Last few days, Facebook released the lite version of their site in all of the languages currently available through the Translations application. From the first look, its was design almost the same with Twitter, two column layout, unless this is facebook with diet version.

The primary difference between the two designs now is that the primary version of Facebook uses friend list filters within the stream. It only makes one wonder more about whether or not Facebook plans on moving the existing design further in the direction of Facebook Lite.

The major visual change in Facebook Lite, compared to the classic version, is simply that most of the navigation and information menu bar at left of the home page is now gone. The user is therefore not distracted by the mostly superfluous details that are listed there. The input box is also gone, replaced by buttons (Write, Post Photos, Post Video) that are only seen when needed.

The new layout therefore feels simple, faster and a lot like Twitter. Facebook has long enjoyed the perks of being king of the social site hill with millions of subscribers the world over. Enter the newer, more basic platform that is Twitter, which allows users to post only 140 characters per post or ‘tweet’ as techies say. There’s no exclusivity as with Facebook, where only those on a user’s Friend List can view profile changes, tags, etc, and Twitter users can view, follow or ‘tweet’ anyone. This has allowed Twitter to challenge Facebook’s numbers and indeed, compete for the top spot with regard to the online social networking phenomenon.