’s newsfeed. As a user, their preferences will continue to be given due importance.

The second change will see posts from family, close relatives and close friends higher up in the newsfeed than other posts. This change arose out of the need to read, share or access posts of the individual whose updates mattered. This change could help single out posts from important people against the ones that come up unnecessarily on the newsfeed. The question is, how Facebook is going to measure a friend’s importance on a user’s feed.

The newsfeed will now start hiding posts, friends have liked and commented on. This will greatly reduce the referral traffic and reach, a post otherwise wouldn't have gathered. This change will not sit down well with publishers and brands that usually receive a large amount of their referral traffic through social media platforms. It will also cut down the reach of interesting posts and maybe have an effect on viral stories.

As a user, the new algorithm gives you little reason to complain unless there are some loopholes on measuring a friend’s importance. As a publisher, the reach will greatly reduce but with Facebook also approaching publishers to publish directly, the change might only be amplified. Facebook in a way is slowly extending its control over publishers.

Hence, the thought that comes to mind - Is Facebook getting bigger and better or just bigger?