Did you know it really is possible to disable the Facebook timeline? Most links that promise this are scams of some sort. What they do, is have your computer tell the internet it's running an older version of Internet Explorer. Any extra programming goes into suppressing the many errors this causes. Do you hate the timeline enough to cripple the whole internet?
Go to FBPURITY.COM.
Most other apps that promise the same thing infect your computer with malware. That's what happens with bandwagons.
The Facebook timeline is now "mandatory". This is one of the worst examples of people hating change just for the sake of hating it. You know how I know?
"i hope i never get timeline too much like myspace" is a comment I see on most every thread regarding it. People who haven't even tried it, complaining and swearing because of a complaint that isn't even valid.
To be fair, it is a lot like Myspace, in that it isn't at all like Myspace.
Myspace had boxes all over your screen, you could change your layout, add backgrounds, music, blah de blah... timeline is a two-column view, with a cover photo. No boxes. No music playing in the background while cutesy little hearts fall like snow. Nothing on Myspace was two columns. Timeline is two columns. I don't get the association.
Before I go much further, I should mention I DO differentiate between people hating something because it's new, and people who genuinely prefer a bland list of everything.
There are people circulating pictures and posts saying "Get rid of timeline". They aren't going to. The modern internet is still in it's early stages. No company wants to put "The social network for people who hate new things" as a bullet point. Everything changes. Technology moves fast.
When I ask people why they hate the timeline, it usually winds up being something about their games being harder(different) to access. That is not facebook's fault. Facebook is not a gaming site. It is a social network, on which you are able to access games. FB sends it's app developers all the info they need to make their games as user friendly as possible with any future changes. If the app developer wants to, they can tweak their programming, if not, it's subject to the default formatting style of Facebook.
The next most common argument is that it's confusing. It's different, yes. It takes some getting used to, yes. If you honestly acquaint yourself with the new layout, and still think two columns are confusing, then please leave a comment below as to how you ever got through a newspaper or textbook in your life.
Facebook even has a help section for the timeline. I wonder, out of how many people post pictures and reposts about how much the timeline sucks, who has taken the time to read anything about it, or even try and get used to it. Because it doesn't seem like people are even trying.
Things to try:
Have you had a child? On your timeline, click the year they were born. If a happy little birth announcement doesn't show up, you can put it in. You don't have to.
Have fun with the cover photo! It really looks nice.
There are some posts you want to give more weight to? Click the star in the upper-right corner. It gets "highlighted" and spans over both columns.
The idea behind Timeline is that it's more like a scrapbook. You know where they got the idea? From the millions of profiles that list "scarpbooking" as a like or a hobby. Who knew? They actually listened to you.
You're not under any obligation to maintain your profile. Nothing new is being shared. If you don't want people looking at something you posted a year ago, hide it. Don't like having to do that with all the posts you want hidden? Maybe you shouldn't have posted it to begin with. And whose fault is that? Maybe with that in mind some people won't post things that shouldn't be posted. I can dream.
The internet is a powerful tool. It also changes faster than most people can get used to. Huddling in masses with torches and pitchforks, waiting to go after something because it looks a little different doesn't help matters. If you're going to use a powerful tool, you should take the time to learn about it.
Again, some people want the "original" look back because it's what they are used to. I chuckle at that, because what they want is NOT the original look at all, but one of the many layout changes in Facebook's short history. I miss my "Drink Recipe of the Day" and "Graffiti" boxes on my profile, and thought the list view was bland. I didn't write a post for people to forward, I got used to it. Now, I have some customization ability back, but not so much where I can make my page blast country music and rain smileys. I think it's a great balance. Not my own personal ideal, but I really do think it's more user-friendly and pleasant to look at than a list.
If you want a list, go shopping. If you don't like timeline as a matter of preference, fine. This is not about you. If you are one of the many who spends all your time complaining about it, instead of seeing what you might actually like about it - Don't have kids. There will inevitably be a time where you have to say "How do you know you don't like it if you won't try it?" or "Tough. You have to have what everyone else has."
And then you'd be the tiniest bit hypocritical.
