• Inside Facebook, Friday, June 24, 2011 10:49 AM

Facebook is reportedly testing a new homepage design that allows the news feed to be scrolled independently of the rest of the page. Critical to advertisers, "This allows ads, app bookmarks, and the top navigation bar to remain visible no matter how many news feed stories a user scrolls through," Inside Facebook explains.

If implemented, the Facebook-obsessed blog believes the new homepage could increase click through rates for advertisers, while also improving user retention for applications, and making the site easier to browse. Yet, the change "could come as a shock to users who developed browsing behaviors around the current two-tabbed news feed," warns Insider Facebook.

Still, "the Facebook home page hasn't seen a major redesign in 16 months, so it's about due for an update given Facebook's fast-paced approach to iterating on products." Last week, Facebook began testing with a very small number of users a new real-time feed, dubbed "Happening Now," in the right sidebar where Upcoming Events are usually listed.

Read the whole story at Inside Facebook »