Facebook sparks controversy again by forcing the 'Timeline' profile
Facebook users are being forced into using the new Timeline feature - a new profile page on the social networking site which encourages members to share their life stories on a single page.
Until now, the change has been voluntary but Facebook wants to make the new-look profile compulsory to all 800 million of its users throughout the globe 'within the next few weeks'.
Timeline makes it a whole lot easier to view people's 'life stories', creating a visually impactful profile while allowing people to share the story of their whole lives.
But how has this been received by Facebook users? Not very well, if you consider recent research. In a survey on the Telegraph website, for instance, over 6,000 people said they didn't like the new Timeline compared to just 12 percent who said they did.
What do I think? Well, it's obviously another step by Facebook to monetize its site and ensure Facebook continues to dominate our social lives. It's also another way of getting us to share personal information - information that could prove lucrative to potential adverisers.
Just think - Facebook knows our names, our addresses, our websites, our birthdays. It knows who our friends and family are. It knows what we look like. It knows what our interests are and the brands or things we like. It can even track where we're going through its Places facility. And if you remain logged into Facebook while browsing other websites, Facebook can even see what you're doing on the Internet.
This new Timeline only aims to get under our skin like never before.
But I think this is a risky move by Facebook. Particularly in an era when people are starting to realise the implications of sharing private information on the Internet. People are starting to wake up and smell the coffee.
But will people leave Facebook or will they just be more careful about what they share? I personally think Facebook won't be around forever. Something else will come along and replace it eventually. For now, Facebook remains. But is this new Timeline the beginning of the end?
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