If you’re on Facebook — hmmm, does that leave anyone out? — you’re already familiar with the new “timeline” feature. Love it or hate it? Using it already, or avoiding it like the plague? No matter what you think of it, your option of whether or not to use it will soon be history.
Facebook announced today that the timeline will soon be mandatory on everyone’s profile. Yep, even yours. As they put it…
Last year we introduced timeline, a new kind of profile that lets you highlight the photos, posts and life events that help you tell your story. Over the next few weeks, everyone will get timeline. When you get timeline, you’ll have 7 days to preview what’s there now. This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it.
So there you go. Every Facebook change so far has brought its share of haters and lovers, but the timeline may be the most polarizing change yet. And while you’re of course free to join any group or protest you want, history leads us to believe that Facebook is not likely to back down on anything significant. So, if you’re stuck with it, you might as well do your best to learn to love it, or at least use it well.
Facebook offers some great pointers on their official blog. You can also click here to find a good video that outlines timeline, and everything you need to get started now. My favorite tip is to remember that you have your first seven days on Timeline to get used to the new features and try things out before making it live for everyone else to see. So take advantage of the time to explore, and jump in.
Think of it as having your own personal time machine, without it having to take up half the living room.
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