Can you go back to the old Facebook layout?

Nope. No. No way, Jose. You can’t do it.

Now that we establish that, let’s explain a bit further. Facebook is a social network that grew (and grows) amazingly fast from being something limited to a University to something… what it’s today. The thing with Facebook, and any popular website, is that is forced to evolve fast to keep up with the user’s need and the web requirements. You create a site where people want to talk, you try to make it universal so people talk anywhere, anytime.

Now, as any popular site, people will get bored eventually and move on to another and new popular site, completely forgetting about the previous one or just making it irrelevant (Metroflog? Windows Live Spaces? MySpace? Rings a bell?), so you have to make an effort to create new content or new features so people won’t get bored (so quickly), and keep talking and using your site.

The problem with providing new features is that you have to make them obvious somehow, people won’t spend all their free time trying to found out if you have new stuff (if any), no, they prefer that you show these to them… or instead, you should make it obvious to them, and the only way is to modify your site a little so the new feature get’s, well, featured. This is way better than showing flying notifications balloons every time the user logs in or just browse your site.

So, new features force the programmers and designers to change the layout, even a little bit. Then why we see these massive layout changes? Well, these are programmers and designers we’re talking about. If the layout doesn’t change, the user gets bored of the interface and we’re back to the previous paragraph - Just as life, when nothing happens, you can get bored very easily -, and the people behind the monitor know this, and that’s why they need to update and change the layout once in a while.

TL; DR: To keep people entertained with the site, new features and new layouts are needed.

Now, what’s with these extensions, tricks, pages, programs, Likes, hacks that allow you to revert your Facebook to the old layout? Pure crap. Bullshit at it’s best. In fact, most of the sites/extension/pages that offer this service tend to be places where you need to click an ad or install a special software in your PC to get it. Well, if you do this, sucks to be you. If there were a way to get back the old layout, Facebook will provide it, not a third party service;

• Extensions that revert the layout: change your search provider, change your homepage, can access your stored passwords and history, can modify your browser behavior, and a lot more… except revert Facebook layout.
• Facebook pages: ask likes and for you to invite all of your friends to work, why? Because most of the time they’re selling a product and they need traffic to their own full-of-ads-website to get a revenue with your clicks. Most of the time all links are adf.ly links, meaning that each click generate money.
• Install a especial Software: really? Will you go that far to revert your layout? Are you aware of how many malicious software are there? A lot. Most of these software install malware and even keyloggers on your computer with your consent. Do not install these.
• Tricks and hacks: Do you actually think that there are magical ways to make Facebook obey you? You’re so naïve.

So, in conclusion, don’t be stupid.