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Facebook tip: Block friends (and frenemies) from posting on your timeline

Facebook tip: Block friends (and frenemies) from posting on your timeline

by ben patterson | Feb 22, 2013 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Don’t like the idea that any and all of your Facebook friends can post updates, links, photos, or just about anything else they want to your timeline? Good news: you can enforce a “hands-off” policy for your timeline in just a few clicks.   Once...
Facebook tip: 5 things to know about your “couple” page

Facebook tip: 5 things to know about your “couple” page

by ben patterson | Feb 12, 2013 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Does your Facebook relationship status say you’re coupled-up, and did you tag your loved one in your “Basic Info” settings? If so, you’ve got a Facebook “couple” page, whether you know it or not. Indeed, I was pretty surprised when...
Facebook tip: 6 ways to give your Timeline a makeover

Facebook tip: 6 ways to give your Timeline a makeover

by ben patterson | Dec 6, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Nope, you can’t remove Timeline—the chronological, comprehensive list of all your Facebook activity, starting from the very day you were born—from your Facebook profile, so you might as well make the most of it. Indeed, you can customize both the look and the...
10 ways to lock down your Facebook account

10 ways to lock down your Facebook account

by ben patterson | Oct 9, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, security, social networks

Had enough of fielding Facebook friend requests from total strangers? Don’t want the world thumbing through your photo albums? Leery of oversharing Facebook apps? Read on for 10 ways to put a lid on your Facebook account. 1. Shield your personal info Facebook...
How to restrict access to all your old Facebook posts

How to restrict access to all your old Facebook posts

by ben patterson | Jun 12, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Sure, it’s easy to choose how far and wide to share your latest Facebook updates and photos; all you have to do is pick an option (like “Public,” “Friends,” or “Only Me”) from a nearby pull-down menu. But what about all those...
How to stop Facebook from ID’ing your face in photos (updated)

How to stop Facebook from ID’ing your face in photos (updated)

by ben patterson | May 7, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Facebook boasts a sophisticated “facial-recognition” feature that’s capable of putting names to faces in any newly-uploaded photos. Amazing? Yes—but also a tad creepy. The so-called “Tag Suggestions” feature (which was launched back in...
How to permanently delete your Facebook account

How to permanently delete your Facebook account

by ben patterson | Apr 20, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Had it up to here with Facebook? You can always delete your account, but it’ll require a little work—and patience—on your part. First, we need to make a clear distinction between merely “deactivating” your account and actually deleting it....
How to stop Amazon from branding you as a Twi-hard (or anything else)

How to stop Amazon from branding you as a Twi-hard (or anything else)

by ben patterson | Mar 21, 2012 | how-tos, online shopping, privacy

So there I was, taking a quick look at one of those “Twilight” books on Amazon (for someone else, I swear!) when all of a sudden, my Amazon home page was covered with more Twilight paraphernalia than a Twi-hard could shake a stick at. We’re talking...
Facebook tip: Double-check your privacy settings before you post

Facebook tip: Double-check your privacy settings before you post

by ben patterson | Feb 21, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Just because you’ve chosen, say, “Friends” as your default Facebook sharing setting on the Privacy Settings page doesn’t mean only your confirmed friends will see your next status update. Why? Because for most Facebook posts, the default...
Facebook tip: How to limit who sees you as a suggested friend

Facebook tip: How to limit who sees you as a suggested friend

by ben patterson | Feb 15, 2012 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Terry writes: Is there any way to keep Facebook from suggesting me to others as a “Person You May Know”? I’m getting all kinds of random requests from people I barely know and I want it to stop. Hi Terry! So here’s the deal: you can’t...
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