After Facebook's new profile design was initially announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in September, the update was finally made publicly available on Thursday.
Timeline is designed to provide a more holistic profile of Facebook users, allowing for the inclusion of all important milestones and life events from birth to the present.
The new layout brings to light all of one's Facebook content, such as photos, status updates, wall posts and friendships, all organised in chronological order and easily searchable by date.
Timeline is now available on the main site, mobile site and in the Android and iPhone Facebook applications.
While the new design has been highly praised for its aesthetics, it has also been criticised for embodying 'over-sharing', breaching privacy, and lending itself to so-called 'cyber-stalking'.
Users can now activate Timeline by simply visiting their Facebook profile page and following the prompts, or by visiting the 'Introducing Timeline' page within Facebook and selecting 'Get Timeline'.
Window period
Facebook is allowing users a seven-day window period in which to edit their new profiles before making them publicly visible.
A post on the Facebook blog says: “You'll have seven days to review everything that appears on your timeline before anyone else can see it. You can also choose to publish your timeline at any time during the review period.
“If you decide to wait, your timeline will go live automatically after seven days. Your new timeline will replace your profile, but all your stories and photos will still be there.”
The review period is intended to allow users time to check the privacy of the different elements of their profile. For example, old status updates that were appropriate when one first joined Facebook in varsity may need to only be visible to certain friends, rather than everyone, including one's boss.
Each piece of content on the Timeline can be given specific privacy settings. The Timeline can also be customised to highlight certain posts, pictures or events, and minimise others.
Slow rollout
Timeline was first released in a limited developer preview in September. According to Facebook, over one million people signed up for the preview, and the feedback has been used to fine-tune the new design.
Facebook then released Timeline in New Zealand earlier this month, before making it globally available.
It is believed the rollout of Timeline was initially delayed as a result of the trademark dispute filed against Facebook by small company, Timelines.com.
The Chicago-based company reportedly filed for a temporary restraining order on Facebook to prevent the social network from rolling out Timeline to the public, claiming the new feature threatens the future of its business.
According to the most recent reports, the case has been postponed to January next year.
Apart from turning the traditional Facebook profile into a digital scrapbook, Timeline is also designed to include the Social Apps designed on Facebook's new Open Graph.
These apps allow for the controversial 'frictionless' sharing of information and activities - whereby user activities are automatically shared to the Timeline without any interference by the user. This raised a number of highly publicised privacy concerns, which Facebook has been working to resolve.
Forgotten history
At the time of the announcement of Timeline, local new media lawyer Paul Jacobson commented: “These changes are significant and will result in users sharing a lot more of their data and preferences. While there is a fair amount of inaccurate hype and criticism, users have to take responsibility for their privacy and sharing choices.”
Jacobson said the new Timeline exposes a previously forgotten history of posts and updates, going back to a user's first Facebook post.
“Some people may find that worrying, but it really comes down to how conscious users have been of what they are sharing and how they have set their privacy settings,” said Jacobson, who believes that most users will actually love the new update.
“It is more engaging, more meaningful and more applicable to day-to-day life. Users have been sharing personal information for years, and this change exposes that information.”
Love to hate it
The user response to the rollout of Timeline has been mixed. Much like all previous changes to Facebook's interface, many users have threatened to boycott the service if the old profile design is not restored. Others have embraced the new design and hailed it as the best update yet.
Here are some of the comments from users on the Facebook blog:
“Another stupid, useless, ugly update, you already had it working perfectly, now you're just bored.”
“No one is required to use Facebook. We either adjust or quit. I can't believe everyone is going to gripe about it again. This is free to us and if changes help pay for it and keep it available, then we just adjust and go on.”
“Test it! Timeline is the best Facebook product yet!”
“Timeline profile - simply awesome. Now our Facebook profile is almost equivalent to a personal Web site. Make no mistake, this is the best update Facebook have ever done till now.”
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