It's Facebook, What Else Did You Expect?(techcrunch.com)
techcrunch.com
It's Facebook, What Else Did You Expect?
http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/10/sincerity-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/
10 comments
To be fair, both look like they're "inspired" by the Twitter iPad app.
I posted the same thing on TC. The Twitter iPad app has become the defacto iPad UI. If Apple could, I think they would've made the stacked split pane view controller part of UIKit. I don't know if Twitter has a patent on it, but it's effectively public domain given how many people are already using that UX paradigm. That said, I don't know if it's safe for Apple to absorb into UIKit.
The "mon dieu" tells us she's mocking the overly dramatic response people have when seeing two apps that look the same.
"Of course they look the same, it's the same content on the same UI platform. What else did you expect?"
"Of course they look the same, it's the same content on the same UI platform. What else did you expect?"
It seems like a logical design to arrive at, and why the title? Since when is Facebook notorious for ripping their ideas off others? Their app is structured much like the website already is.
I read the title the opposite way, as in "it's facebook, of course any app will end up looking fairly similar, they're doing the same thing"".
Oh, okay. So Techcrunch is defending Facebook from others making this kind of accusation? I'm so confused.
Ok I m just gonna go ahead and say the posted article is crap. As an exercise, please suggest how else they could have done it. Did twitter copy mypad too? I expect many things from Facebook, but ripping off others' technology is not what they do.
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That is, do people really agree with Alexia's post that Facebook has somehow drawn inspiration from its popular (though ultimately temporary) substitute, MyPad?
Using the left pane for navigation for Facebook's most popular features is not innovative or patentable. Using the top of the main view for a status update button or textarea is common throughout facebook and has been for years. I don't think Facebook is "copying" MyPad for using left-hand navigation and its positioning of the status button or other elements.
In fact, MyPad, being designed specifically for Facebook, obviously drew from Facebook's features and one would expect them to mimic Facebook's UI to ensure a seamless user experience; and MyPad perhaps did the best job in Facebook's long absence.
To claim that Facebook somehow acted unprofessionally by "copying" MyPad-- an application who's inspiration was drawn from Facebook in the first place-- is a complete fallacy.
I think the Facebook IA developers and UI designers deserve more credit. I for one am happy that in spite of the long (and probably mostly bureaucratic) delay, that the team has finally released the app. Kudos.