The introduction of Facebook’s Timeline has raised questions about privacy and what happens to the information we share through social networking.
Here are some basic things to keep in mind when switching to Facebook Timeline:
1. You have one Week to make changes. If you have something in your past you wouldn't want your mother/significant other/the world to see, put this time to good use. You can hide or delete your status updates, comments by you or friends, and images from your timeline.
2. Visit your activity log for even more customization. It lists everything you've ever done on Facebook, such as your comments, likes, tags, etc. It’s another opportunity to see where your information is and get rid of anything you'd rather stay private.
Removing posts can be tedious if you’re a long-time user, but it’ll pay off in the long run.
3. Limit the audience for past posts. If your privacy settings have not always been strict, now is your chance to make sure none of your old posts make a public appearance.
4. Opt-in to secure browsing. Secure browsing encrypts your information making it harder to hack. Go to account settings, click security, secure browsing is second on the list, click edit to enable secure browsing. Note: secure browsing is not an option for mobile devices.
5. Take a look before you publish. Click the gear to “View as…” and see how your profile looks to the public or your friends.
There are certain settings that cannot be changed:
- Your profile and cover photos are always public.
- Tagging a friend in a post/photo/event allows friends of that friend to see and comment on the post.
FB’s Timeline is not all bad. Check out these new features of Timeline:
- Add life events and milestones such as graduation, a new school, studying abroad, getting a new car, moving, etc. even after they've taken place. You can add anything between the time you were born to the current day and have it appear chronologically in your timeline.
- Feature old posts. Along with the editing pencil, FB has a star icon. By clicking the star you can highlight anything you feel is important.
Take the tour or check out this video for more on Facebook’s Timeline. Also visit Facebook's Timeline Help Center.
Resources:
Facebook Timeline Privacy Tips: Lock Down Your Profile
Prep for Facebook's Timeline Layout: 6 Must-Do Privacy Tweaks
12 Things You Should Know About Facebook's Timeline
Timeline: A New Kind of Profile
