Just when you thought Facebook couldn’t paint a more intimate picture of consumers’ lives, the network has gone global with its Timeline feature.
Regarding the feature, which
lets users look at their entire Facebook history, VentureBeat writes: “It might be the most
ambitious feature Facebook has introduced since the News Feed.”
“Timeline is similar to having an auto-generated personal website, replete with everything -- that's everything
-- you've ever posted to Facebook,” explains NBC Bay Area.
While likely to rile privacy advocates, Timeline could also appeal to new (older?) demographics as it lets users exchange their profile page for a scrapbook-inspired listing of their history.
“I loaded up Timeline this morning and was immediately hit with a sense of nostalgia,” admits CNet’s Don Reisinger. “I went back to updates and posts
friends put on my wall years prior … And now, my friends and I can relive some of those moments.”
On the downside, The New York Times asks: “Remember those
karaoke videos from three years ago that somehow wound up on Facebook? They were embarrassing for the few hours they spent at the top of your Facebook profile, and then they were buried under a
cascade of new updates.” Alas, they are buried no more.
PaidContent perfectly captures Timeline’s double-edged implications with the headline: “Facebook Timeline Is Here For All: Creepy But Beautiful.” “This
feature should spur a lot of buzz and feedback for the next few days, while people see the limits and benefits of virtually scrapbooking their social lives -- but it undoubtedly will also reveal the
limits,” writes VatorNews.
Also, to appease concerned users and privacy professionals,
“Timeline adds a new, private feature known as Activity Log, which allows you to review all your posts and activity,” PC Magazine reports.