Image Search landing page quality signals. [launch codename “simple”] This is an improvement that analyzes various landing page signals for Image Search. We want to make sure that not only are we showing you the most relevant images, but we are also linking to the highest quality source pages.
More relevant sitelinks. [launch codename “concepts”, project codename “Megasitelinks”] We improved our algorithm for picking sitelinks. The result is more relevant sitelinks; for example, we may show sitelinks specific to your metropolitan region, which you can control with your location setting.
Soft 404 Detection. Web servers generally return the 404 status code when someone requests a page that doesn’t exist. However, some sites are configured to return other status codes, even though the page content might explain that the page was not found. We call these soft 404s (or “crypto” 404s) and they can be problematic for search engines because we aren’t sure if we should ignore the pages. This change is an improvement to how we detect soft 404s, especially in Russian, German and Spanish. For all you webmasters out there, the best practice is still to always use the correct response code.
More accurate country-restricted searches. [launch codename “greencr”] On domains other than .com, users have the option to see only results from their particular country. This is a new algorithm that uses several signals to better determine where web documents are from, improving the accuracy of this feature.
More rich snippets. We improved our process for detecting sites that qualify for shopping, recipe and review rich snippets. As a result, you should start seeing more sites with rich snippets in search results.
Better infrastructure for autocomplete. This is an infrastructure change to improve how our autocomplete algorithm handles spelling corrections for query prefixes (the beginning part of a search).
Better spam detection in Image Search. [launch codename “leaf”] This change improves our spam detection in Image Search by extending algorithms we already use for our main search results.
Google Instant enhancements for Japanese. For languages that use non-Latin characters, many users use a special IME (Input Method Editor) to enter queries. This change works with browsers that are IME-aware to better handle Japanese queries in Google Instant.
More accurate byline dates. [launch codename “foby”] We made a few improvements to how we determine what date to associate with a document. As a result, you’ll see more accurate dates annotating search results.
Live results for NFL and college football. [project codename “Live Results”] We’ve added new live results for NFL.com and ESPN’s NCAA Football results. These results now provide the latest scores, schedules and standings for your favorite football teams.
Improved dataset for related queries. We are now using an improved dataset on term relationships to find related queries. We sometimes include results for queries that are related to your original search, and this improvement leads to results from more relevant related queries.
Related query improvements. [launch codename “lyndsy”] Sometimes we fetch results for queries that are related to the original query but have fewer words. We made several changes to our algorithms to make them more conservative and less likely to introduce results without query words.
Better lyrics results. [launch codename “baschi”, project codename “Contra”] This change improves our result quality for lyrics searches.
Tweak to +1 button on results page. As part of our continued effort to deliver a beautifully simple user experience across Google products, we’ve made a subtle tweak to how the +1 button appears on the results page. Now the +1 button will only appear when you hover over a result or when the result has already been +1’d.
Better spell correction in Vietnamese. [project codename “Pho Viet”] We launched a new Vietnamese spelling model. This will help give more accurate spelling predictions for Vietnamese queries.
Upcoming events at venues. We’ve improved the recently released places panel for event venues. For major venues, we now show up to three upcoming events on the right of the page. Try it for [staples center los angeles] or [paradise rock club boston].
Improvements to image size signal. [launch codename “matter”] This is an improvement to how we use the size of images as a ranking signal in Image Search. With this change, you’ll tend to see images with larger full-size versions.
Improved Hebrew synonyms. [launch codename “SweatNovember”, project codename “Synonyms”] This update refines how we handle Hebrew synonyms across multiple languages. Context matters a lot for translation, so this change prevents us from using translated synonyms that are not actually relevant to the query context.
Safer searching. [launch codename “Hoengg”, project codename "SafeSearch"] We updated our SafeSearch tool to provide better filtering for certain queries when strict SafeSearch is enabled.
Encrypted search available on new regional domains. Google now offers encrypted search by default on google.com for signed-in users, but it’s not the default on our other regional domains (eg: google.fr for France). Now users in the UK, Germany and France can opt in to encrypted search by navigating directly to an SSL version of Google Search on their respective regional domains: https://www.google.co.uk, https://www.google.de andhttps://www.google.fr.
Faster mobile browsing. [launch codename “old possum”, project codename “Skip Redirect”] Many websites redirect smartphone users to another page that is optimized for smartphone browsers. This change uses the final smartphone destination url in our mobile search results, so you can bypass all the redirects and load the target page faster.

