Facebook Announces Timeline, a Big Change to Your Profile

Facebook is rolling out a new profile layout called Timeline. The new profile view functions more like a digital scrapbook, rather than a mish-mosh of random facts about your dog, what you ate for breakfast, and your musings on the latest episode of Glee.

The addition of Timeline is not a subtle change. Rather it fundamentally changes with how we interact with Facebook and the online social world in general. The question is, are we ready for the change?

After the backlash over the most recent changes to the newsfeed, the home page layout and privacy settings, it’s quite surprising that Facebook has decided to introduce such a large change so quickly. Only time will tell what the public’s reaction will be.

Now, before going into details of the features of Timeline, please remember that change is inevitable — so get over it. After all, if Facebook never changed it would only be for college kids and all we’d know about was what class everyone was in. For those who remember back to the beginning of Facebook, there were no photos, there was no wall, there was no newsfeed. Remember? See? Maybe change isn’t that bad.

We don’t know what the new Timeline feature will bring to the social media world until everyone gets a chance to try it out, so keep an open mind and see what it’s all about  before jumping to conclusions.

In their blog, Facebook says, “Over time, your profile evolved to better reflect how you actually communicate with your friends. Now you can can share photos of what you did last weekend, and updates about how you feel today. But since the focus is on the most recent things you posted, more important stuff slips off the page. The photos of your graduation get replaced by updates about what you had for breakfast.”

Timeline is their answer to this problem. Features include:

Your Cover

This is a large photo that takes up top of the page. It’s the first thing people will see and learn about you.

Your Stories

This is most similar to your wall, but with much more control. Show your most memorable posts and moments you’d  like to share with the world (or just your friends).

Apps

A new world of apps for Facebook will be integrated into your Timeline. For example, apps from Spotify and Hulu will post your favorite music and movies if you choose to share it with Facebook. “These apps also help you discover what your friends are up to. You can even join in if you want: play the song they’re listening to, or watch the same TV show,” says Facebook in their blog.

So, what now? Are you ready to preview Timeline? You’ll have 7 days to get it just right before showing it to anyone. Facebook starts by selecting some of your top photos and stories from your past. You can choose to highlight or hide any of these stories, or add elements that are missing.

Privacy

We all know privacy in the digital world is essential. Facebook says, “Only the people you originally shared a post with can see it on your timeline. If you want, you can go back and change who sees a post, delete it or just hide it from your timeline.”

Learn more about Timeline and get it now: Facebook.com/about/timeline

When it comes down to it, it’ll take time to figure out Timeline, it’s features, the privacy settings, and more. So, what do you guys think?

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