Facebook's "Smart Lists”

Facebook is introducing "Smart Lists” to give users the option to show/hide people and businesses you have liked, and it’s a useful feature. I believe we have Google+ to thank for this– Google+s concept of ‘circles’ has done the same thing from the outset- allowed members to view and interact with different groups at a time without broadcasting everything to everyone. Lists is a good idea, but I'd prefer FB didn't do this automatically. I don’t need FB deciding who belongs on which list; I am perfectly capable of determining who I went to school with, which friends are my neighbors, etc., and even though I know it’s done by algorithm, it still creeps me out that FB even knows who is who.

Remember that if you choose common list names, like 'Family' or 'Neighbors', you are also telling FB which friends are your family or your neighbors, and if you list Joe as a neighbor, FB will then know that for Joe's page, his neighbor is you. Anyone who has ever received a credit card application addressed to their cat knows exactly how much data companies collect in the name of "offering" to make our lives easier. ;)

You can take advantage of the list feature right now: here’s how to separate your business pages from your friends & family posts in News Feed:

1. Go to Edit Friends
2. Create a list 
3. Add all the appropriate friends to the list and save.
4. When visiting your News Feed page, click on Most Recent and a drop down menu will appear where you can select the list of posts you want to view.

This allows you to view only what you want at any given time.

Put our knowledge and expertise to work for your business— visit our webpage and then contact Canzani Graphics today! All content ©2011Canzani Graphics

does it look like you are ALWAYS on Facebook?

We had a great block party for the fourth, but I was a little puzzled when a neighbor remarked that I am “always on Facebook." I am not, in fact, always on Facebook, so it got me to thinking about why it might appear that way.

I follow a lot of tech journals and software pages on FB; it's a great way to get all the latest headlines at once, (Gasp! FB has a legitmate business purpose!) and I often follow links to articles, webinars, or videos posted there, which usually open in a new tab. I tend to leave a lot of tabs open, which doesn't phase me unless my browser is running slow, in which case I'll close the ones I am not using at the moment. So very often I'll have FB open in a tab even if I am not using it, which must make it look as if I am always on, even when I am doing something completely different. There are ways to be stealth on FB, and a quick search will reveal the “how-tos" for doing that. Since I am not hiding out from anyone, I had not even thought about it, but I don't want people thinking I have nothing better to do than hang out on FB all day, so maybe I will have to rethink that!
*I also love the iPad app Flipboard for that, but when I am on my computer, Facebook is easier.

Put our knowledge and expertise to work for your business— visit our webpage and then contact Canzani Graphics today! All content ©2011Canzani Graphics