Facebook Tips

1. Added applications don’t have to sit on your profile

Contrary to what the default options for most applications would have you believe, adding and interacting with an application on Facebook DOESN’T automatically mean that it has to clutter up your profile. As well as getting an opportunity to restrict this at the “add new application” stage…

…you can also click “applications” in your left-hand menu at any time, and customize it from there too. Just click the little “edit settings” link next to each of the applications, and you’ll be able to further customize them - you can change who sees them, where they appear, whether they’re allowed to send you e-mails and a few other bits and bobs. Perfect if you’re getting spam from an application in your e-mail - though if you’re being spammed by an app, you probably don’t need it that much!

NOTE: Applications should never ask you to install anything on your PC - if ever an application says something like “Now, to get the full benefit of this application you need to download and install this program on to your PC”, report that app to Facebook (click “about” next to the app on the list, then click “Report Application” on the right-hand menu…)

2. You can change the way different people see your profile

When you add a new friend (or accept somebody who has requested to add you), you get the option of only showing them your limited profile. This is particularly useful if you’re adding somebody you’re not quite sure about, or adding a work colleague (for instance) who you don’t want to see your holiday snaps or the contents of your wall. If you’ve already added somebody but then decide you want to change their settings later, click on “privacy” in the top right corner and you can add people to your “limited profile” (or even “blocked” list) - plus you can click “edit setting” to edit what is actually included in your limited profile as well.

3. Your News Feed is fully customisable too

I often get frustrated because whatever controls my news feed (presumably an algorithm of some kind) has decided that I need to hear a lot more about a certain person - and when I do, I change my settings! You get to your mini-feed settings by clicking on “preferences” in the top right corner of the feed itself. As well as telling your feed to show you more or less about certain people, you can also use their snazzy slider bars to adjust how much your feed shows you about things like photos, status updates, notes, groups and the like.