And then came Facebook Timelines

If you haven’t signed up for a Facebook timeline yet, hop over and have a look – it rolled out across the globe today so many an office will be showing little productivity in any other area this afternoon we expect.

It’s going live in seven days whether you activate it or not, so invest the time now and you won’t be saying ‘but I never wanted that on my page’ in a week’s time – just when you’ve been banned from the computer because it’s Christmas.

Not one for being left behind, I’ve just added it to my personal profile and wasted invested 20 minutes in updating my personal details.  Being a very visual person my initial reaction is a favourable one.  There are a few creases to be ironed out but it just further increases the level of interaction we’ll have with others and really takes the way we share stories, ideas and resources to a new level.

Here’s a quick low down.

- Spend 7 days pimping and priming your new timeline before anyone else sees it.

- Add a ‘cover’ at the top of your timeline which spans the whole width of the page – something that sums up your life (tough one I know)

- Update your status as usual

- See your recent activities followed by all of your updates, albums, videos and links neatly arranged in a more editorial style

- See the pages you like, new friends and places you’ve been arranged in small update boxes

- Hide or highlight anything you want from your timeline and add anything that’s missing (select the pen in the top corner of the post for options)

- Feature a story by clicking on the star (one for the exhibitionists)

- Change who can and can’t see individual posts

For the best insight into your Facebook activities, check out the activity log for everything you’ve ever shared on the site.  Rest assured, only you can see this.

Nothing much more to say, other than have fun with the latest developments in the world of Facebook; the constantly evolving, all-engrossing social networking machine.  What did we do before?! Oh yes, we just satisfied ourselves and immediate circle of friends and family that we were leading exciting lives…

Facebook is flourishing because we’re addicted to self-promotion

I caught up on the latest Facebook documentary last night, courtesy of BBC 2 (Mark Zuckerberg: Inside Facebook) with Emily Maitlis.  I winced slightly as I realised I’d checked my own Facebook at least twice since dinner and glanced over to my husband, headphones on, watching a video someone had posted to Facebook on the iPad.  I wondered then if I actually needed to watch the program or should maybe find a tangible hobby to occupy myself for the evening.

Instead I opted to watch it anyway and tweet about it…..

What I found most interesting is their strategy for rolling out new products.  A big, fast push of a new product like changes to privacy settings is usually rushed out and met with a wave of complaints.  The product is then withdrawn and then drip-fed back out more slowly once we’re used to the idea or have found something else to moan about.

Can you imagine if the average business did this, and did it repeatedly with all changes they made to their product or service?  I wonder what would happen – many businesses would collapse surely?  One bout of negative publicity or round of unhappy customers would spell the end.

But does it trick us into feeling that we got our own way?  That we won?  Even though the changes still find their way onto our walls in the end, it feels like it’s on our terms.

The main reason that Facebook gets away with it is because we can’t live without this social networking phenomenon.  We’ve become addicted to self-promotion – to sharing everything on a daily basis.  It makes us feel more important.  I know people who have comment figure targets.  They don’t feel satisfied unless a status update receives at least seven comments.  Less and your news wasn’t worth publishing.

I admit that I like sharing my news.  Especially if I’ve been really busy and off the social scene, I like people to know that I am still alive and well.  If I have good news to share, it’s satisfying to tell other people about it.

The program also questioned the value of Facebook friends and research shows that many spend so much time socialising online that they run out of time to see real people face to face. That’s the sadder fact about it.  And as with everything, there has to be a balance.

So, Publicity Oxford won’t be changing its terms in the foreseeable future, although it would be great to add something into our conditions about all meetings involving champagne.  Instead we will be making an extra effort to see old friends over the festive season.

Finally, I wonder if I’d be living so modestly if I was worth as much as Mark Zuckerberg, it does give the impression that he’s not just in it for the money…

 

Image courtesy of GIOABA Flickr Creative Commons