Update: If you want the new Facebook Profile ahead of the curve, you can try logging on to http://www.facebook.com/about/profile, entering your credentials, and clicking the Get the New Profile button.
Facebook said Sunday that the site has introduced a new version of its Profile pages, which allows users to feature friends and experiences that are important to them.
According to Facebook, the site now leads off with a quick overview of basic information such as where you’re from, where you went to school, and where you work. Friendship pages also explore mutual connections and experiences even further.
The site’s privacy practices were not changed, and the redesign will not affect any of the user’s existing privacy preferences, Facebook said.
All of Facebook’s users should have access to the new format by early next year, the company said in a blog post.
Facebook has been busy revamping the look and feel of the site, adding a new Mail feature and partnering with MySpace on a “mashup that extended Facebook’s login feature to what was once a competitor. The site has been valued at up to $50 billion.
Probably the most interesting changes are the array of photos that will appear near the top of the page. The photos will include newly tagged photos of the user; Facebook’s privacy settings currently allow users to opt out of a photo that’s tagged by another user, although the user has to be aware of it to opt out. (Analysts have also begun to notice Facebook image-tagging spam, so watch out.)
If you don’t want a photo to appear on your page, click the “X” at the corner of the photo,” Facebook said. It will still appear in the Photos page.
Likewise, users can now feature friends, Facebook said.
[RELATED_ARTICLE]”You can now highlight the friends who are important to you, such as your family, best friends or teammates,” Facebook engineer Josh Wiseman wrote. “Create new groups of friends, or feature existing friends lists.”
Users can also emphasize “experiences,” such as sports teams and even individual classes that users took at school, and connect to religions and political organizations. The links are also visually represented with images, the site said. In fact, the top interests are all visually represented with images, and not text.
Facebook also said that it had improved its search functions to find friends, and beefed up its Photo pages with infinite scrolling capabilities. Users can now visit their friend’s pages and find out what they have in common – shared interests, groups, and others.
These “friendship pages” create a visual list of Wall posts exchanged, mutual friends, events both people attended, photos both people are tagged in, and things both people “like,” Facebook said.
Where did your Profile Tabs go? Facebook explains: “The content that you accessed by clicking the tabs at the top of your old profile (Info, Photos, etc.) can now be found in the left column under your profile picture,” the site said. “These links allow you to view specific types of content: for example, select ‘Info to view personal information, or select ‘Photos’ to view more photos and videos.”
Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.