The Benefits of the New Facebook Timeline

There has been a lot of buzz lately about the new Facebook Timeline. Some people are extremely disgruntled about the look. Other people are madly in love with the new Facebook Timeline. Some folks were happy to convert right away, yet some people have been lagging behind. Facebook has now taken it upon itself to simply switch users whether they like it or not. Thanks, Facebook! Facebook users love it when their options are completely taken away from them. However, no matter how much people complain, everyone has to admit there are benefits to the new Facebook Timeline.

If you were a fan of MySpace, (and boy, was I!) you are going to be so pleased with the look of the new Facebook Timeline. Yes, Facebook has managed to go "retro" with a MySpace look from 2005. Awesome, Facebook! It only took your site 6 or 7 years to catch up to what MySpace once was. (Ouch, that is my inner MySpace Fanatic showing!) What is next? Adding the ability to customize the capsules? Actually allowing a music player on the profile? What about being able to choose a cool background? I mean, all of that sounds so futuristic... oh, wait, MySpace has been able to do that for years, yet no one uses it? Huh? Wait, sorry... getting a little off topic.

Facebook Timeline has an interesting new feature called a cover image. What you can do is take one of your favorite images and add it across the top of your profile page. That is pretty cool. Finally, a way to have some sort of self-expression on Facebook. Awesome!

If you are really self-centered, this is a great opportunity to post a nice big photo of yourself in the background and then post another photo as your profile pic. Yay for narcissism! Honestly, the whole idea of having a profile on any social network is a bit narcissistic anyway, so you may as well really amp it up.

Let's be honest, most of us are on Facebook to stalk people. Yeah, yeah, pretend you aren't, but you know you love combing through everyone's profiles when you are bored and learning random crap about them. With the new Facebook Timeline, stalking has never been better! As long as you are friends with someone or the person you want to stalk has a public profile, it is so much easier to find out every little mundane detail about that person's life. Facebook even breaks it down by year! Hey, thanks Facebook!

Were you suspicious that your boyfriend lied about when he broke up with his last girlfriend? Check it out on Facebook Timeline! Are you wondering when your ex actually friended some chick you hated from high school? Just keep scrolling down on his new and improved Facebook Timeline profile. Are you sure your friend is telling the truth when she swears she was much skinner back in 2006? Take a little trip down memory lane on the Facebook Timeline. Stalking is so much easier now!

I could even go into details about the lack of privacy that has also come out of this new, big change, but since I am not 100% certain of all the details, I won't go into it. All I know is, a lot more stuff is popping up in my feed about people I've never met in my life. So if I am seeing everyone else's photos, likes, comments, and whatever, I can only begin to imagine what people can see about me. It is actually too horrifying to contemplate, so I will move on.

My goodness, we've really covered some wonderful positive aspects of the new Facebook Timeline, haven't we? In all honesty, I actually DO like the Facebook Timeline. I think it has a better look and I really do like the cover picture. Am I a little bothered by too much information floating around out there? Sure. However, a good rule is never to post anything that would embarrass you too much anyway. After all, my little cousins are on Facebook. I am far more concerned about what they will see rather than the rest of the world anyway... and they are actually on my friend list!

Also, please keep in mind, whenever you are frustrated with Facebook, it is a FREE site. You are not paying to use it. Your participation on Facebook is totally optional. Whenever a new feature comes out that I do not like, I take a deep breath and say, "I am not required to use this site. I can delete my profile at any time. And it is FREE!" Enough said. For now, it is time for me to go and admire my new Facebook Timeline again. My cover photo was taken at Ocean City, Maryland! I freaking love that cover image!

Copyright ©2012 Jeannieinabottle