Questions about how to enable Facebook’s new Timeline feature is the latest hot topic in social media and technology. And for good reason — it virtually transforms not just your Facebook page, but the entire experience of the site, too. The only flaw in the plan? Timeline isn’t yet publicly available.
You may have noticed some of your nearest and dearest proclaiming their access to Timeline and wonder, “How the heck can I join the party?” Fear not, friends. We’ve combed through articles from several sources, including the Los Angeles Times, AllFacebook, PC World, CNET and The Huffington Post, each of which provides detailed guidelines on how to access this much-coveted feature. The best instructions we’ve seen come courtesy of the brilliant minds at TechCrunch, and we’d love to share their tips so that you, too, can have your own Facebook Timeline in a matter of minutes.
Before I dive in, I have to confess that our fearless leader, Shelly Kramer relied on her trusty manservant, @danieleagee for his help in enabling her timeline. She’s tricky that way, and not at all patient when it comes to figuring this stuff out. But according to her, he owes her, big time, so who am I to judge? Don’t worry, you can do this without Daniel, we promise!
The steps outlined below are easy, and it only takes a few minutes to get your Timeline up and running. Ready? Let’s go!
1. Once you’ve logged into Facebook, type “developer” into the search box and click the first result. This enables developer mode on your Facebook account.
2. Access the developer app. Facebook may do this for you automatically, but if not, just click on the app in the tool bar on the left side of your page.
3. Create a new app, but rest easy — no one else will see what you’re creating. Choose a display name and namespace for your app. You’ll be asked to read and accept the Platform Privacy agreement. Note: At this step, you’ll need to have a verified account, so make sure a phone number or credit card number is attached to your Facebook account.
4. You should be in the settings screen of your new app. To verify, look for your app’s name at the top of the page.
5. Click “Get started using open graph” under the “Open Graph” header.
6. You’ll be in a configuration page. Make a few changes to the default settings and make sure you click through each of the settings pages — there’s 3. Don’t worry about completely configuring your app — changing just a few parameters is all you need to keep yourself on the right track.
7. Wait a couple of minutes. Grab a cold beverage, and think about all the ways you’ll use Timeline, including the all-important cover photo.
8. Head back to your Facebook home screen and you should find an invitation to Timeline. Go forth and customize your new and improved page, and be sure to also include a status update letting your Facebook nearest & dearest know that you’re inside the velvet ropes.
What are you waiting for …. go check it out. We’ll admit, we think it’s pretty spiffy.
