In a poll of 4,110 Facebook users, just 8 percent said they liked Timeline, the new Facebook profile layout. 'Facebook Timeline' essentially is a reverse-chronological display of a user's status updates, photos, and life events. Facebook announced that Timeline will appear on users profiles over the next few weeks, whether the user wants it or not is not under consideration.
Since it was set up, Facebook has always encouraged users to enter personal details about themselves and their life experiences, sharing it to others. It's a lot simpler for others to view the information, and due to the vast amount of information made easily accessible by Timeline, this has caused users to worry.
As this new feature is introduced, users will get seven days to review their Timeline before it is posted, or you can choose to display it sooner. With reviewing their Timelines, users can opt to hide or feature certain stories, events, or photos.
Timeline now introduces apps, allowing more information to be shared. An example of this would be the use of 'Spotify' through Facebook. It posts what you are listening to, and what your activity is, in the other media. Guardian, Wall Street Journal, and Pinterest are amongst 80 other apps that feature a Facebook link. So why are people so worried? If you don’t want everyone to see what you’re listening to with Spotify, don’t connect Spotify to your Facebook account. Simple.
I know that isn't the only worry, people think that being able to see what you posted April 8th 2007 is scary. But why? So what if you were different back then, a little embarrassing, a little immature? If people my age are worrying about it, then I really don't understand why. What, we were 14 then? If you still talk or act like that, then that's the problem.
Facebook groups have been set up to protest against 'Timeline', and keep it optional. It seems like every Facebook change brings out the threats of deleting their accounts, yet despite this, Facebook continues to grow. It's just in our culture nowadays.
The most obvious thing to do if you don’t like the changes they make is to stop using it. It's presenting information that you have made public to whoever you have selected. You have also chosen to type that you were upset about cheating on your boyfriend and that they ended up then cheating on you... If anything, you should be grateful you get a whole seven days to change or modify your Timeline.
Hopefully from this, it'll prompt users to have private profiles if they haven’t already, or just generally think about what they are posting about their private life.
No specific date was given, its suggestive that the change won't occur on one single date. If you don't have Timeline yet, you will be forced to have it "in the next few weeks". No more specific information was announced. But you get these seven days to modify remember, so for those worriers, stay calm, you aren't gonna lose your popularity because someone found out you spelt lyk dis in 2k10...
Timeline features-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzPEPfJHfKU
I believe that the Timeline is a brilliant piece of work by Facebook. Not only does it create user equity on levels beyond parity, it's become a one stop shop for where we can review our lives. Everyone loves looking back at old things and by making this ridiculously easy to do Facebook has ensnared users for a hugely long-term period.
ReplyDeleteI can take a look back at everything since I joined (2007). Now assuming I stay on this until I'm a lot older, Facebook has made it easy for me to see what I got upto in 2012. It's less effort than a journal.
The risk we run, however, is that we rely on it too much and then we stop using it. The only record of our lives, aside from memory, will be Facebook and should that cease to exist, we won't have triggers to evoke the memories... if you catch my drift?
I quite like the fact that my friends can scroll through my life; it'll start questions and conversations, as well has helping people see how I've developed as I have.
I've never understood the issues with privacy on line, but then I am a very open guy and will tell everyone most things. I also quite like the better targeted adverts, I have money to spend and I want to spend it well - I don't know where to spend my spare cash and if giving them more info about me helps that, then great!