Wednesday, 25 January 2012

Facebook’s Timeline to Change Your Profile into an Auto-Biography!


Facebook’s Timeline to Change Your Profile into an Auto-Biography!

In Timeline, Facebook has found a new way of how you can show-case the story of your entire life on your profile. And not just any story but a story filled with videos, photos, snapshots, maps, sights and sounds. It’s a new way to look at your profile. In short, you can tell your whole life story with Facebook Timeline. This new profile is composed of three main features: Cover, Stories and Apps. The interest shown in this feature forecasts that Facebook will remain a popular site for some time but critics call it a privacy freak out!

Regardless of whether it’s a privacy violation horror story or a great way to present your self and how you were at different intervals of your life. The critics have blasted this new feature on the grounds that it may reveal some old stuff you wouldn’t want to appear again. “If I find that my personal, past posts are being posted again, I may just wipe everything out and devote my online time to G+. Is this what Zuckerberg is hoping for”, complained a Facebook user.

This isn't the only controversy surrounding its release, as a Chicago based website Timelines sued it. Their point was that these guys are not only using their name (well except one alphabet) but they have also redirected their Facebook Page to Facebook Timeline Page. Facebook already explained that the redirecting from Timelines to Timeline was caused by an error which has been removed now. Facebook has won the legal battle but some hard-core fans would still think that Facebook delayed is Facebook denied! (For days)

Love it (“like it” to be more Facebook) or hate it, you are still going to use it or talk about it, such is the kind of Facebook fever now a days. Although delayed Timeline is “coming soon” (as its page promises when you sign up for it) and Facebook founder Zuckerburg has given it an “Awesome”. But some fans have already found a way to use it before its release.

The Cover of your Timeline profile, will show a big image you select that you think represents you best. This will be the first thing people see when they look at your Timeline. So be sure to leave a big impact.

The main concept Stories in Timeline will share the past you have uploaded on Facebook. It will showcase your photos to make your profile a life album.

The Apps on the Timeline will show what kind of music you listen to, movies you watch and activities you do with a whole lot of new applications.

It will be advisable to review your older posts and “Hide from Timeline” the ones you don’t wish to reveal or simply remove them. Your Cover will be the best image to show-off your personality but you will still have your lil profile photo too. You can also include images from before you joined Facebook as of your childhood to put it on your Timeline. Maps will show what places you been to and when.

Only time will tell whether Timeline ends up “Awesome” or not. But it certainly has captured the imagination of the Facebook community.

facebook timeline 2004 to 2010


Company Timeline
2010
·         February
Facebook reaches over 400 million active users
2009
·         December
Facebook reaches over 350 million active users
·         September
Facebook reaches over 300 million active users
·         August
Facebook acquires FriendFeed
·         July
Facebook reaches over 250 million active users
·         June
Facebook launches Facebook Usernames
·         May
Digital Sky Technologies makes a $200 million investment for preferred stock at a $10 billion valuation
·         April
Facebook reaches over 200 million active users
·         February
Facebook reaches over 175 million active users
Facebook joins OpenID board
“Like” feature added
·         January
Facebook reaches over 150 million active users
CNN Live/Facebook integration
2008
·         December
Facebook Connect becomes generally available
·         August
Facebook reaches over 100 million active users
·         April
Facebook launches Facebook Chat
Facebook releases Translation application to 21 additional languages
·         March
Facebook updates privacy controls to include Friend List privacy
Facebook launches in German
·         February
Facebook launches in Spanish and French
·         January
Facebook co-sponsors Presidential Debates with ABC News
2007
·         November
Facebook launches Facebook Ads
·         October
Facebook reaches over 50 million active users
Facebook launches Facebook Platform for Mobile
Facebook and Microsoft expand advertising deal to cover international markets; Microsoft takes a $240 million equity stake in Facebook
·         July
Facebook acquires startup Parakey
·         May
Facebook launches Marketplace application for classified listings
Facebook hosts F8 event to launch Facebook Platform
Facebook Platform launches with 65 developer partners and over 85 applications
·         April
Facebook reaches 20 million active users 
Facebook updates site design and adds network portals
·         March
Facebook reaches over 2 million active Canadian users and 1 million active UK users
·         February
Virtual gift shop launches as a feature
2006
·         December
Facebook reaches more than 12 million active users
·         November
Share feature added on Facebook, simultaneously launched on over 20 partner sites
·         September
News Feed and Mini-Feed are introduced with additional privacy controls
Facebook expands registration so anyone can join
·         August
Facebook development platform launches
Notes application is introduced
Facebook and Microsoft form strategic relationship for banner ad syndication
·         May
Facebook expands to add work networks
·         April
Facebook raises $27.5 million from Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners and others
Facebook Mobile feature launches
2005
·         December
Facebook reaches more than 5.5 million active users
·         October
Photos is added as an application 
Facebook begins to add international school networks
·         September
Facebook expands to add high school networks
·         August
The company officially changes its name to Facebook from thefacebook.com
·         May
Facebook raises $12.7 million in venture capital from Accel Partners; 
Facebook grows to support more than 800 college networks
2004
·         December
Facebook reaches nearly 1 million active users
·         September
Groups application is added; the Wall is added as a Profile feature
·         June
Facebook moves its base of operations to Palo Alto, Calif.
·         March
Facebook expands from Harvard to Stanford, Columbia and Yale
·         February
Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm room

