Tech Talk

This is an example of the new Facebook profile design. The new cover image is visible above the profile image.

Facebook has revolutionized its network for the betterment of its users.

The social media giant has unveiled a transformed profile interface that offers many beneficial upgrades.

Overall, the pages are cleaner and more visually appealing.

For starters, users will be able to select a strong horizontal cover image to showcase their personalities. Facebook allows users to select any shaped image and drag it around the canvas. This relieves users of the need to resize images before uploading them to the network.

However, it is important to note that because the cover image is so much wider than tall, not every photo will work well in the space. Users may update this space as often as they would like – and as easily as they would update their profile picture, which still exists.  Also, like with the profile picture, a new album is created with cover photos.

A common concern will likely concern privacy since years-old posts will now be visible again. However, users may easily hide such posts from their timeline. This is a good opportunity to remember that the best way to protect one’s privacy, however, is not upload embarrassing photos or posts.

Photos, stories and life events are now visible going back years on the timeline. One could scroll back to one’s birth or simply select a specific time by clicking on a date along the right side of the timeline.

A user could also expand a post, as well as hide or delete it at any time.

Although I have been on Facebook since 2004, posts seem to only go back to 2009 as of this posting. However, information that goes as far as back as one’s birth can be added.

Facebook Places is utilized to a greater degree than ever before.

One of the coolest things about the redesigned Facebook is the ability to see all of the places a user has checked-in on Facebook Places.

Check-ins are now presented on an attractive map, in a similar way to how the iPhone displays where images were captured. Photos and individuals tagged in a check-in are also included as well as the time and date of visit on a large global map. This upgrade will likely inspire more check-ins.

Six randomly selected friends’ images are now automatically selected and placed beneath the cover image. The link to all of one’s friends sits next to the user’s biographical information. The user’s photos, Facebook Places check-ins (categorized as “Map,”) and likes are to the widget’s right in simply-designed boxes.

Another addition is the activity log which lists all of a user’s posts and activities going back to the beginning. A user can go to this private area that other users cannot view to change the privacy for individual stories, to delete posts and more.

Although Facebook is getting a lot of criticism over the changes, the public is likely to embrace them once folks realize just how beneficial, and in many ways, overdue, the changes are.

Facebook has implemented several new changes to its network, leaving many users upset, and reminding others of Google Plus.

Among the changes:

• An automatically scrolling newsfeed on the upper right corner of the screen that can be extended down toward the chat window
• The ability to mark posts as a “top story” by clicking the top left corner of the post
• The ability to write posts as long as 5,000 characters
• A new management interface for friend lists
• The ability to send multiple friends birthday wishes from the top right corner of the screen
• The “poke” button has been moved to the drop-down menu to the right of the “message” button on friends’ pages
• Messages can no longer be included in friend requests

As one might expect, many users are upset with the changes — as is common whenever the social media giant makes any modifications.

However, if the past is any indication, life will go on and the network will continue to grow.

One thing is certain, the influence of Google Plus is evident in the changes — from the larger photos to the refined posting options. Now if only more users would utilize that network.

A spoof film trailer making its way around the Web is offering a real glimpse into just how important Facebook — and other social media platforms have become.

In the two-and-one-half-minute YouTube video, comedians Dan De Lorenzo and Ben Stumpf equates in an over-the-top way not having a Facebook account to living an isolated existence in the wilderness.

It’s worth a watch:

Let’s face it, it’s often difficult to let go. The same certainly holds true of significant others — past and present. However, it is often critical to do exactly that and let go to stay healthy and maintain a level head — and then find future romance.

It is for that reason Tech Talk applauds YourTango.com, a site devoted to relations, for crafting the first “Break Up With Your Ex” day on Facebook — slated for Feb. 13. Best of all, no cards, candy or purchase of any sort is required.

According to a recent survey conducted for the company, 71 percent of respondents indicated that they think about their ex too much and 48 percent (including 42 percent of married folk) said they look at their ex’s social networking profile too often. If there is a positive side to the results, it’s at least people realize that they are doing it too often.

The site encourages everyone to cut social media ties with former boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses and partners on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and the like.

However, the site doesn’t stop there. To ensure that we’ll all move on, YourTango.com encourages folks to:

• Untag and/or delete photos of yourself and that person online, on your computer and phone;
• Delete songs and playlists that remind you of the person;
• Block or erase the person on Google chat, AIM and other instant messaging services;
• Delete their numbers from your phone and their email addresses from your address book;
• Enlist the support of friends and community to detach and stay detached from your ex;
• Get back into the dating scene to complete the moving-on process.

“The current digital landscape makes it especially difficult to truly break from past relationships. Nevertheless, getting someone out of your head — and your heart — is a necessary part of moving on and finding new love, as well as succeeding in a current relationship,” said Andrea Miller, founder and CEO, YourTango.com in an e-mail to Tech Talk. “With the massive ex-attachment going on, we devised this simple call to action to help individuals digitally untether themselves before Valentine’s Day.”

