Facebook is updating their Newsfeed algorithm again. This time they have added the ability for users to thumb and thumb down particular news feed items. The update also forces developers to use the new Newsfeed templates if they want their newsfeed items to be seen by users who have not installed their applications. The Newsfeed templates are also required for the SocialAds platform so Facebook is making it clear that the template system is here to stay.

Another image of the Newsfeed update seems to be a return to temporal dividing, only a the day level though. The Newsfeed now divides between Today and Yesterday. In the past Facebook removed all time/date inforamation and Newsfeed items were intermixed.

We’re not clear the overall impact of these changes but we have noticed that Newsfeed updates are also slower after the update. We hope this is a temporary problem but right now several of our Newsfeeds have been stuck on the same stories all day.

We hope that Facebook hasn’t slain the Golden Goose with this update ( on Thanksgiving Weekend ) as the Newsfeed is by far and away Facebook’s killer feature.

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