A facelift for Facebook in-boxes, but is it enough?

The new Facebook inbox.

(Credit: Facebook)

Well, according to a post on the official Facebook blog, the social network's messaging feature is getting a much-needed revamp from its cruddy, bare-bones state. Select users have the new in-box now; it'll be rolling out to everyone else over the next few weeks.

The catch is that there aren't actually very many new features, just a better presentation of existing ones for the most part. You'll now be able to accomplish such technological marvels as filter your in-box for unread messages (wow!) and flag unwanted messages as spam.

There's also a more clearly delineated division between messages from friends on your friends list and updates from brands' "fan pages" that previously all went into the same in-box.

Some more updates are on the way. "Over time, we plan to migrate messages from Groups and Events to Updates as well, so you have more control over the communication you receive," the post by Facebook's Scott Marlette read. That means the message from the guy who just reconnected with you on Facebook after not speaking to you since the fourth-grade spider-in-the-lunchbox incident will have a different destination than the message to all guests of next week's Bocce ball tournament.

So, no, Facebook probably won't be replacing your e-mail client yet. But more importantly--it's prettier. Oh, and you can flag spam now--that's important.

[L33tLuXX0rz]

What a boring update.

They need to improve he "notifications" system, instead of making them at the far better right side of the screen, as well as also not forcing us to select "See All" when ever we need to get to more than 5, why cant we just scroll within the notification box anyway, and like chat, make it stay open whenever we go to different facebook pages.

[loudbang]

At least Facebook is chugging along with frequent updates, some revolutionary, some incremental. Contrast that with MySpace. It looks always looks decrepit when I log in every few months.

[JonathonStriker]

I think Facebook might be moving a step forward to trying to replace other email. And why not, considering if you use facebook why should you have to leave to check your mail anywhere else. On the other hand, you don't get a facebook email address yet, so only friend on facebook can contact you. One can only wonder what the next step is in their revamp plans.

[chrism409]

hi how r you

[8301]

I don't really see why Facebook (or most other sites) need a private messaging function anyway, especially since most of the said websites send you an e-mail to say you have a message.

[bruscol]

Still waiting for the BIG change - they make all these games available to you - and you have to put everyone you play these games into the same pot of friends that all your real "friends" are in. It is not enough to be able to restrict what they see on the profile - we need to be able to have two classes of "friends" - one of our "real friends" - and one of just those we do games with on Facebook - THAT would be a big change.

[menty666]

I think they're trying to make changes to the notifications function. The other day I was on the See All page and I noticed little blue dots next to the new notifications. However it must have been buggy since they haven't happened since.

There are other changes going on too. I've been getting a slew of errors when I update my status or post a link from the main page. It posts ok, but the refresh return trip notification to the page is failing out. I wish they'd fix it fast.

[Harrison912]

I use FaceBook mainly for socially marketing my safety and security web site so I'm always interested in what's going on there. Thanks, Caroline, for the up-date!

[chrism409]

yes @gmail.com

[chrism409]

you guys sound like alot of fun