Glossary of Facebook Terms


Glossary of Facebook Terms
An admin is a person who's in charge of a group.  When you create a group, you are automatically be listed as both an admin and the group's creator.  Admins can invite people to join the group, appoint other admins, and edit group information and content.  They can also remove members and other admins.
An advertisement.  Users can create Facebook Ads to market their products and ideas.  Ads are not free.  Visit the Help Center to learn more.
Users can add applications to their profiles, pages, and groups.  There are dozens upon dozens of applications to choose from.  Some are built by Facebook.  Most are built by external developers.  Visit the Application Directory to learn more.  See General Application Support for Q&A.
Web log.  Used as a noun or verb.  An online diary or column maintained by an individual.  Blogs generally contain commentary,  but may also contain graphic images, videos, or descriptions of events. 
An advocacy group or online campaign for collective action.  Any Facebook user can start one.  A cause can be used to raise money or promote one's position on an issue.  Visit the Causes Help Center to learn more.
Charity Gifts
(by Causes)
This feature enables Facebook users to donate money to any of 21 select and specifically targeted charities.   Donation amounts are predetermined and range in value from $10 for two blankets for people suffering from a disaster or emergency to $200 for a laptop computer for a child in a developing country.  Visit Causes to learn more.
A feature that lets users talk with friends who are online in Facebook.  Visit the Help Center to learn more.
The person who started and administers a cause.
One of the most popular searches on Facebook is How do I Delete (... fill in the blank).
A calendar-based resource that users can add to their profiles, pages and groups that lets them share news about upcoming affairs or social gatherings.
A single sign-on service that enables Facebook users to login to affiliated sites using their Facebook account and share information from those sites with their Facebook friends.  See Facebook Connect to learn more.
The official Facebook blog where you will find hundreds of posts on a wide range of subjects.
The underlying systems software and application framework that developers use to build Facebook applications.  See FAQ.
A person who has joined a page because they like what that page represents.
Facebook Markup Language is a variation and subset of HTML with some elements removed. It allows Facebook application developers to customize the "look and feel" of their applications.  It lets developers build social applications on the Facebook platform.  Facebook Developers Wiki is an excellent resource for information about FBML.  There are several applications offered that have FBML editing capability.  See Static FBML.
Used to separate friends into different categories. Create your own filters using Friend Lists. You can also filter by applications, like Photos.  Tour the new Facebook homepage to see the where Filters are used on the profile.
A person who has joined a profile, usually by invitation.
A Facebook utility that helps users find present and former friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates, and other acquaintances.  Visit Friend Finder to learn more.
Gifts
(by Facebook)
Virtual tokens of appreciation one member gives to another. On April 9, 2009, Facebook celebrated 200 million users by partnering with 16 global charity/advocacy groups. Those groups created virtual gifts for the Facebook gift shop that Facebook users can purchase for their friends.  All proceeds go to the group associated with the gift.  Users can select gift recipients, gift images and delivery options.  Visit the Gift Shop or Help Center to learn more.
A group is not a page or profile.  It is a Facebook site created by bands, companies and other organizations to promote their activities.  Visit the Help Center to learn more.
Featured photos, events, notes and more that you don't want to miss. Stories are chosen based on what your friends have interacted with.  Tour the new Facebook homepage to see the where Highlights are located on the profile.
The Facebook mail application.  See Messages and Inbox at the Help Center to learn more.
Facebook's answer to web page analysis.  For each Facebook page, Insights tracks the number of page views, unique views, total interactions, wall posts, discussion topics, fans, new fans, removed fans, reviews, photo views, audio plays, and video plays.
A rogue application that is plaguing Facebook and other social network sites.  It is spread by a link that looks like a video.  What it does is ...  Facebook is all over it.  Every time Koobface, or one of its variants rears its ugly head on the Internet, Facebook has implemented safeguards to protect its users from attack.  See cnet or Scientific American articles for details about how the worm spreads and what it does.
A Facebook tool to follow language trends across Facebook. Specifically, Lexicon looks at the usage of words and phrases on profile, group and event Walls.  Visit the Help Center to learn more.
A  feature that appears as a link next to something you see on Facebook that allows users to let others know they appreciate that something, whether it be a video, a comment or something else.  Visit the Help Center to learn more.
A profile that allows only restricted access. 
