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Unpopular Facebook Features: The 9 Things We Used To Hate, And Some We Still Do

9 Facebook Features We Used To Hate, And Some We Still Do
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Since 2004, Facebook has gone through dozens of makeovers, some -- like the recent revamp that converted all profiles to the new timeline format -- more drastic than others. Though the social networking site is never constant, one thing remains the same -- there is always someone who absolutely hates the newest update.

Sometimes change is good, but other times we just want things to stay the way they are. Take the timeline, for example. Some quickly adopted and switched over before the change became mandatory, while others resisted it until the very end.

Though there are tips and tricks to resist change and keep as many of your favorite features as possible, for the most part, Facebook users are at the mercy of the whims of Mark Zuckerberg and his development team.

In honor of Facebook's IPO, we take you back through the years with some of the most hated Facebook features. Check out the galley below to see our rundown of the worst updates.

For more Facebook fun, check out our IPO drinking game, as well as IPO bingo. And if you're feeling burt out on Facebook, why not check out these 10 hipper social networking alternatives.

Facebook Features We Hate
Timeline(01 of09)
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Let's face it. Timeline succeeds in one aspect: making it easier for your employer, your girlfriend or that guy you knew in high school to stalk you. The new profile page allows your friends to view any and all status updates, comments and uploads from a specific year and month. The only way around it is to spend a few hours -- or longer, depending how long you've been on Facebook -- going through your timeline with a fine-tooth comb and hiding individual posts. (credit:Getty)
News Feed(02 of09)
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We've gotten used to it by now, but in 2006 the stream of status updates and comments was hated with a passion. Hundreds of thousands of Facebook users protested its implementation, according to the Wall Street Journal. (credit:Getty)
Pokes(03 of09)
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We all remember the poke. The curious point of contact that could imply anything from "hey, I'm bored" to "I like, like you." The mystery was in the meaning. Suprisingly, this long-time Facebook feature still exists! It's just hidden behind the settings drop-down menu on someone's timeline.(Photo via Flickr, user: annavanna) (credit:Flickr: annavanna)
Game Invitations(04 of09)
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We don't mind that there are games on Facebook, but what's annoying is the constant stream of invitations to our Facebook inboxes. No, we don't want to play "BINGO Blitz" or "Marvel: Avengers Alliance." One thing we do love: streamline notifications. This setting frees up your inbox by telling Facebook to send you summary emails, rather than individual notifications. Finally! More room for those Groupon notices and LinkedIn requests.To turn on streamlined notifications, visit your Account Settings, click on "Notifications" in the upper lef-hand nav bar, and select the "Email frequency" option at the top of that page. From this page, you can also scroll down to "Other options from Facebook" and modify what kind of notifications you get from Facebook. (credit:Facebook)
Ticker(05 of09)
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You know that real-time update of every move every single one of your friends makes? It's in the right corner above Facebook chat. Watching your friends' up-to-the-second Facebook movements are a little creepy and at most times, completely unnecessary. Fortunately, depending on your browser, you hide the ticker by shrinking the screen. (credit:Facebook)
Check-Ins(06 of09)
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For many, this feature seemed like a stalker's dream come true. Broadcasting your location to close friends is one thing, but your entire network? Just creepy.Note, however, that Facebook has built a ton of privacy options into this feature to let you control what kind of information Facebook is broadcasting about you.(Photo via Flickr, Channelship Web Agency) (credit:Flickr: channelship)
Constant Game Updates(07 of09)
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We don't mind games on Facebook. By all means, get your game on. But when we see every single move you play, that's when that indifference turns to irritation. If you find your News Feed clogged with useless stories, you can choose to see only important updates (or no updates at all) from certain people. Just click the drop-down menu on posts you don't like to modify the News Feed settings for that person. (credit:AP)
Facebook Chat(08 of09)
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Back when Facebook Chat was shiny and new, you were either online or off. This restricted you from hiding from "friends" you didn't want to talk to, while chatting with the friends you do. Now, there's the option to hide certain people from chat. (Just click the gear icon next to your Facebook Chat window in the bottom right hand of Facebook. Then, click "advanced settings" to select which of your Facebook contacts you'd rather not chat with.)(Photo via Flickr, Terri Oda) (credit:Flickr: Terriko)
Registrations(09 of09)
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First it was limited to a few elite universities, then high schools were invited and, finally, Facebook registration was opened to everyone with an email address. Each iterative opening of the registration pool was, for the most part, received negatively by current Facebook users who valued the exclusivity of the social networking site. (credit:Facebook)

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