How To Get the New Facebook Timeline

On September 22, Facebook announced their latest revisions which include integration with Spotify, Netflix and an overhaul on the user timeline. Access for all will be rolled out on September 30th. I am not patient enough to wait nine days for the latest and greatest version of Facebook. I thought “how would someone get access to the new  Facebook?”

Here is an idea: Google “how to get access to new Facebook.” Or, keep reading below.

I found an article from the Huffington Post which includes a video and a list of what to do. Below are the steps I followed to get access:

1. On Facebook’s search bar, type in “Developer.” Click on the first result. Then click “Allow” to give the Facebook app access. In the next few steps, you will become a developer for a minute. Check that off the bucket list!
2. When in the Facebook Developer App, click on “+ Create New App” button. Fill out the App display name and description. While nothing will be made public, be safe and name the app after yourself.
3. Agree to the Developer privacy agreement. Don’t take the time to read it. You are only delaying and depriving yourself out of new Facebook.
4. On the left side, click on “Open Graph” and type in a test verb and noun for your new app.
5. Run through a few pages of new app information. There is no need to enter anything here. Keep on saving changes and continuing. The quicker you do this, the quicker you have new Facebook!
6. Once completed, go back to your profile. It may take up to ten minutes, but you should have a prompt at the top of your old timeline to view the new Facebook! Hooray!

The above process is what worked for me. For those who do not want to play developer for a few minutes, there is another, yet slower way to get access: sign up for beta access where there is no guarantee on how long it will take to gain access.

Note: when you publish your timeline, only others who have followed the above steps to launch the new timeline for themselves will be able to see your new timeline. Everyone else will see the old profile.

Thanks to the Huffington Post for clearly documenting the process.

After you gain access, take the quick tour, play around and share your thoughts on Facebook’s latest and greatest version of itself.

Jason

Jason Douglas on Twitter

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Jason Douglas on LinkedIn

Social Media & Social Networking: What is too much?

There has been a lot on my mind lately. Some of it is personal, some is trivial. Here, I will choose to share something that should interest each reader of this blog.

By reading my blog, or any blog, you become part of the social media and social networking world. The social media world is a new and evolving arena at the same time, which means the rules for social media are being created as we speak. Rules that are not set are difficult to follow. Common sense rules apply: create and contribute meaningful conversation, don’t create too much noise, show your personality while keeping your thoughts clean enough that you could tell your mother, etc.

There’s a problem: not everyone has common sense.

As a person that has grown up in the social media and social networking era, I am on facebook, MySpace, twitter, LinkedIn, digg, flickr, I blog for the online marketing blog at work, I blog for personal reasons (as you’re reading right now). There are so many social networking sites out there beyond the list above. It can be difficult to keep track and actively participate in all of the above networks.

For over a year, MySpace has been losing its grip on the top social networking site. Facebook, recently surpassing 225 million users, and twitter growing at a ridiculous rate, show that social networking is here to stay, and you should be a part of all that you can be.  99% of people I know are on Facebook, 90% of people I know are on twitter. I have noticed, based on my ‘top friends’ on MySpace, that people are deleting their MySpace accounts.

This led me to think of a few questions that I need answered by you:

• What would make you quit ‘social media’?
• If you left one site, does that mean the other sites you are on satisfy your needs?
• What is your favorite social networking site? Why?
• What purpose does social media/social networking serve in your life?
• Is there too much social media/social networking?

I look forward to a good discussion with you.

~Jason Douglas

twitter: @jasondouglas

Jason Douglas on LinkedIn

Facebook’s Homepage Facelift

Remember just a few months ago when millions petitioned against the ‘new facebook’? You’re finally getting used to the ‘new facebook’, seeing that it does have some nice qualities.

Obviously, the people at facebook do not like their members to get comfortable.  Soon, users will see a new facebook homepage which according to some, is making Facebook more closely resemble Twitter

Some of the notable changes:

• Facebook’s popular ‘News Feed’ will be updated in real-time.
• Filters are located in the sidebar, allowing you to control who you see updates from (friends, family, network based)
• Statuses are more than just text and links; they can include pictures and videos now

Those are the big changes that I noticed.  Wired.com has more facebook changes in their blog with screenshots comparing the old and new.

I am going to like having the news feed updated in real-time; refreshing for new statuses was a small annoyance.  The filter system, if I understand it properly, reminds me of tweetdeck; to have high school friends, college friends, co-workers and more in their own respective group should clean out a lot of the ‘rif-raf’ that can clutter ones facebook news feed.

