I logged into Facebook Yesterday and was prompted to review my privacy settings. It looks like Facebook has changed the way users can view their settings in an easier way. I find that Facebook makes it more complicated then it needs to be, so I'll break the new privacy settings down for you.
To edit your privacy settings. you can click "take a look" or click on the newly added padlock icon on the top right. A drop down menu of privacy settings will appear.
The first section's settings will dictate who can see your posts. This is extremely important to pay attention to. You have the option to have your posts seen by the Public, Friends, Friend of Friends, Only Me (which is private) and Custom. Custom will allow you to pinpoint certain people, or lists you have already created that your posts will seen be. Need help creating lists? See my previous post on setting up friends lists.
This settings is pretty cut and dry on who can see your future posts, but what if a friend of yours is friends with a potential employer in real life and they happen to see their phone or their computer?
It's important to note that if you are worried that someone will see a questionable post, it is a good rule of thumb to not post about that just to be safe. These settings are nice, but you never know what people have access to. It is better to error on the side of caution.
Facebook recently announced that users who are not your friends can send you messages for $1. This new feature can be used by marketers or even potential suitors. It's debatable if this is an attempt by Facebook to make more money or to deter marketers for spamming inboxes.
The setting below will dictate who can send you messages; Everyone. Friends of Friends or just Friends.
The below settings dictates who can send you friend requests. Have you had complete strangers with no connections send you friends requests? This is how you manage that.
'Is there someone who is bothering you, or someone who you want to isolate from interacting with you on Facebook? Below is the setting on how to block someone on Facebook. Simply type in their name and they will no longer be able to interact with you.
Want to explore even more settings? Click on the link in the above image and the below will have in depth settings you can manipulate to manage your settings.
Below is an important setting that Facebook Users tend to over look. In the more settings section, you can edit how search engines make your content available. If you want to be searchable in search engines, make sure this setting is turned on. If you prefer to not have search engines find your profile, make sure this setting is off.
Do you find these settings easier to understand now that Facebook has made them available all in once place? Let us know in the comments.