Facebook Is At It Again

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Facebook just changed your email address in your profile and replaced it with an "@facebook.com" address without asking you. How to easily fix it?

Facebook launched their email system in 2010, which was pretty much ignored by everyone. This morning, Forbes commented that they removed everyone's email addy from their profiles, and replaced it with an "@facebook.com" addy instead (not their internal email addy for notifications and password resets, just the one listed on your profile). Fortunately, it is easy to get your original email address back:

1. Click "About" on your profile and scroll down to your email address. Click "Edit" to change.
2. Click the circle next to your Facebook email address and change its setting to "Hidden From Timeline."
3. Click the circle next to your other email address and change the settings to "Shown On Timeline".
4. Click the Save button (Remember this step).

That's all it takes. Unless like me, you never migrated to Timeline. Still easy, just read the screens. Is an easy, quick fix, but it surprised me that Facebook did this without asking my permission or notified me that it was happening. And, I have a couple of Facebook accounts now to "reconcile." But, it is all good.

Blogging Rant

It surprises me to write a blog entry about blog entries, but here goes. The ways we share things with our friends and families have changed a lot since it used to only require us to write a letter. But think about that, we used to WRITE. Now we can take pictures, videos, text, and call people on our cell phones. Then immediately post them on YouTube, Facebook, or our own blog. Don't get me wrong, I embrace advances in technology, but think about your audience when you post something.

Most people post entries when we are awake...which is during the daytime, and most of us are at work. Most places we work at do not appreciate and some forbid, personal surfing. So, if you post a video as the only content of your entry, most likely it won't be viewed. Include a TEXT based explanation so we can decide if we should check it out many hours later on our computer when we get home.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo (1840-1902) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It also makes me wonder where our "culture" is going. If we only travel the path of least resistance to share random thoughts or sights, are we truly experiencing life? If Edgar Allen Poe had a smartphone, would he have written what he did? Would Victor Hugo written the Hunchback of Notre-Dame? I doubt it. But it is from the true people in history that took the time to WRITE things that impact us.

I fear that people today are becoming more dependent on the convenience of being on the path of least resistance than living a true life. It pains me, but only because maybe I'm "old school." I still write by hand, all of my letters with a Waterman pen.

Again, I embrace the advances in technology, but maybe spending some time doing the OLD SCHOOL things is good too.