Currently the option to send voice messages is only available through the separate Messenger app for Facebook though we expect that to expand eventually.

How To Send Facebook Voice Messages

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• First, head over to your device’s app store, search for and install Facebook Messenger. [info]Facebook Messenger for iOS
  Facebook Messenger for Android[/info]
• Open the app and press the + sign to start a new message.
• Enter in a friend’s name in the ‘To:’ field.
• Press the + sign next to the ‘Write a message’ field.
• You’ll notice several options. Tap ‘Record Voice’.
• Press and hold the record button (circle with a red dot in the center) and speak your message.
• Release the record button when you are finished.
• Messages are automatically sent once the button is released.

Once the recorded message is sent, users can listen to it at anytime by pressing play inside their message center.

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The post How To Send Voice Messages To Friends [Facebook] first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Many of the changes are designed to simplify the control process for users with more direct labeling of privacy settings and additional control over what apps can see and do. However, with all the positive that may come from these changes, Facebook can’t mask that they have stripped away possibly the one feature that is most important for privacy.

Here’s a rundown of the changes and briefly what they mean for your privacy.

Facebook Privacy Changes

Request and Removal Tool for Photos

In a nutshell, users will have the ability to mass request other users remove photos of them or untag themselves from photos.

Of course untagged photos don’t remove photos from other areas of Facebook, just removes them from your own timeline.

Privacy Quick Links

A new Privacy Shortcuts button will be added to all Facebook pages in the upper right hand corner with the Home button.

The Privacy Shortcuts button will list 3 primary links to more directly view who has access to your data and who can contact you. A fourth option is available to “See All Settings”, but one can only wonder what “all” means this time around.

Activity Log Improvement

Facebook has implemented a way to view your entire history in one fell swoop through the Activity Log. Users can view their most recent post as well as posts from years ago from the Activity Log screen.

This feature is already in place and can be seen by appending “allactivity” to the end of your Facebook page URL. [info]Example: https://www.facebook.com/YOURUSERNAMEHERE/allactivity.[/info]

The improvements come by way of filtering whether it be by year, month, post type or app interaction so users can quickly see those items which appeared in their timeline.

App Permissions

For a long time it’s been, when an app is in, it’s in. Now users will have another option to prevent blanket allowing of permissions to apps.

Users will still need to allow an app access to their profile in order to utilize its benefits, but only basic approval with an option for advanced permission. [info]Example: You want to use an app so you allow the app access to your profile. Done. Now the app wants permission to post to your friends. You can allow or skip that permission.[/info]

This change doesn’t really mean a whole lot since apps could essentially ignore the process unless Facebook starts demanding they adhere to their new permission policy.

Search Inclusion

Finally, the most significant change isn’t a positive one. Facebook has decided that users cannot opt out of having their name included in search.

That means, users cannot keep their profile hidden from the search feature. [warning]Think of Facebook as a worldwide phonebook, but you can’t be unlisted.[/warning]

The opt out of search feature is one of the most important of all privacy settings and frankly the foundation for privacy on Facebook. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions about this change, but we find this to be unacceptable.

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The post Another Round Of Facebook Privacy Updates first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

How To View Friendship Status Page

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• Login to Facebook.
• Navigate to one of your friend’s Facebook pages.
• Look for the gear icon just below the lower right-hand corner of their timeline image.
• Click the gear arrow.
  
• Click on ‘See Friendship’.

If done correctly you should have been directed to a unique page displaying information related to only you and the friend in question.

The pages are a good way to keep track of conversations and find something you both interacted on, in the past. What are your thoughts on the pages?

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The post How To View Friendship Status Page [Facebook] first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

It seems every few months or so there is a new sequel in the long running series of Facebook privacy fiascoes. This time around Facebook is targeting anyone in a current or past relationship.

Couples Pages

The new, loosely labeled, feature is a new page created for anyone tagged in a relationship on Facebook. It combines users profiles to portray a single unified couples page. In a nutshell it means John Doe and Jane Doe now have a JohnDoeandJaneDoe page along with their own personal Facebook pages.

The new couples page displays numerous details about those in the relationship. As an example, couples pages might include anniversary date, photos they’re both tagged in, mutual friends, mutual likes and all posts involving each other.

As of now, there is no way to delete the pages or control the content displayed on couples pages.

Privacy Concerns

As usual, this new ‘feature‘ raises a lot of privacy concerns for users. First and foremost, there is absolutely no way to control couples pages. Neither partner in the relationship has ownership (which if they did would raise another problem) and there are no controls in personal account settings to manage couples pages and information.