In the same e-mail, Miller stressed the importance of severing ties with the following disturbing details:

• 57 percent of singles said thinking about their ex prevents them from finding new love
• 60 percent of married people agreed that their ex is on their mind too often
• 36 percent said their attachment to their ex interferes with their marriage

 In an attempt to encourage others to follow suit, and surely to garner attention for the website, participants are encouraged to post “I Broke Up With My Ex,” and use the #DumpYourEx hashtag.

Regardless of why YourTango.com is doing it, it’s a great idea and one that TechTalk endorses.

For generations, the North American Aerospace Defense Command has kept millions of people around the world abreast of Santa Claus’ precise location each Christmas Eve. The dissemination began via the telephone began in 1955, the Web in 1998 and now is available through social media.

Beginning on Dec. 24 and running through Christmas Day, NORAD will share the latest location of Kriss Kringle.

Folks can follow the man in red through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Flickr and TroopTube — as well as on mobile devices, Time reported.

If you prefer to call NORAD, you still may: 1-877-Hi-NORAD from within the United States. Folks can also send Santa a letter at noradtrackssanta@gmail.com.

You may read more about how NORAD tracks Santa in the Tech Talk archives.

PETA sent Tech Talk this screen capture of a message its members posted on DKNY's Facebook page.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals used Donna Karan New York’s own social media presence against it on this, one of the largest online shopping days of the year.

PETA members posted a vertical message that reads “DK BUNNY BUTCHER” for the fashion titan’s more than 204,700 fans to see in the past hour in reference to the company’s decision to sell fur.

“PETA has sent Donna Karan executives detailed information about the suffering of animals who are raised and killed for their fur, and thousands of people have taken action against the designer, who continues to use rabbit fur from China,” a PETA spokesperson wrote to Tech Talk. “Undercover investigations have revealed that animals on Chinese fur farms are hung upside down, screaming and kicking, and are forced to watch those ahead of them die violently before their own throats are cut.”

The 16 accounts posted seemingly positive messages on DKNY’s Facebook wall — with the real message hidden in each user’s profile photo.

Among the wall posts:

• Listen, some bunny loves you!
• Fashion is life and death.
• Can u show us what goes into ur designs?
• Nothing is more important than fashion, right!?!
• Fashion to die for…
• I would kill for one of your fur coats.
• DKNY continually shocks me!
• I’m trying to save something today – can u help?
• What’s the cost of a fur coat?
• Who wouldn’t do anything for a Donna Karan coat!

Of course, after understanding the context of the overall message, the individual wall posts take on a different meaning.

DKNY appeared to be unaware of the messages as it posted at least once after its wall was defaced:

Our Cyber Monday treat: 20% Off of the entire site (both DKNY & Donna Karan New York) PLUS Free Shipping. Happy Shopping! www.dkny.com

Administrators are not notified each time a person posts on a fan page and must monitor comments.

Regardless of one’s opinions on either company, PETA’s strategy is a smart one — and one that will likely be repeated more often as more brands turn to the Web to disseminate their message.

“This is the first time that PETA has used this particular approach on Facebook,” Ashley Byrne, a senior campaigner for PETA, told Tech Talk. “We have, however, used Facebook many times to get our message across. When Brookstone was selling live frogs inside cheap plastic enclosures — misleading customers and causing the deaths of countless frogs in their stores by hiding sick animals in back rooms — we asked our members and supporters to post comments on Brookstone’s page expressing their concern for the frogs’ welfare. It was not long before the company’s Facebook fan page was taken down.”

Byrne said her company believes the use of social media is an effective tool for online advocacy and virtual activism.

“PETA uses social media in a variety of ways to interact with supporters on a personal level and share information,” she told Tech Talk. “PETA members took over Donna Karan’s Facebook page in order to pressure Karan to drop fur from her designs. We knew that Facebook would be an effective platform for letting Donna Karan’s fans know that Karan continues to design with fur even though she’s aware that gentle rabbits endure tremendous suffering because of the fur industry.”

Byrne said PETA hopes that by posting on the DKNY Facebook page, a new audience may be reached.

“Social networks have allowed PETA to connect with supporters on an individual and immediate level,” Byrne said. ”We are able to interact with any one of our 1 million Facebook fans or 100,000 Twitter followers. We can address specific questions and concerns, offer advice, and share in joint victories.”

Byrne said social media allowed PETA to stay in constant touch with supporters.

“By using social media, we can deliver information to our supporters in real time. We are able to update them on developments relating to campaigns and victories as they happen,” she said. “We knew that by targeting Karan’s Facebook page on Cyber Monday, we could convince more people to boycott her designs until she drops fur for good.”

A new browser is changing the way people surf the Web and share information.

RockMelt, which requires those interested to request an invitation, allows users to share websites with friends instantly through Facebook and Twitter — while monitoring other sites through linked RSS feeds.

The specialty browser, which is integrated with Facebook and requires folks to sign into Facebook to use, allows users to monitor which friends are online and chat with them while surfing the web.

The browser will be particularly useful to folks who enjoys regularly sharing information with their friends. RockMelt allows people to simply drag and drop content to the two vertical sidebars docked on both sides of users’ screen. Suggested information is already filled in. It’s as innovative as it is simple.

Give it a try. You won’t regret it.