You know what looks really cool? These colored background posts on Facebook.
No doubt you've seen these crop up in your News Feed from time to time, and they look cool, right? They're a bit fun, exciting, something different.
Okay, maybe not - at least to me. These colored posts have always seemed like maybe a step too far, a little too attention seeking. But despite my misgivings, clearly some Facebook users like them, as one of Facebook's latest tests expands these colored backgrounds to comments, adding a whole new way to stand out in-stream.
Image via Matt Navarra
I mean, that doesn't look too bad, I guess. But then again, this:
Image via Evert Groot
Yeah, not for me. It feels like I've stared into the sun too long and my eyes are struggling to adjust.
As noted, you can only assume that Facebook is conducting this test as a response to the popularity of colored backgrounds, as it would seem to be intended for the same audience. And of course, it's very possible that colored background have proven hugely popular - just because I don't like them and don't see them prominently, doesn't mean others feel the same.
The new option would give users another way to make their comments stand out, and maybe, possibly, they could help to rationalize groups threads if you and your group members had enough discipline to color co-ordinate your chat on different topics with agreed backgrounds - green is for sports, red is for TV, blue is for... you get the idea.
Or maybe you don't - maybe that, in fact, is a step too far and these are really just a fun addition that people can throw in every now and then for good measure. Maybe they won't be mis-used, and it'll just be a fun little thing that doesn't make your screen look like a sea of deformed jellybeans.
Or maybe Facebook is just testing things out and it'll never go anywhere, as they've done with a heap of other ideas.
A recent, related, example could be colored link previews, which got tested, then dropped out of their latest redesign.
Maybe colored comments will go the same way, an interesting idea but not really adding a heap.
Facebook has confirmed the test, but no word on any wider roll out or possible future options. We'll wait and see, but something to look forward to/dread.