Now to be fair, married couples in a long stable relationship may not have a problem with this feature. We can also see the benefit in having a couples page for newly engaged users who want to have a unified page to share the news with the world. However, in most cases we’re talking about young adults or even teenagers who flip the relationship tag off and on like a light switch. That kind sharing isn’t what anyone wants.

Additionally, anyone can view relationship information by navigating to a couples page. If you’re familiar with friendship pages, then you won’t be surprised by the setup and information available on couples pages.

What Can You Do

In short, not a whole lot. As we mentioned, control settings don’t exist and there is no way to opt out of couples pages. However, there are a few long, uncomfortable things you can do to limit the information on those pages.

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• Eliminate Mutual Friendship Listing: Nothing short of un-friending common friends will fix this.
• Eliminate Posts: Don’t post on each other’s walls or about each other to keep posts to a minimum on your couples page. Delete old posts if you want to remove existing information.
• Eliminate Common Likes: Don’t both like the same things.
• Eliminate Relationship Status and Location: You’ll have to hide those bits of information from everyone in your privacy settings. That will keep the ‘complicated’ and other statuses as well as where you live hidden from viewers.

Aside from those rather drastic steps, you can complain to Facebook and ask them to get rid of couples pages. Although, we have zero belief that Facebook will remove them no matter how much outrage there is.

Something To Consider

Facebook is still the giant among giants in terms of social gathering and interaction. There’s no denying that Facebook still brings us together like never before and even with the backhanded slaps to privacy, people continue to use it because there is no other source quite like it.

For those who are serious about moving on from Facebook there is an option. Create your own page where you, your friends and family can stay in contact. There are so many website creation services available now, that anyone can get started quickly. Many are free and offer plenty of detail for making a space of your own.

If games are your primary Facebook activity, then that option may be difficult to swallow but games come and go and you may find the idea of your own personal space – managed by you – a worthwhile project.

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The post Facebook Strikes Again With Couples Pages first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Recently, a snippet of disabled code was discovered by Tom Waddington, a web developer from Cut Out & Keep. The code suggests that a ‘Want’ button may be on the way from Facebook. The small bit is an XFBML tag, <fb:wants>. Which in plain terms means there is a real chance that a ‘Want’ button could be built-in to Facebook similar to the like button, without the need for users to authorize apps.

A ‘Want’ button would mean a world of opportunity for retailers and merchants to determine what users actually desire in products. Facebook has been actively improving their ad targeting by focusing on users interests, interactions, etc. A ‘Want’ button would open up a new door to advertising revenue and could make Facebook appear more stable in the eyes of Wall Street.

The question of why or why now should be asked. Although we don’t know for sure Facebook will be introducing the ‘Want’ button or just how long its been in the works, we can say that increased social network competition is part of it. Facebook has no real competition, but with the rise of other social networks their grasp weakens on small bits of the social experience. Pinterest for example has turned social sharing through images on its head. Pinterest users share colossal amounts of images and spend a high percentage of time on the site. Google+, while not the competitor it was billed to be, does have a steady following. Those numbers combine to equal less interaction on Facebook.

Facebook’s would be willingness to grow can only be beneficial. Users may gain more enticing deals from brands that know what they want and are willing to give it to them. Merchants could get their products in front of users, creating more exposure and potential profit. For now, the ‘Want’ button is just a snippet of code that is disabled, but the social, consumer potential is enormous.

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The post Facebook Hints At ‘Want’ Button In Unpublished Code first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Users who look at their settings will see the change under Email where they’ll see something like this, <your_facebook_name_here>@facebook.com. The change is touted by Facebook as a way to have everyone on the same level, whereby they can make the change to their liking afterwards.

Now, some may wonder why this is such a big deal. It’s not an overwhelmingly troublesome change, but it is an annoyance and a notification would have been nice rather than relying on media to convey the details. If you’re someone who relies on email as a way for Facebook friends to contact you because you’re too busy for regular Facebooking, then this change means you’ll need to adjust the email address broadcast to friends so that it reflects the email address you’re always plugged in to instead of the @facebook address.

The upside of such a change is that users who’ve embraced Facebook as their complete internet portal will likely find the change welcome since Facebook essentially becomes their email provider as well.

For those who want to make the change to a traditional email address or change their profile back to how it was, follow these steps:

How To Change Facebook Contact Info

• Login to Facebook
• Click your name in the top right corner to reach your profile page.
• Under your Profile photo, click About.
• Look for Contact Info and click Edit.
  
• The box expands to a large window. Find the @facebook email address and click the Friends icon to the right of it.
• Select Only Me to hide the visibility of the email address.
  
• Click the Circle icon to the right of the Friends icon and click Hide from Timeline.
  
• At the bottom of the Edit window, click Save.

