diff --git a/app/views/albums/index.html.haml b/app/views/albums/index.html.haml
index 0d68bb1c1..4b76d38e1 100644
--- a/app/views/albums/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/albums/index.html.haml
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
       $("#add_album_button").fancybox();
     });
 
-= content_for :page_title do
-  = link_to "◂ #{t('.home')}", aspects_path, :aspect => params[:aspect]
-
 - content_for :left_pane do
   = render "shared/aspect_friends"
 
@@ -31,6 +28,3 @@
 #pagination
   = will_paginate @albums
 
-#content_bottom
-  .back
-    = link_to "⇧ #{t('.home')}", root_path
diff --git a/app/views/aspects/_empty_messages.haml b/app/views/aspects/_empty_messages.haml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..734ee5b12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/aspects/_empty_messages.haml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+-#   Copyright (c) 2010, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
+-#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
+-#   the COPYRIGHT file.
+
+#no_posts.empty_message{:style => ("display:none" unless @posts.count == 0)}
+  .null_arrow ⇧
+  %h3=t('.start_talking')
+
+#no_friends.empty_message{:style => ("display:none" unless @friends.count == 0)}
+
+  - if (@aspect == :all) || (@aspect == :public)
+    %h3=t('.nobody')
+    %h4= link_to t('.add_friend'), aspects_manage_path
+    %h4= link_to t('.invite'), aspects_manage_path
+  - else
+    %h3=t('.nobody_in_aspect', :aspect_name => @aspect.name)
+    %h4= link_to t('.add_friend_to', :aspect_name => @aspect.name), "#add_request_pane", :class => "add_request_button"
+    %h4= link_to t('.invite', :aspect_name => @aspect.name), "#invite_user_pane", :class => "invite_user_button", :class => "invite_user_button", :title => t('.invite')
+
+
diff --git a/app/views/aspects/index.html.haml b/app/views/aspects/index.html.haml
index 4935531d6..95c6c2dc4 100644
--- a/app/views/aspects/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/aspects/index.html.haml
@@ -2,18 +2,18 @@
 -#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
 -#   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
-- content_for :page_title do
-  = link_to t('.photos'), albums_path(:aspect => @aspect)
-
 - content_for :left_pane do
   = render "shared/aspect_friends"
 
 - content_for :publish do
   = render "shared/publisher", :aspect_ids => :all, :broadcast => true
 
+= render 'aspects/empty_messages'
+
 %ul#stream
   - for post in @posts
     = render type_partial(post), :post => post unless post.class == Album
+
 #pagination
   = will_paginate @posts
 
diff --git a/app/views/aspects/show.html.haml b/app/views/aspects/show.html.haml
index 772a71971..d2cd9c04c 100644
--- a/app/views/aspects/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/aspects/show.html.haml
@@ -2,18 +2,18 @@
 -#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
 -#   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
-- content_for :page_title do
-  = link_to t('.photos'), albums_path(:aspect => @aspect)
-
 - content_for :left_pane do
   = render "shared/aspect_friends"
 
 - content_for :publish do
   = render "shared/publisher", :aspect_ids => :all
 
+= render 'aspects/empty_messages'
+
 %ul#stream
   - for post in @posts
     = render type_partial(post), :post => post unless post.class == Album
+
 #pagination
   = will_paginate @posts
 
diff --git a/app/views/js/_websocket_js.haml b/app/views/js/_websocket_js.haml
index a0663edfc..9bf801e0a 100644
--- a/app/views/js/_websocket_js.haml
+++ b/app/views/js/_websocket_js.haml
@@ -37,9 +37,10 @@
 
   });
   function processRetraction(post_id){
-    $('#' + post_id ).fadeOut(500, function(){
-      $(this).remove;
-    });
+    $('#' + post_id ).fadeOut(500).remove();
+    if($("#stream")[0].childElementCount == 0){
+      $("#no_posts").fadeIn(200);
+    }
   }
 
   function processComment(post_id, html){
@@ -59,14 +60,23 @@
 
   function processPost(className, html, aspectIds){
     if(onPageForAspects(aspectIds)){
-      $("#stream").prepend(
-        $(html).fadeIn("fast", function(){
-          $("#stream label:first").inFieldLabels();
-        })
-      );
+      var addPostToStream = function (html){
+        $("#stream").prepend(
+          $(html).fadeIn("fast", function(){
+            $("#stream label:first").inFieldLabels();
+          })
+        )
+      };
+
+      if( $("#no_posts").is(":visible") ){
+        $("#no_posts").fadeOut(400, addPostToStream(html)).hide();
+      } else {
+        addPostToStream(html);
+      }
     }
   }
 
