[eyevariety]

It is ADD for sure, but there is a measured dopamine response to this type of interaction. The easiest way to understand the history of any object is through a timeline, so when appropriate I do think you are going to see a lot more of it.

From my vantage all of the modern social networks feel like the newest incarnation of the blog model, which has always had that timeline model.

Nir Eyal has some nice thoughts on it: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/08/the-webs-slot-machine.html

[gojomo]

If you want a summary history for a unified object, the revchron presentation is natural and minimally abusive. (Though, we may yet find better standard presentations for hiding info that is attention-grabbing but lower-value.)

Mixing unrelated things, and making this mixed-history the default view, and optimizing it relentlessly for impressions/engagement -- those are all thiings that trend towards abusing people's attention. People will become more aware and less tolerant of such 'false excitement' UX over time, presenting more opportunities for designs and businesses that respect rather than squander our mental cycles.

[eyevariety]

Good perspective!