Timeline is right on time

If you're like me, you might have been reluctant to jump on board with Facebook's new Timeline. Maybe you still haven't applied it and don't see a good reason to take the plunge. The privacy issues have been off-putting for many folks, but for me, it's much less thought provoking. I'm just sick of change. Facebook wears me out with it. Just when I establish some habits associated with knowing where to look and click, they pull the rug out from under me. So I rebelled against Timeline. Until last night.

Last night is when I read a great blog post about what other institutions of higher ed, as well as some corporate marketers (Volkswagen, for one), are doing to fill up that nice billboard of space that frames the profile pic and spans across the top of the screen. This "cover photo," as it's been coined, is the most striking visual characteristic of the new Timeline, and it's prime real estate. Colleges and corporations alike are trying to capitalize on this space by making cover art available to anyone who wants it, so Facebook account holders can—if they so choose—do some marketing for them. If you think about it, this is probably a hard sell to most vehicle owners. I don't know what Volkswagen would have to do for me before I'd agree to advertise for them with my social media accounts. But colleges and universities are different. Graduates generally feel good about their alma mater. Likewise, current students are generally proud of where they attend. We really hope that's the case at Union College and want to offer students, fans and alumni an opportunity to use cover photos that illustrate that school pride.

So here they are, at least the few that I've created so far. I'm unveiling them here and will be busy trying to come up with an easy way for you to access them. But until we get them on the Web and have them available for download, you can certainly drop me an email and I'll shoot a Timeline Cover Photo your way. Just so you know, the "Class of..." images are available in whatever class year you need.

Stay social, everyone!

Missy Reid, '91
mreid@unionky.edu