Personally, I like change.  I was one of four fans of the ‘new facebook’ when that was released, and this will only help enhance the facebook user experience.  Changes like these should be embraced, not petitioned against.

Will this be the last change we see for a while?  Facebook needs to develop a consistency so users can become familiar with everything that facebook has to offer.  With changes every few months, we will always be playing catch up.

Hopefully, these changes will bring a more reliable chat system and not ban certain users 🙂

~Jason Douglas

twitter: @jasondouglas

Hot Topic: Maintaining Your Social Media Reputation

This has been a hot topic of conversation of late wherever a conversation can take place.  Blogs, twitter, at work, everywhere.  Two of the main questions asked in this debate:

• How do maintain a good reputation on social media/networking sites?
• Can you or should you blend personal and professional comments?

First, let us discuss twitter:

In recent blog posts, people have been giving phenomenal examples of people destroying their social media reputation.  There’s the FedEx/Ketchum twitter oops that has been a part of conversations.  The culprit in this case chose to share his true feelings about an area which he was visiting; not a wise move (click the link above to learn why).   It is extremely difficult to share your thoughts in 140 characters without the chance of having what you say misconstrued.

This, among other happenings, brought on a debate on whether or not there should be a ‘best practices’ or regulation for twitter use among people at my work.  The argument for regulation: each employee is a representative of the agency, and for each client.  If one of us were to say something deemed offensive by others, it may reflect negatively on the agency, on the clients, and may detract potential clients from dealing with my work.

By regulating what you can or can not say on twitter, are you infringing on the First Amendment: Freedom of Speech?

My proposed solutions: ban twitter at work; or, trust that your employees aren’t idiots.

To answer the questions above for twitter (in my opinion): you build and maintain your reputation by being yourself and using common sense; you can and should combine personal with professional tweets.  It all depends on what you want people to know about you.

Let’s talk facebook and myspace:

I will share a story about my first experience with how what my facebook profile was showing had an impact on what others thought.  During my senior year, I was walking into my market research class.  Knowing I was late, I tried to make a graceful, quiet enterance.  Unfortunately, my seat was in the front row, and hiding myself, a 6’4” hunk of a man, is difficult to do.  My professor stopped her teachings, said ‘hello Jason! Looks like you had a fun weekend…’ which greatly confused me to how she would know what I did over the weekend.  I wasn’t in St. Cloud with any of my classmates; I was back home here in the Twin Cities area.  She then referenced some pictures that were tagged of me on what she called ‘face space’ (meant facebook), and gave me a warning/advice that I’ve used and share when I can:’might want to be careful what you post about yourself, it could cost you a job.’  That night, I de-tagged myself from over 100 photos where I looked blacked out, or was doing something stupid.  To this day, I am very careful about what pictures are taken and tagged of me.

Facebook and myspace are more visual than twitter.  It may not be so much what you say on facebook, but what you allow to be showed.

Why does it matter what you post on twitter or facebook?  These sites, specifically what you put on them, represent who you are whether you like it or not.  Think of yourself as a brand; people only know what they can see.  What your audience can see is how you’ll be seen.

Despite the legal right to post whatever we want, pictures, status updates, pledge our allegiance to a group, team, or politician; it matters to others.  If you have a picture that depicts you in a non-sober state, one may think that you’re priorities are your social life versus your professional life.  If you have numerous pictures that show you holding three shots in one hand, two cigarettes in another hand, and eyes as glossy as can be, you make it easy for someone to come up with 1,000 words to describe who you are based on a picture.

Is this right? No.  Is this reality? Yes.

Some people have created both personal and professional twitter and/or facebook accounts.  Others choose to make their profiles private only to their friends.   This is something that I will never do; I have nothing to hide. In my opinion, if someone makes their profile private, that means there is something worth hiding, something that the person knows should not be public.  We have the power to control exactly what is out there about ourselves.   You can still show you have a party side without looking like you don’t remember the picture you’re in, and still look attractive to an employer, a future boyfriend or girlfriend, etc.

To answer the questions above for facebook/myspace (in my opinion): you build and maintain your reputation by being yourself and using common sense; you can and should combine personal with professional tweets.  It all depends on what you want people to know about you.

Notice how the answers are the same for both twitter and facebook/myspace.  Tips for not being put into social media purgatory:

• be yourself
• be smart
• if your Mom and Dad would be ashamed of  what you’re saying or how you look in a pic, don’t post it

Good luck!

~J

twitter: @jasondouglas