Facebook Lite: Slim and Trim and Worth a Try

Keep it simple stupid is an old mantra but one often overlooked it seems when it comes to technology. While I love Facebook, it has become a bloated page of semi-useless information for me. Facebook has been phenomenal for me connecting me with great people both professionally and personally but seeing my homepage flooded with updates of my friend’s latest “Mafia Wars” conquest or an app that tells me my stripper name is really discouraging and counterproductive. Yesterday’s news on the launch of Facebook Lite was music to my social networking ears!

This version, originally designed for countries where broadband internet access is lacking or tough to come by, is a great alternative for those of us looking for a less intrusive and more minimalistic version of Facebook. After reading MG Siegler’s glowing review of Facebook Lite at TechCrunch I had to give it a shot. In order to check out Facebook Lite visit http://lite.facebook.com and sign in as you normally would. You’re presented with a somewhat barren view of your Facebook page compared to the full version but it’s clean and very straightforward.

Eric Eldon’s review at Inside Facebook points out one fact you’ll either love or hate “The profile page is similarly bare. However, there’s no bottom toolbar for any third-party apps. There are currently only a few crucial in-house apps available.”

Don’t get me wrong, I can definitely be an app junkie but I really like this clean interface. I think the rich application pool has been one of the reasons why Facebook is so appealing to users, however too much of a good thing can also be counterproductive. Taking this slim and trim approach is a good thing and will hopefully welcome in new users as well as court back those suffering from Facebook overload.

AdAge’s David Berkowitz does point the shortcomings of this version for brands and marketers using Facebook. Without a way to access Facebook Pages, companies looking to interact with people will have to get crafty.

“You can’t find Pages in the search results on Lite, even if you’re already a fan; only people show up,” notes Berkowitz. “Updates from Pages don’t appear in your Lite inbox. Branded Pages’ status updates still appear in the News Feed, and you can click that to go to the Page, but there’s just the stripped down Wall rather than all the tabs (there’s still a link to the Page’s photos and videos). It’s yet another reminder for Page owners that to stay top of mind with consumers, it’s important to post updates regularly.”

I think he has some valid points and with most people probably opting for the rich, full version of Facebook, companies probably need not worry. As for new users opting for a “lite” version or people looking to scale back their information overload, I’m sure this will only be a small number in comparison. But even so, these people are choosing a less intrusive way to enjoy what Facebook has to offer and are probably not going to be up for this level of engagement from companies and brands. As with any marketing program, using Facebook and Twitter is only the start and not the only methods for connecting with customers.

Facebook has been a great way to connect with new folks in the industry and has also connected me with a bunch of old friends from my days in the Navy and college I’d never think I’d hear from again but at times I open up my Facebook page and am overwhelmed. This version definitely helps me feel like I’m back in control! Go ahead and give Facebook Lite a shot and let me know what you think of this slimmed down, minimal version.