New Facebook has been available for months, but soon it

**UPDATE 9/12: Facebook just let me know it has turned on OC. **

Companies will try anything to entice reporters to write a story.  I admit, the above headline did catch my eye when I first spotted it in the subject line in my inbox so I thought I’d try the same sneakiness for this post. (There is some local truth to it.)

Facebook, the still-popular social networking site, has been undergoing a redesign for months. This week, the final product will be rolled out to all 100 million users whether they like it or not, according to the company.

But “coming to O.C.?” I wondered how can a Web site launch regionally? Was it somehow tied to the location of the servers? Or was this just a ploy by the company since the roll out is random so fans in O.C. and everywhere else were getting the new look at the same time? I asked the Facebook media rep. who had tricked me into opening the message.

In fact, she said, “It’s just the way they roll out new products, by networks. I’ll let you know when O.C. goes live.”

It’s something in the way Facebook organizes members internally, she vaguely explained. So, nothing technical here at all. That said, she wouldn’t divulge how many fellow Facebookians live in O.C. But we should all see the new design permanently within the next few weeks, possibly by Friday in O.C., she said.

Old Facebook

I didn’t even really notice the change in Facebook, which I’m not a member of but my daughter is (heh). Can you tell the difference from the two images on the right?

The site was redesigned months ago and members had the opportunity  to switch over and take a peek. Some 30 million people did. But at least 800,000 went back to the original and joined the “I Hate the New Facebook” group.

No wonder why the company is pitching this so sneakily.

New Facebook

Still, it’s worthwhile to note that changes are coming, whether you like it or not.

According to Facebook, the top 5 changes are:

• Filter Feeds — To filter out all your fake friends.
• Customize Tabs — Quick access to photos, info, apps or whatever you want, hence the word custom.
• Navigate faster — A navigation bar at the top
• Participate in stories — Filter stories/photos/people you want to see more of, see top stories generated by friends, comment right next to friend’s updates (okay, this one is definitely better than old Facebook).
• Publish Content — Post comments, links, photos, music, and videos directly to your Mini Feed or your friends’ walls with the Publisher box.

So, there you have it. The new Facebook. Coming soon to O.C. computers everywhere.

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