Does Facebook’s Survey Mean It Really Does Care About You?

When Facebook makes interface changes, people complain. Always.

Last year, when Facebook introduced Timeline, the response was overwhelmingly negative: In a CIO.com survey of more than 1,500 readers, 91 percent said they disliked the new Facebook design.

People complainedabout the new interface’s usability, the complexity of its privacy settings and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s apparent disconnect with users—three themes present through nearly all of Facebook’s seven-year history.

But could that be changing?

When I logged into Facebook yesterday, I received a notification at the top of my page asking me to participate in a survey about my experiences on Facebook and with my news feed.

The survey’s questions, which totaled around ten, ranged from my overall satisfaction with my Facebook experience, to specific questions about the news feed: How “interesting” the stories that appear there are; how difficult it is to find “important” stories. Facebook also included a series of questions related to whether posts from businesses and brands are intrusive/important/relevant.

One of the last questions in the survey was this:

I’d love to see those responses.

The survey comes at what appears to be a pivotal time for Facebook. This afternoon, its second earnings report hits the Street. Thursday, employees can cash in their stock, making many of them millionaires. And on Monday, the units become available for sale on the open market—which means its stock is expected to decline again.

With a fluctuating stock price, a consistently disgruntled userbase and new accountability to its shareholders, does this survey indicate that Facebook is refocusing on its users and their satisfaction? Novel idea, I know.

Has Facebook asked you to take its survey? Do you think the social network cares more or less about you than before? Cast your vote in our poll below.