+
   function processPhotoInAlbum(photoHash){
     if (location.href.indexOf(photoHash['album_id']) == -1){
       return ;
diff --git a/app/views/shared/_aspect_friends.haml b/app/views/shared/_aspect_friends.haml
index a37068577..508cabbb4 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/_aspect_friends.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/_aspect_friends.haml
@@ -2,30 +2,41 @@
 -#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
 -#   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
-#friend_pictures
-  = owner_image_link
-  - for friend in @friends
-    = person_image_link(friend)
-  - if @logged_in && (@aspect == :public)
-    %h3 Facebook Friends
-    - @fb_friends = MiniFB.get(@access_token, 'me', :type => "friends")
-    - @fb_friends[:data].each do |friend|
-      = image_tag( "http://graph.facebook.com/#{friend[:id]}/picture" )
-  -unless (@aspect == :all) || (@aspect == :public)
-    = link_to (image_tag('add_friend_button.png', :height => "50px", :width => "50px")), "#add_request_pane", :id => 'add_request_button'
 
-    .yo{:style => 'display:none'}
-      #add_request_pane
-        = render "requests/new_request", :aspect => @aspect
-  -else
-    .clear
-      %br
-      = link_to t('.add_friends'), aspects_manage_path
+#left_pane
+  #friend_pictures
+    = owner_image_link
+    - for friend in @friends
+      = person_image_link(friend)
+    - if @logged_in && (@aspect == :public)
+      %h3 Facebook Friends
+      - @fb_friends = MiniFB.get(@access_token, 'me', :type => "friends")
+      - @fb_friends[:data].each do |friend|
+        = image_tag( "http://graph.facebook.com/#{friend[:id]}/picture" )
+    -unless (@aspect == :all) || (@aspect == :public)
+      = link_to (image_tag('add_friend_button.png', :height => "50px", :width => "50px")), "#add_request_pane", :id => 'add_request_button'
+
+      .yo{:style => 'display:none'}
+        #add_request_pane
+          = render "requests/new_request", :aspect => @aspect
+    -else
+      .clear
+        %br
+        = link_to t('.add_friends'), aspects_manage_path
+
+  %br
+  %br
+  %ul
+    %li= link_to 'stream', aspect_path(@aspect)
+    %li= link_to t('.photos'), albums_path(:aspect => @aspect)
+
+  %br
+
+  %h4 Invites
+  = link_to "Invite a friend!", "#invite_user_pane", :class => "invite_user_button", :class => "invite_user_button", :title => "Invite a friend"
+  %br
+  = "You have #{@invites} invites."
+  .yo{ :style => "display:none;"}
+    #invite_user_pane
+      = render "invitations/new"
 
-%br
-= link_to "Invite a friend!", "#invite_user_pane", :id => "invite_user_button", :class => "invite_user_button", :title => "Invite a friend"
-%br
-= "You have #{@invites} invites."
-.yo{ :style => "display:none;"}
-  #invite_user_pane
-    = render "invitations/new"
diff --git a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
index 1dd33bb3f..f80a24733 100644
--- a/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/diaspora/en.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ en:
           share: "Share"
       aspect_friends:
           add_friends: "add friends"
+          photos: "photos"
   albums:
       album:
           you: "you"
@@ -69,10 +70,13 @@ en:
           friends_albums: "Friends Albums"
           your_albums: "Your Albums"
   aspects:
-      index:
-          photos: "photos"
-      show:
-          photos: "photos"
+      empty_messages:
+          start_talking:  "Nobody has said anything yet.  Get the conversation started!"
+          nobody: "We know you have friends, bring them to Diaspora!"
+          nobody_in_aspect: "Your aspect '%{aspect_name}' is empty."
+          add_friend: "Add a friend"
+          add_friend_to: "Add a someone to %{aspect_name}"
+          invite: "Invite a someone to join Diaspora!"
       manage:
           add_a_new_aspect: "Add a new aspect"
           add_a_new_friend:  "Add a new friend"
diff --git a/public/javascripts/view.js b/public/javascripts/view.js
index eec063bcd..f79cace4d 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/view.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/view.js
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
 
   //buttons//////
   $("#add_aspect_button").fancybox({ 'titleShow' : false });
-  $("#add_request_button").fancybox({ 'titleShow': false });
-  $("#invite_user_button").fancybox({ 'titleShow': false });
+  $(".add_request_button").fancybox({ 'titleShow': false });
+  $(".invite_user_button").fancybox({ 'titleShow': false });
   $(".add_request_button").fancybox({ 'titleShow': false });
 
   $("input[type='submit']").addClass("button");
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass b/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
index 0b8368b6b..f1b8bee94 100644
--- a/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
+++ b/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
@@ -964,3 +964,48 @@ ul#settings_nav
 #aspect_list
   :margin 0
   :padding 0
+
+#left_pane
+  ul
+    :margin 0
+    :padding 0
+    :list
+      :style none
+    li a
+      :display block
+      :padding 3px
+      :border
+        :bottom 1px solid #ccc
+
+      &:hover
+        &:after
+          :content " ►"
+
+.empty_message
+  :margin
+    :top 12px
+    :bottom 12px
+  :text
+    :align center
+
+  :color #777
+  h3
+    :color #777
+
+  :margin
+    :left 70px
+  :padding 2em
+    :bottom 0.7em
+
+  :width 520px
+
+  :border 2px dashed #777
+  :border-radius 5px
+
+  .null_arrow
+    :margin
+      :top -14px
+    :font
+      :size 80px
+    :display inline-block
+