Facebook’s New Privacy Features: Easy or Complicated?

Naomi Gleit has publicly posted about the new privacy settings that launched this morning on Facebook. I briefly wrote about some of the changes taking place last night as well as this morning. I began modifying the settings this morning and there is no way that I’m going to get it done anytime soon. Given that I have almost 1,000 friends, it is difficult for me to categorize everybody accurately. But Vasanth who posted about the new settings on Alley Insider this afternoon has got it all wrong.

It took Vasanth 25 minutes this morning to categorize his 315 friends. Honestly 25 minutes isn’t that long for having all of your friends categorized in one location. Conversely, spending any substantial amount of time to organize your friends on Facebook can be annoying. Fortunately though, the average user has approximately 100 friends which means it should take about 8 minutes in Vasanth time to organize their friends.

I found the privacy settings refreshing and I had been predicting these changes since last year. These are necessary settings for any site that intents to keep their users active throughout the multiple phases of their life. Theoretically, individual photos and albums should have access control, but most users would probably find such settings excessively complicated.

While not completely accurate, Vasanth brought up a great point, “Even though we’ve taken the time to sort our pals into multiple lists, they groupings still aren’t granular enough. We’re happy to share some of our lives with almost all of our family, but not all of them.” I was thinking the exact same thing. My cousin should be able to view all of my photos but I probably wouldn’t want my mom seeing photos of me partying in college.

Have you found the new privacy settings easy or complicated? Will you take the time to organize your friends and give them different privacy settings?

New Privacy Settings Screenshot

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108314 Comments2008-03-19+19%3A17%3A08Nick+O%27Neill »

Hey Nick – I'm a big fan of these new privacy improvements. I love being able to instantly add new friends to specific lists, including the new Facebook Limited Profile list, and also being able to create new lists on the fly. This'll save tons of time later!

Meantime, with 1250+ friends, I probably need to set aside about two hours to properly categorize everyone! Some friends will end up on multiple lists. I'm not sure that I'll have anyone in the new Limited Profile list though – I figure if I don't want someone seeing stuff on my profile, I'd just unfriend them.

Comment by Mari Smith — March 19, 2008 @ 10:30 am
Hey Nick – I'm a big fan of these new privacy improvements. I love being able to instantly add new friends to specific lists, including the new Facebook Limited Profile list, and also being able to create new lists on the fly. This'll save tons of time later! Meantime, with 1250+ friends, I probably need to set aside about two hours to properly categorize everyone! Some friends will end up on multiple lists. I'm not sure that I'll have anyone in the new Limited Profile list though – I figure if I don't want someone seeing stuff on my profile, I'd just unfriend them.

Comment by Mari Smith — March 19, 2008 @ 10:30 am
I had my privacy settings set so that my friends and people from my college network could view my profile. Under the old system, when someone from my regional network searched for my name they could still click on my profile and see some of my information, including the applications. Now when someone from my regional network searches for me they can't click on my profile at all. Also, I have my status update set to all my networks and friends, but since people in my regional network can't click on my profile anymore, I'm not sure how they would see it.

Comment by Beth — March 19, 2008 @ 10:31 am
Honestly, it's a complicated mess. I think the Limited Profile feature from before was sufficient; either people saw what you had available, or you hid it. Providing all of these new options just makes it more difficult to navigate.

Comment by alicia — March 19, 2008 @ 11:53 am
I think they're excellent! It takes a little bit of thought but allows you so much greater control over your fb experience now. It also integrates very well with the new friends lists (really like the way you can create different lists and invite them to events or share content with them so easily).

Very good move Facebook, well done!

Comment by leon — March 19, 2008 @ 2:52 pm
I think they're excellent! It takes a little bit of thought but allows you so much greater control over your fb experience now. It also integrates very well with the new friends lists (really like the way you can create different lists and invite them to events or share content with them so easily).Very good move Facebook, well done!

Comment by leon — March 19, 2008 @ 2:52 pm
I had my privacy settings set so that my friends and people from my college network could view my profile. Under the old system, when someone from my regional network searched for my name they could still click on my profile and see some of my information, including the applications. Now when someone from my regional network searches for me they can’t click on my profile at all. Also, I have my status update set to all my networks and friends, but since people in my regional network can’t click on my profile anymore, I’m not sure how they would see it.

Comment by Beth — March 19, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Honestly, it’s a complicated mess. I think the Limited Profile feature from before was sufficient; either people saw what you had available, or you hid it. Providing all of these new options just makes it more difficult to navigate.

Comment by alicia — March 19, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
It's annoying that you can no longer hide the mini-feed in your limited profile. Why would they remove this option? I read their explanation, but come on…surely it's possible somehow.

If they really wanted to allow an option to hide the mini-feed in limited profile, they could – it was one of the most important aspects of the limited profile…

Comment by Dave — March 20, 2008 @ 7:27 am
It's annoying that you can no longer hide the mini-feed in your limited profile. Why would they remove this option? I read their explanation, but come on…surely it's possible somehow. If they really wanted to allow an option to hide the mini-feed in limited profile, they could – it was one of the most important aspects of the limited profile…

Comment by Dave — March 20, 2008 @ 7:27 am
I like the new settings but I am a little confused too. I spent some time sorting my friends into lists some months ago, and I have some folk who are in 2 lists . How does the privacy settings affect these guys … Does it set the most or the least restrictive setting???

I like the flexibility, but I'd does very quickly become confusing.

Comment by Pete — March 20, 2008 @ 9:29 am
I like the new settings but I am a little confused too. I spent some time sorting my friends into lists some months ago, and I have some folk who are in 2 lists . How does the privacy settings affect these guys … Does it set the most or the least restrictive setting???I like the flexibility, but I'd does very quickly become confusing.

