Facebook Has Boundary Issues: Did You Know Your Contact Info Was Switched?
What the Facebook?!
First the massive social media site pushed users onto Timeline - and now they're swapping out your contact info!
That's right - without giving users any notification, Facebook created an email address for you AND posted it on your profile page. Talk about "boundary issues."
[Read "Status Update: More Underage Kids on Facebook = More Privacy Concerns"]
For several months, users have had the option to create an @facebook.com email address, but as of yesterday, that "option" is no longer a choice. If you're on Facebook, you have one - and it's replaced your personal e-mail address in your timeline.
Check out your profile and go to your "about" page (https://www.facebook.com/username/info). If you scroll down to the "Contact Info" - you'll see that Facebook has hidden your old e-mail address, in order to show off your new @facebook.com email address.
Facebook's manager of product communications, Meredith Chin has stated that the new change should allow users to keep their personal email addresses private, but remain reachable through their new address.
[Read "Open Book Or Oversharer: What Are Your Personal Privacy Settings?"]
Emails sent to your @facebook.com email address will show up in the “Messages” location, in the upper lefthand corner, between friend requests and notifications (although this morning we tested this and I still haven't received anything).
Much like with the Timeline situation, users are objecting to having Facebook’s new change thrust upon them, without any warning or notification.
"Shut the front door," said Megan Sayers, our managing editor (because after all, this IS a magazine for moms - we keep things G-rated). "This is totally ridiculous!"
Want to hide your @facebook.com email address and/or re-display your regular e-mail address? Here's how:
1. Click on your “About” page and locate your contact info (on the right side, near the bottom of the page).
2. Click “Edit” and locate your new @facebook.com email address. Mine is the one in the red rectangle in the picture below.
3. On the far right side of the row with your @facebook.com email address, there will be a picture of an open circle. Click on it and change it to the circle with the slash through it. This will prevent your email address from being visible on your timeline.
4. Click the icon directly to the left of the slashed circle. It will open up the rectangle visible in the photo above. Change your visibility setting from “Public” or “Friends” to “Only Me” (this is underlined in the photo). This will ensure that no one besides you will be able to see your @facebook.com email address.
5. If you’d like, you can make your regular email address visible again by changing its privacy and visibility settings. You are NOT required to have any personal email address visible on your Facebook page, though.
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