Facebook’s new timeline has slowly rolled out and will soon be the default on all Facebook profiles. From a business perspective, it makes sense that the Facebook wants to stay fresh and keep users interested in the site. Whether you love it or hate it, Facebook’s new look is becoming the norm, so it’s best to know how to control your personal info and have your page reflect who you are. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
The Timeline Itself
The main gist of Facebook timeline is that it’s easier to view your past Facebook life, and the “events” on your profile are now presented in a chronological manner. This is opposed to the old approach, where wall posts were buried over time and old photos and notes stuck to their respective subcategories. Now, as you scroll down your Facebook full page, events are presented by years in two columns, with certain photo albums, statuses, and other events especially highlighted on your wall.
The first thing you want to do with timeline is spend 15 or 20 minutes scrolling through your Facebook history and vetting the events that Facebook has chosen to highlight for you. The events that show up on the page are generally those with the highest Facebook activity(such as photo albums with a lot of tags or wall posts with a long comment thread). It can be a hoot to look through these things, especially if you’ve been on Facebook for a while but, sometimes, these events aren’t always things you want highlighted (like your breakup with significant other or that photo album showcasing an awful haircut). To take something off your timeline, go to the right side of the post and you’ll see a little pencil simply which says “remove” when you scroll over it. Alternately, you can star things, which will highlight them on your timeline.
Usability
There are a couple new ways in which you can update the information you put on your Facebook. In the top right of your profile you will see buttons titled “Update Info” and “Activity Log.” “Update Info” is what you’ll use to update your general information about yourself. The “Activity Log” shows everything you’ve done on Facebook, such as liking photos or writing on friend’s walls.
When you begin scrolling down your wall, you will also notice a box appear near the top of your profile. In that box, you will see options for updating your “Status,” adding a “Photo” album, adding a “Place” tag, or updating a “Life Event.” The “Life Event” option is new to Facebook and allows you to denote an important event, which you can tag people in and which will be highlighted on your timeline.
Privacy Settings and Timeline
There are some new privacy concerns that have arisen with timeline, for securing your online life. When you login, in the upper right hand corner of your page you can select the arrow symbol that says “Home” and scroll to “Privacy Settings” from the drop-down menu to control the privacy of your profile. There is a new “Timeline and Tagging” category in “Privacy Settings” that allows you to control who can tag you in life events, if Facebook asks you before tagging you if are tagged in friend’s posts, and similar privacy concerns that have arisen with timeline. Check these out to make sure your new profile is in line with your desired security.
Sources
Facebook (2012)
CNN (2012)