The image search landing page quality signal change is quite interesting. We ran a great article on optimizing for image search by Michael Gray last year, and that’s full of tips to consider for this less talked about element of SEO, but the adjustments, as unspecific as they may be, reflect Google’s Panda-style focus on quality in search results. This, to me, is saying they’re applying same kind of thinking they do with regular web search to other parts of Google, more than ever before.

Here’s the list of questions Google has presented in the past to consider asking yourself, when evaluating quality.

Note that “better spam detection for image search” is also on the list.

Also note the codenames used throughout the list. Most you probably won’t have to remember like Panda and Caffeine, but it’s still nice to have something to reference for the future.

With regards to the “more rich snippets” item on the list, you may want to check out the series of videos Google recently put out on how to do rich snippets.
Note that “better spam detection for image search” is also on the list.

Also note the codenames used throughout the list. Most you probably won’t have to remember like Panda and Caffeine, but it’s still nice to have something to reference for the future.

With regards to the “more rich snippets” item on the list, you may want to check out the series of videos Google recently put out on how to do rich snippets.

Source: Webpronews.com

That doesn’t just go for helping your search rankings (which it can), but it provides a direct line of communication with many, many Googlers. It’s a great place to get advice from Google, and to share feedback. And it’s not just empty feedback. They’re actively participating in meaningful conversations with users, and have shown that they are taking ideas into consideration (for example, see recent Gmail integration).

This week, Google Webmaster Trends analyst John Mueller posted the following in a Google+ update:

“Google has tried a lot of new things this year when it comes to webmaster support — such as the hangouts in a variety of languages. Which parts do you all think we should work on next year? How can we make it easier for you all to make awesome websites, which are easily findable in web-search?”

“More hangouts? videos? more documentation? more detailed examples?”

This seems like a good opportunity to not only to raise this question ourselves with our readers, but to spread the question further, because you can actually participate in this conversation and possibly have an impact on future Google offerings, which can in turn benefit your site in the long run, and after a crazy year of algorithm changes, I’m sure many of you are looking for any leg up possible.

Google has already been hosting a slew of webmaster hangouts on Google+, and if you haven’t been taking advantage of this, why not? You are getting free access to some advice right from the horse’s mouth.

If you read WebProNews regularly, you should also know that Google puts out a lot of webmaster videos, generally starring Matt Cutts. We cover them fairly frequently, because they’re generally full of helpful knowledge for webmasters. Even when they contain things you already knew, sometimes it helps to be reminded of certain things, or Cutts might present the topic in a slightly different light than you looked at it before. It’s a good idea to watch these videos.

Apple iphone 5

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple Inc. unveiled a new iPhone on Tuesday that is faster and more powerful but stops short of a more radical upgrade. It said Sprint customers will now be able to use one.

The new iPhone 4S has an improved camera with a higher-resolution sensor. The processor is faster, which helps run smoother, more realistic action games. It’s also a “world phone,” which means that Verizon iPhones will be able to useable overseas, just as AT&T iPhones already are.

There had been speculation that Apple would reveal a more radical revision of the phone, an “iPhone 5.” The no-show leaves room for speculation that Apple will reveal a new model in less than a year, perhaps one equipped to take advantage of Verizon’s and AT&T’s new high-speed data networks.

Apple is including a “personal assistant” application called Siri in the iPhone 4S. It responds to spoken questions and commands such as “Do I need an umbrella today?” It’s an advanced version of speech-recognition apps found on other phones.

The new iPhone also comes with new mobile software that includes such features as the ability to sync content wirelessly, without having to plug the device to a Mac or Windows machine.

The iPhone announcement came during Apple’s first major product event in years without Steve Jobs presiding. New CEO Tim Cook led the show after Jobs, who has been battling health problems, resigned from the post in August.

Cook, wearing a navy blue button-down shirt and jeans, opened by calling his nearly 14-year tenure at Apple “the privilege of a lifetime.” Those in the audience clapped as he entered, but the reaction seemed more muted than what Jobs had recently received.

