Facebook is loaded with features. You can post a status update of any kind, like Pages from your favourite celebrities and publications and even start a livestream to your followers.
The ecosystem can feel bloated at times and it seems Facebook is trying to cut down the bloat.
According to TechCrunch, Facebook is axing off a feature you might have seen running on the site but never used it regularly: The Ticker.
The Ticker used to show you real time activity from your friends like what they are commenting on, sharing and any other general activity. It was one of the few elements in Facebook that was chronologically based since it was real time, unlike the News Feed, which is controlled by an interest based algorithm.
When someone complained about the lack of the Ticker on the community forums, a verified Facebook help Team employee by the name Abby commented by saying that the “feature is no longer available.”
Facebook did not say why they decided to axe off the Ticker, but you can make a guess that it is due to its engagement statistics. Facebook is in the business of making sure that the features they have are used by its users and high engagement is key. Ticker probably had a low engagement rate with users and would have inspired Facebook to axe the feature.
Ticker has been part of the Facebook arsenal of features since 2011. It was creepy in a way since it kept tabs with everyone on your list and some people might be glad that it has been removed.