Repeat those steps for the email address that you want people to use. For example, if you want friends to contact you through your Gmail account, you would follow the steps through #5, but click Friends, Public or Custom.

If you have any trouble, feel free to contact us through our Facebook page.

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The post Facebook Email Forced As Default On All Accounts first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

On March 30^th, Facebook Timelines become a reality for brands and as many rush to prepare before that date arrives, personal profiles are already experiencing the new layout. Both have the new large Timeline cover photo and everyone wants to be unique.

Those still looking to trick out their Timeline photo can use Tricked Out Timeline to create a stylish cover image. Tricked Out Timeline is a free online service that uses cover photo templates combined with user provided photos to create a distinct image for Facebook Timelines.

Facebook users undoubtedly have other unique ideas for Timeline images, but as the date draws near for brands this is a quick fix option until the creative juices come up with something brand specific. Personal accounts can quickly setup the image on their profile and get friends talking about their awesome cover photo.

Visit Tricked Out Timeline

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The post Tricked Out Timeline: Quick And Easy Facebook Cover Photos first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Facebook holds an immense amount of personal data. The social networking giant continues to grow and dominate all social networks by a staggering margin. All that success adds up to more digital footprints left behind by users and has raised the question as to whether or not Facebook data should be considered part of one’s estate.

Social media accounts are now being viewed by some states in an effort to determine their place, if any, in one’s estate. Oklahoma was the first state to pass such a law in 2011 with Nebraska currently reviewing a similar model. Stories like the one recently published by The Washington Post, highlight why some people believe they should have unfettered access to a loved one’s Facebook account. Should more of these laws pass, we’ll likely see differing rules or limits to what is and isn’t part of one’s estate as well as who can take ownership of the information after death.

Our Take

We need to remember Facebook is a business and can handle accounts and data as they see fit. If estate law is modified to include Facebook data, then expect Facebook to adhere tightly to those guidelines. Beyond Facebook is the broader subject of digital data as a whole and how we handle that information after death.

There’s no harm in someone taking ownership of one’s Facebook data after death, but we agree there should be limits. For starters, no posting should be allowed. It’s unnecessary and frankly a little creepy. The owner of the account should be either next of kin or adapt the law to reflect Facebook data be willed. Only the owner should have access to the account for purposes of account download (photos, messages, etc.) and a one-time post referencing the passing of the Facebook user. The account should automatically turn off all notifications from every app and friend so that those items stop appearing on the deceased user’s timeline. Plainly put, no interaction at all should be active once a user has been deemed deceased. Beyond that, the account can remain active in a memorialized state for loved ones to view from time to time.

Your Thoughts

This is a hot topic that we’d like to hear your opinions on. Do you think Facebook data should be kept by whoever has the password or regulated by law so that those who pass are protected after death? Let us know in the comments.

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The post Who Controls Your Facebook Data After Death? first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Wish you could have more days of driving around with friends, rocking out to your favorite tunes? Facebook is ready to give you more of those times with it’s new listen with feature.

Listen With

If you use a music listening app on Facebook and share your listening activity with friends, then those same friends can listen right along with you. The feature is tied to the chat sidebar. When a friend has a musical note next to their name, friends can hover over the name and click the listen with button to listen to the same song, at the same time with their friend.

The song is fed through the same service your friend is currently using which means you will be in sync with the track time and when the next song comes on, you’ll keep on listening with your friend. The initial music listener still retains control of the music selections, so in essence – the driver dictates what’s on the radio. Others can join in too, which makes for a party like atmosphere. Everyone listening can comment and chat about the songs being played, turning the whole experience into a chatroom with music.

Those who are privacy conscience need not worry too much about special settings. According to Facebook’s own Help Center, “Only the people you’ve shared your listening activity with can see when you’re listening with a friend.”

The listen with feature started rolling out late last week and will continue rolling out to all users over the next several weeks.

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The post Listen With Feature Turns Facebook Chat Into A Music Party first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Examples of messages found in the hidden inbox are messages from fan pages or other individuals on Facebook. Typically, the messages are unimportant, but there are exceptions. If you ever use your Facebook page as a means of contact, then you could likely miss any responses because the messages from non-friends will be filed in the hidden inbox. Let’s say you post flyers for a lost pet and supply your Facebook page as a means of contact. If someone responds, you’ll miss the message because Facebook doesn’t send you a notification.

How To view your Facebook hidden inbox:

• Click ‘Messages’ on the left-hand side of your Facebook page.
• An ‘Other’ option will appear below ‘Messages’. Click it.
  

Although most of you will find nothing of importance listed in those messages, it’s good to know about just in case something ever does come through that you need to see.

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The post Access Your Second, “Hidden” Facebook Inbox first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.