Cook said the latest iPhone, which came out in June 2010, sold more quickly than previous models, but the iPhone still has just 5 percent of the worldwide handset market. Apple is hoping to grow that with the new model.

Apple’s new mobile software, iOS 5, will also be available on Oct. 12 for existing devices — the iPhone 4 and 3GS, both iPad models and later versions of the iPod Touch.

Apple said Oct. 12 will also mark the launch of its new iCloud service, which will store content such as music, documents, apps and photos on Apple’s servers and let people access them wirelessly on numerous devices.

Apple said the new phone will come in black or white. It will cost $199 for a 16 gigabyte-version, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB — all with a two-year service contract requirement. It will now be available through Sprint Nextel Corp., besides the existing carriers, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless.

The previous version, iPhone 4, will now cost $99 for 8 GB. The 2009 model, the iPhone 3GS, will be given away for free with 8 GB. Both also require a two-year service contract.

Apple also touted the popularity of its products and unveiled a new line of iPods, including a Nano model with a multi-touch display that promises to be easier to navigate. Apple made no mention of its Classic model, which many people had speculated the company might discontinue.

The event took place in Apple’s Town Hall room, where the first iPod was launched a decade ago. Cook said Apple has sold more than 300 million iPods worldwide so far, including 45 million in the 12 months through June.

The iPhone came six years later and has gained millions of fans, thanks to its slick looks, high-resolution screen and intuitive software. There were 39 million iPhones sold in the first six months of this year.

To the surprise of consumers, major credit card companies are making decisions about what they can and can’t buy with their credit cards. What’s off-limits? Legal purchases like gambling chips and donations to at least one controversial non-profit organization; in some cases, buying pornography is also restricted, and so, increasingly, is medical marijuana. Last month, shortly before Delaware became the 16th state to legalize medical marijuana, American Express told merchants that its cards could not be used to buy it.

Companies say they’re protecting themselves against legal risk, but critics say this kind of corporate policy is an inconvenience for merchants, infringes on consumers’ rights and amounts to moral policy-setting. “You ought to be able to use a credit card for any legal purchase,” says John M. Simpson from the non-profit Consumer Watchdog. “It seems to me that credit card companies are imposing their moral values on the world.”

The specifics of the companies’ policies vary. American Express is the most conservative of the big three: it bans the purchase of medical marijuana in the 16 states that have legalized it and online pornography. Visa and MasterCard allow both for their credit and debit card holders. Last winter, Visa and MasterCard prevented cardholders from using their cards to donate to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. (The site never accepted American Express.) All three forbid using their cards to buy chips in a legal bricks-and-mortar casino. (Paying for online gambling, which is illegal in the U.S., is also prohibited.)

But the gambling restrictions also point out the gray areas in these policies, which critics say don’t always make sense. While cardholders can’t charge gambling chips, they can use their cards to get a cash advance at a casino’s ATM — cash they might then use to buy chips. “It’s arbitrary,” says Curtis Arnold, founder of the credit card comparison website CardRatings.com.

MasterCard and Visa said that their cards can be used for any legal purchases, though they declined to comment on the legal purchase of gambling chips. A MasterCard spokesman also said that the company has a number of programs that it uses to “combat illegal or brand-damaging behavior.”

American Express explained a more nuanced calculus: It said its business model, which primarily issues cards directly to customers instead of through a bank, requires it to be more conservative about risk. The company says it abides by federal law and prohibits transactions where the risk of dispute is unusually high.

The company also says its total ban on online pornography helps in the fight against child pornography, which is commonly disseminated or sold online. The ban on all pornography, even legal adult material, is “an additional safeguard,” said company spokeswoman Christine S. Elliott. As for marijuana, American Express points to federal law, which still prohibits the use of marijuana even for medical purposes. “We wouldn’t want to unduly inconvenience cardholders,” Elliott says, “but we are adhering to federal law.”

That’s not unreasonable, says Warren Redlich, a lawyer in Albany, N.Y., who specializes in consumer issues and criminal law. If the federal government were to ramp up its efforts to stop the sales of medical marijuana in states, it could theoretically try to implicate financial services companies that support the industry, he says. “You could sympathize with Amex’s position,” Redlich says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if MasterCard and Visa eventually go along with it.”

