Softpedia
 

NEWS CATEGORIES:



NEWS ARCHIVE >>
SOFTPEDIA REVIEWS >>
MEET THE EDITORS >>
Home > News > Webmaster > Internet Life

November 3rd, 2010, 08:35 GMT · By

Facebook Changes Font Size, Users Grab Their Pitchforks

SHARE:

Adjust text size:


Facebook is testing a small font size in the News Feed
Enlarge picture
Facebook changes are always notable if only for one thing, no matter how great or small, there are people who are going to hate them and they're not going to be quiet about it. The latest minor change: the News Feed font is now smaller. It's not a huge difference, but people are already complaining about it.

"[W]hat happened to Facebook? posts' and status' font size is too small to see! even the most catchy post becomes UN-NOTICE [sic.]," one Twitter user writes.

While some are taking to Twitter just to point out that the font has changed, many are complaining that it is too small.

In all fairness, the new font is going to pose a problem for people with poor eyesight. Considering that screen sizes are getting bigger and resolutions higher, it means that on some monitors the new font is going to be somewhat harder to read.

Since the News Feed is at the core of all interactions on Facebook and likely the thing most people read on the site on a regular basis, this may pose a problem. That said, the changes are not that big that this is going to affect a lot of people.

As for why Facebook would do this, the most plausible explanation is that it wants to fit more content in the News Feed and one way of doing this is by making the text smaller.

Of course, Facebook may just be testing the new font size and may decide to revert it, or settle on a slightly bigger font.

The company doesn't make it a habit to listening to its vocal critics and prefers to launch new features and changes that it believes are beneficial and then wait for the users to adjust.

With over 500 million users, there are people who are going to hate anything that Facebook does and trying to please everyone is not going to enable the site to move forward.

UPDATE: You can check out a short tutorial on how to bring back the old font here.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

10,137 hits · 25 comments · Link to this article · Print article · Send to friend · Subscribe to news

MUST-READ RELATED ARTICLES:


Facebook Places Goes Live in the UK

Facebook's Page Browser Catalogues Pages You're Going to 'Like'

Facebook Places Launches in Japan

Facebook and Skype Poised to Announce Deep Integration

Google Wave Creator Confirms Facebook Departure, Says Google Is too Big

READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: pennyrinker on 03 Nov 2010, 12:20 UTC reply to this comment

I need magnifiers for my magnifiers. Change it back!

Comment #1.1 by: Me on 03 Nov 2010, 20:40 GMT

I agree. Plus this articles font is too small too. I hate it.

Comment #1.2 by: miss mcluskey on 05 Nov 2010, 03:47 GMT

theres a simple, quick fix, a browser addon called FB Purity adds an option to increase the font size while you are on Facebook.com it also lets you block other annoying stuff from your newsfeed and homepage,

if you are interested, check it out here http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Internet-Applications-Addons/Mozilla-Extensions/Fluff-Busting-Purity.shtml


Comment #2 by: cheerio on 03 Nov 2010, 13:00 UTC reply to this comment

Not a huge difference? I'm guessing you're not in your 40s, right? ... it IS a huge difference ... or should I say, it's a "tiny" difference that will drive many 40 adults away from FB because it's now too cumbersome to read.

Comment #2.1 by: ahm eldo manaanzo on 20 Nov 2010, 07:37 GMT

hei guys..i wanna write on peoples walls in different colours and diferent fonts..is there any possibilities for that?? pls reply me weayt_you@hotmail.com

Comment #2.2 by: ollie on 23 Feb 2011, 11:00 GMT

It changed to font size number 3 to be specific. Pictures size is pea size.


Comment #3 by: Pitchfork Holder on 03 Nov 2010, 16:22 UTC reply to this comment

Is is so impossible for Facebook to give users options? Give me a "Text Larger/Text Smaller" button. Let me control it with my browser settings - which I do, but now I have to change it only on the Facebook page and then change back for other pages.


