How To Set Up Facebook Timeline

Facebook often makes minor changes to how user information is displayed — usually slight tweaks that go unnoticed by the general public. Occasionally, Facebook does a huge overhaul on the way the site operates. A recent example of this is the introduction of the Facebook Timeline.

Facebook Timeline became the de facto layout for all Facebook users starting on March 31, 2012. Timeline offers a way to refresh your personal history and create a more customizable, interactive

and visually appealing way to display all the big moments of your life. The Timeline is the area previously referred to as the “Wall.” While the format has changed, the concept hasn’t changed a great deal. You still can post to other people’s pages and share links, photos, videos and more. The new element is the Timeline Navigator, a chronological diary of your entire Facebook history, from birth to the present. Privacy settings have also been given a boost: You now have a lot more control over exactly who can see every post, photo, video and link.

1.     Making a "Cover"

o    You can truly personalize your Facebook page with Timeline. Start with the “Cover,” the banner image at the top of each page. Simply click on “Add a Cover” to personalize your Facebook cover photo. It’s the first thing visitors see, so pick an image that best reflects who you are.

Explore the range of options available for the Cover in addition to your own photos. Plenty of online resources offer stock cover images — simply typing “Facebook cover shot” into Google produces hundreds of options.

2.     Personalization Options

o    You can customize details such as birth date and relationship status as well as the pages outlining Friends, Apps, Likes and Location. You also can create custom lists so you can share different information with different groups of people, such as “Public” (anyone who has a Facebook account), “Friends” (anyone you have accepted as a friend), and “Custom” lists.
You can subscribe to as many apps you want, but the “About Me” section displays a maximum of 12, so pick the ones you most want to show off.

3.     The Timeline

o    The Timeline can be as detailed or sparse as you want. You can include every detail of your life from birth to the present moment. To post an important life event that has already occurred, click “Life Event” in the status box. You can add the event to areas — such as Work, Family, Health, Travel — and then customize it with specific dates or photos and specify who can see it. Older Facebook status updates and photos may be in need of an overhaul. If you've been tagged in embarrassing photos, this is your chance to get rid of the acid washed jeans and big hair photos. Simply click on the pencil icon and hide or delete the post.

Activity Logs

o    Under "Activity Logs," you can modify, edit or delete any friend updates, tags, and likes and so forth. Friends can choose which they want on their timelines, and if so, add details like locations or dates.

Facebook Apps

o    Facebook apps add personality to your profile. With more than 3,000 apps in any and every category possible (think, Music, Entertainment, Fitness, Giving, Shopping, Travel), you can further customize your page to reflect your interests, hobbies, travel adventures and much, much more. Although Facebook has gotten into hot water for privacy issues in the past, the new Facebook Timeline enables all users to fully customize the way their information is displayed. For overall profile privacy, double check your Privacy Settings.