Users of Facebook will finally be forced to change their profile to the new format, Timeline, rather than having a choice.
Although users will have seven days to perfect their Timeline, all 800 million of them will have to make the switch soon. Once it’s been changed, it cannot be changed back.
One of the engineering managers behind Timeline, Paul McDonald, confirmed the news on Facebook’s official blog. He said: “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,” his statement added, cited by Msn.com.
Those thinking of being savvy – publishing their usual social media content and chatting with friends as though nothing has happened – will get a shock. If the request from Facebook is ignored, it will automatically publish the time on a user’s behalf; leaving them no opportunity to style it to their liking.
Washingtonpost.com revealed some of the things users might want to consider when adapting their individual Timeline, such as the major events they’d rather the whole world didn’t know about, the new ‘cover photo’ function (which appears above the ubiquitous profile picture) and their privacy settings.