Comment #4 by: bringingupboys on 03 Nov 2010, 16:58 UTC reply to this comment

There is a distinct discrepancy between the font size on FB's home page vs FB's profile page. I estimate it is an 8pt font size vs 10 pt font size. 6pt is the smallest you are allowed to use for legal and disclaimer info for heaven's sake! At least if it was the same on all the pages I could just hit the ctrl keys (thus making the font size larger)and be done with it.


Comment #5 by: Bernice on 03 Nov 2010, 19:37 UTC reply to this comment

The font is too small***** back to the original size which was much better would be appreciated by MILLIONS!!!


Comment #6 by: Nick on 03 Nov 2010, 20:36 UTC reply to this comment

Tools > Options > Content > Fonts and Colors.


Comment #7 by: meski on 04 Nov 2010, 00:20 UTC reply to this comment

I generally give facebook changes a few days before I decide what I think of them, but I'm finding the smaller font size genuinely difficult to cope with. It's not illegible. But it isn't comfortable.


Comment #8 by: Jess on 04 Nov 2010, 02:02 UTC reply to this comment

press control for bigger font size


Comment #9 by: cosmicdust on 04 Nov 2010, 10:13 UTC reply to this comment

This site's font size is no better than the new fb font size. Maybe this will be the only time i will visit softpedia news...

Comment #9.1 by: Sorin on 04 Nov 2010, 15:48 GMT

This site, however, lets you increase/decrease the font size. It's a persistent setting, too.

Just click the A-/A buttons below the article headlint.


Comment #10 by: Joe on 04 Nov 2010, 15:52 UTC reply to this comment

Uh, hold control and roll the scroll wheel on your mouse.

Problem solved.


Comment #11 by: Deb on 04 Nov 2010, 16:07 UTC reply to this comment

Your font in this story is kinda small too! Why don't sites just use the option that adjusts the font size???

Comment #11.1 by: Sorin on 04 Nov 2010, 17:55 GMT

Actually, we do. If you look just below the article's headline, you'll notice an option called "Adjust text size"


Comment #12 by: KML on 04 Nov 2010, 19:46 UTC reply to this comment

FB should be trying to fine new ways to make life easy and more fun for us to use - not more difficult and doing what's best for their bottom line.
People will spend less time on FB now - I know I shall.


Comment #13 by: SammoUK on 05 Nov 2010, 12:57 UTC reply to this comment

t's the worst thing FB have ever done, and thats saying something. Control is no good because that just makes the whole page bigger.
Sometimes I think thses changes are made by geeks trying to justify their employment, I doubt they ever actually use the site.
Totally user unfriendly. Dire.


Comment #14 by: miss mcluskey on 08 Nov 2010, 04:52 UTC reply to this comment

they edited my link, fb purity is actually located here: http://www.fbpurity.com


Comment #15 by: taylord on 05 Feb 2011, 02:31 UTC reply to this comment

Smaller?? My font is so big now that the I can read it 10 ft. away and it's hard to maneuver around the page. I thought it was something I did wrong on my computer. Help...


Comment #16 by: len on 01 Apr 2011, 11:45 UTC reply to this comment

please help me how to change my facebook font size


Comment #17 by: Norah on 04 Nov 2011, 07:55 UTC reply to this comment

Hello FB we are not all millionaires who can afford bigger and better all the time. For those of us who have issues with our eyes this smaller font really really really SUCKS!!!!! When you have to take off your glasses to read something that is fine but when you have to take off your glasses to read something with your nose pressed to the screen then that becomes total BS! Why does fb continually change things and not allow the user to have any control over the change. Do they ever think that some people prefer it just the way they have it not the way fb wants it!


Comment #18 by: dr on 30 Jan 2012, 07:22 UTC reply to this comment

This font is too hard on the eyes. I can't even read some of my posts now.


Comment #19 by: Jan Cook on 23 Mar 2012, 18:29 UTC reply to this comment

get those darn fonts back...I cannot read them...

Copyright © 2001-2012 Softpedia. Contact/Tip us at

WindowsGamesDriversMacLinuxScriptsMobileHandheldNews

SUBMIT PROGRAM   |   ADVERTISE   |   GET HELP   |   SEND US FEEDBACK   |   RSS FEEDS   |   UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE   |   ROMANIAN FORUM