Comment by Pete — March 20, 2008 @ 9:29 am
I actually find the new format on F.B. VERY ANNOYING. From what I can tell from all of my friends who use F.B. I think they are very annoyed also. When you get online, the last feed may have been 2 hrs ago. Then you have to up-date the Live News feed to recived the latest, then you’re really totally lost. What you had was great, but now it is such a mess, I’m not sure I’m going to continue with using F.B. In the words of a great man I know
“IF IT AIN’T BROKE……..DON’T FIX IT. PLEASE PUT IT BACK LIKE IT WAS.

Comment by L.Dawson — October 31, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
i think your comany shoudl do this in shcool see im 14 eyar old and i think im speeking for every one in my school i go bispham high in blackpool and i think that it should be used in school it isnt far that we cant go on the best thing taht going wereyou can chat and up date blog's i think that hafe of the shool try getting on facebook everyday but with no success we cant i think that it's and stupied rule taht kids and alowed on i think if you can use it with sence then that's okay but not childish well thankyou for liseninga and if you do read this please HELP!!!!

Comment by hope — November 19, 2010 @ 9:46 am

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Meantime, with 1250+ friends, I probably need to set aside about two hours to properly categorize everyone! Some friends will end up on multiple lists. I'm not sure that I'll have anyone in the new Limited Profile list though – I figure if I don't want someone seeing stuff on my profile, I'd just unfriend them.

Comment by Mari Smith — March 19, 2008 @ 10:30 am

Hey Nick – I'm a big fan of these new privacy improvements. I love being able to instantly add new friends to specific lists, including the new Facebook Limited Profile list, and also being able to create new lists on the fly. This'll save tons of time later! Meantime, with 1250+ friends, I probably need to set aside about two hours to properly categorize everyone! Some friends will end up on multiple lists. I'm not sure that I'll have anyone in the new Limited Profile list though – I figure if I don't want someone seeing stuff on my profile, I'd just unfriend them.

I had my privacy settings set so that my friends and people from my college network could view my profile. Under the old system, when someone from my regional network searched for my name they could still click on my profile and see some of my information, including the applications. Now when someone from my regional network searches for me they can't click on my profile at all. Also, I have my status update set to all my networks and friends, but since people in my regional network can't click on my profile anymore, I'm not sure how they would see it.

Comment by Beth — March 19, 2008 @ 10:31 am

Honestly, it's a complicated mess. I think the Limited Profile feature from before was sufficient; either people saw what you had available, or you hid it. Providing all of these new options just makes it more difficult to navigate.

Comment by alicia — March 19, 2008 @ 11:53 am

I think they're excellent! It takes a little bit of thought but allows you so much greater control over your fb experience now. It also integrates very well with the new friends lists (really like the way you can create different lists and invite them to events or share content with them so easily).

Very good move Facebook, well done!

Comment by leon — March 19, 2008 @ 2:52 pm

I had my privacy settings set so that my friends and people from my college network could view my profile. Under the old system, when someone from my regional network searched for my name they could still click on my profile and see some of my information, including the applications. Now when someone from my regional network searches for me they can’t click on my profile at all. Also, I have my status update set to all my networks and friends, but since people in my regional network can’t click on my profile anymore, I’m not sure how they would see it.

Comment by Beth — March 19, 2008 @ 2:31 pm

Honestly, it’s a complicated mess. I think the Limited Profile feature from before was sufficient; either people saw what you had available, or you hid it. Providing all of these new options just makes it more difficult to navigate.

Comment by alicia — March 19, 2008 @ 3:53 pm

It's annoying that you can no longer hide the mini-feed in your limited profile. Why would they remove this option? I read their explanation, but come on…surely it's possible somehow.

If they really wanted to allow an option to hide the mini-feed in limited profile, they could – it was one of the most important aspects of the limited profile…

Comment by Dave — March 20, 2008 @ 7:27 am

It's annoying that you can no longer hide the mini-feed in your limited profile. Why would they remove this option? I read their explanation, but come on…surely it's possible somehow. If they really wanted to allow an option to hide the mini-feed in limited profile, they could – it was one of the most important aspects of the limited profile…

I like the new settings but I am a little confused too. I spent some time sorting my friends into lists some months ago, and I have some folk who are in 2 lists . How does the privacy settings affect these guys … Does it set the most or the least restrictive setting???

I like the flexibility, but I'd does very quickly become confusing.

Comment by Pete — March 20, 2008 @ 9:29 am

I actually find the new format on F.B. VERY ANNOYING. From what I can tell from all of my friends who use F.B. I think they are very annoyed also. When you get online, the last feed may have been 2 hrs ago. Then you have to up-date the Live News feed to recived the latest, then you’re really totally lost. What you had was great, but now it is such a mess, I’m not sure I’m going to continue with using F.B. In the words of a great man I know
“IF IT AIN’T BROKE……..DON’T FIX IT. PLEASE PUT IT BACK LIKE IT WAS.

Comment by L.Dawson — October 31, 2009 @ 8:45 pm

i think your comany shoudl do this in shcool see im 14 eyar old and i think im speeking for every one in my school i go bispham high in blackpool and i think that it should be used in school it isnt far that we cant go on the best thing taht going wereyou can chat and up date blog's i think that hafe of the shool try getting on facebook everyday but with no success we cant i think that it's and stupied rule taht kids and alowed on i think if you can use it with sence then that's okay but not childish well thankyou for liseninga and if you do read this please HELP!!!!

Comment by hope — November 19, 2010 @ 9:46 am