Ang Cheng WeiSave your entire Facebook presence in 1 easy download? Some FB developer must have heard our collective wish. This and other new features UrbanWire learnt about in a press conference on Oct 7.
Hot on the heels of the launch of Facebook Places in August and improvements to Facebook Photos last week, Facebook announced an update to their Groups feature, a new application dashboard and a way to download Facebook information to users’ desktop.
Facebook Groups
What is it?
The updated Facebook Groups has been revamped to be a more feature-heavy and intimate for groups like classes, families, colleagues and sports teams, etc. This means you can now do group document edits, group live chats, as well as have an email address assigned to that particular group, and more.
New Icons
You can now change the icons to your group, making it specific to whatever your group is all about. For example, there is a paw logo for animal-related groups, and a football for football teams.
Group emails
Facebook now allows Groups to have an assigned email address to itself. However, only users that have joined that particular group can email to that address. Say you want to post on your group’s wall. Just email using this group address and it’s done.
Invitations
The party is getting more exclusive, because to join a group, you can no longer just click the Join button. Nope, a current member must invite you.
More intimate
There will be features like group document edits, photo and video sharing, group live chats and the ability to simultaneously invite all users of a group to an event.
Also, every time someone posts on the group’s wall, every member gets a notification.
Privacy settings
By default, the privacy setting to every group is “Closed”. But you can reset it to 2 others: “Open” and “Secret”.
In the “Closed” setting, the public won’t be able to view wall posts, but friends of members can still find the group, as members are plainly listed.
Choosing “Secret” means the group and members, are all unlisted.
What happens to my current Facebook Groups?
They will stay exactly the same. Facebook hasn’t announced any plans to port the current groups to the new format. However, all new groups created from today will be in the new format.
Limits
Facebook Groups only accepts up to 250 members as it is intended for small groups. The limit is unlikely to be changed.
Where is it?
Try out the new Facebook Groups here.
Click here for theurbanwire.com’s facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10150292664920484
Facebook Applications Dashboard
What is it?
With the burgeoning mass of applications that Facebook has, it’s harder and harder to keep track of which applications have the authority to access your private information, and which don’t.
The new dashboard keeps track of just this.
It also allows users to see what applications they’ve allowed to access their information in Facebook, as well as Facebook Connect sites.
Why do I need it?
This new dashboard shows in clear detail which application you’ve authorized to access your account, and when it last did that.
You can easily change your mind about your previous settings, and even delete apps you don’t want to have access to your information.
Where is it?
In your Facebook privacy settings.
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10150292661560484
Information download
What is it for?
This new feature allows Facebook members to download a .zip file of their Facebook profile. The .zip file will contain a complete list of the user’s uploaded photos and videos, wall posts, notes, comments, status updates, friend lists and more.
Basically, it would be files containing your entire existence on Facebook.
Security
To prevent people from taking advantage of an unmanned laptop or desktop, the information will only be available after typing in the password, and answering some “appropriate” security questions.
Limits
The .zip file doesn’t contain your friends’ contact information, just yours, making it highly ineffective if you want to use the downloaded contact information for adding people on MSN Messenger, email accounts, etc.
Where is it?
Under your account settings. The feature is not released yet, but check back to Facebook in a few days, and it should be there.
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10150292657680484