Facebook Marketplace is a feature developed by Facebook that allows users to post free classified ads within the following categories: For Sale, Housing, Jobs, and Other.  Ads can be posted as either available and offered, or wanted.
A person who has joined and participates with a group.
Similar to a news feed, but different.  A Mini Feed centers around one person. Each person's Mini Feed shows what has changed recently in their profile and what content (notes, photos, etc.) they've added.  Mini Feeds are sent automatically and posted to friends' profiles for all to see.
Facebook Mobile offers multiple Facebook features for your phone, such as Facebook Mobile Web (m.facebook.com), Facebook Mobile Texts and Facebook Mobile Uploads.  Go here to see Facebook Help (Mobile Edition).
A circle of friends and acquaintances that centers on a city, school, company, or military organization.  See Help Center to learn more.
News Feeds highlight what's happening in your social circles on Facebook.  News Feeds are posted to profiles for all to see.
Notes are like mini-blogs for your profile.  Visit Help Center to learn more.
Like Mini Feeds, notifications are news feeds from friends, sent automatically as they engage in activity on their profile.
Honorary appointment.  Group admins can add officers to a group.  Other than holding a title, officers have no additional privileges beyond regular members.  They do not have admin authority.
A page is not a profile.  It may look like one, but it's not.  The features and capabilities are different.  It is a Facebook site intended for and created by artists, musical groups, celebrities, businesses, brands and similar entities (not individuals).  You can add pages to your profile to show your friends what you care about.  Only the official representative of an artist or business can create and make changes to a page.  Visit the Help Center to learn more.
A Facebook application that lets users upload albums of photos, tag friends, and comment on photos.
A poke is a way to interact with your friends on Facebook.  It allows one user to virtually poke another.  Some consider it flirting.
A profile is not a page.  It may look like one, but it's not.  The features and capabilities are different.  It is a Facebook site intended for and created by people who want to share information about themselves and socialize with others.  A profile displays a user's personal information and their interactions with friends.  Each registered user may have only one profile.  See Help Center to learn more.
Use publisher to Publish your status, photos, notes and more into the stream. Posts show up both in your profile, and on your friends' home pages.  Tour the new Facebook homepage to see the location of Publisher on the profile.
Really Simple Syndication.  Wikipedia defines it as a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.
A Facebook application that lets users customize their pages using Facebook Markup Language (FBML).  See the Static FBML page for more information.  We used Static FBML on our Facebook page to create the HowDoIFacebook section.  See How Do I Add  FBML to learn more.
A micro-blogging feature called which allows users to inform their friends of their current whereabouts, actions, or thoughts.
The stream shows you posts from your friends in real-time.  This keeps you up to date on everything that's happening. You can control who appears here.  Tour the new Facebook homepage to see where Stream is located on the profile.
Tabs mark the different sections of a profile. 
  • The Info tab displays basic information like Birthday and Hometown, as well as interests and activities. The Info tab also lists all Groups the user is a member of, and all the Pages the user is a Fan of.
  • The Wall tab displays the user's interactions with friends (comments and messages) as well as status messages.
  • The Photos tab displays profile photos and albums.
  • The Boxes tab displays all of the applications and features not showcased elsewhere on the profile.
  • Other tabs.  Users can feature their Applications by creating a tab unique to that application.
Marking a photo or video with text that identifies the image or the person in the image.  See How Do I Tag a Picture or Video to learn more.
A Facebook application that allows translators from around world to translate Facebook into different languages.
News feeds sent to you from pages that you have joined.
A Facebook application that lets users share videos on Facebook. Users can add their videos with the service by uploading video, adding video through Facebook Mobile, and using a web cam recording feature. Additionally, users can "tag" their friends in videos they add much like the way users can tag their friends in photos.
A featured section inside a Facebook profile.   It's a space on every user's profile page that allows friends and users themselves to post messages for all to see.
Notices from Facebook that you have engaged in a prohibited activity or that you have reached a limit that suggests you were using a feature at a rate that is likely to be abusive.  See Warnings on the Facebook Help Center for more information.
What You See Is What You Get.  Pronounced wiz·zy·wig (wĭz'ē-wĭg).  The term relates to an HTML editor, word processor, or desktop publishing system that is designed to show you on screen exactly what will be displayed when a document is printed or viewed online.