Some of these policies have been longstanding. American Express first banned the purchase of online pornography in May 2000, saying it faced an unacceptably high level of disputed transactions. “It’s a risk-based decision,” Elliott says. “This is not a moral judgment.” The company allows the purchase of pornography from brick-and-mortar stores.

But as more states legalize marijuana, the company’s policies are drawing criticism from new sources, including medical groups and doctors who support the medicinal use of the herb. Lester Grinspoon, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School who served for over 40 years as Senior Psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston, notes its medicinal properties to lessen nausea, incontinence and symptoms of Tourettes’ Syndrome. “Yet you get American Express saying they won’t honor a charge for that purpose,” he says. “That’s amazing.”

As of now, there has been little pressure on credit companies to reverse their policies. Industry experts says consumers may have little choice but to watch credit card companies further restrict their spending habits, especially where there is a legal question mark. Arnold says, “Given their track record they’re going to be much more cautious when it comes to these grey areas given the increasingly strict regulatory environment.”

In other words, when in doubt, pay cash.

Source: Smart Money

The Rise of Facebook.com – The official TimeLine

February 2004

Mark Zuckerberg, along with Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin, launch thefacebook.com from their Harvard dormitories.

The Rise of Facebook

March 2004

Students are pictured on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn. In the spring of 2004, the company expands to Yale, Stanford and Columbia.

Yale University

December 2004

Facebook reaches its first significant milestone: 1 million active users.

1 Million Active Users on Facebook

May 2005

The company secures $12.7 in funding from venture capital firm Accel Partners and expands to more than 800 colleges.

Facebook Funding

April 2006

The Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. is shown in January 2011. In 2006, Facebook adds more high-profile venture-capital backers: Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners, and others, raising a total of $27.5 million.

Facebook Secures more funding

January-March 2008

Facebook launches in Spanish, French and German.

April 2008

Facebook eclipses its former rival MySpace.

May 2009

Digital Sky Technologies makes a $200 million investment for preferred stock at a valuation of $10 billion.

December 2009

The popular networking site introduces new privacy settings that the company claims are supposed to give its 350 million users more control over what information they share. Consumer groups and users have a different view. They respond with a torrent of complaints that the new tools were confusing and that in some cases made user information more broadly available to other Web sites and anyone searching the Internet.

April 2010

The firestorm over Facebook and its privacy settings grows as the company introduces “instant personalization,” which shares user information — such as an individual’s preferences and those of their friends — with other Web sites. Privacy groups file complaints with regulators, and thousands of users join sites pledging to quit Facebook. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticizes Facebook for sharing information to third-party sites and calls for an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.

May 2010

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces new one-click options to help subscribers protect their privacy and apologizes for the company’s recent privacy stumbles. “We don’t pretend that we are perfect,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with The Washington Post’s Cecilia Kang. “We try to build new things, hear feedback and respond with changes to that feedback all the time.”

July 2010

A photo pre-approval feature is shown. Facebook will now let you pre-approve photos before your friends can post them with your name attached.

October 2010

A movie called “The Social Network” is released in theaters. Actor Jesse Eisenberg, left, plays Zuckerberg in the film, which captures how Facebook was started.

December 2010

Zuckerberg is featured on the cover of Time magazine’s 2010 “Person of the Year” issue. At 26, Zuckerberg is the youngest to earn the honor since the first person chosen, aviator Charles Lindbergh, in 1927. Lindbergh was 25.

April 2011

President Obama shared the stage with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg at the company’s headquarters. Obama outlined how his plan to reduce the deficit through spending cuts and raising taxes on the rich would be done without sacrificing what he described as key social safety nets.

April 2011

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rules that twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss lost in their bid to void a 2008 agreement for Facebook to pay the twins $65 million after claiming Mark Zuckerberg stole thier idea, according to reports. The Winklevosses had claimed that the scoial media company gave an inaccurate valuation of its shares before agreeing to pay the settlement.

July 2011

Facebook reaches 750 million active users and is speculated to be preparing to go public as soon as in the first quarter of 2012. News reports have pegged its potential valuation at more than $100 billion.

Facebook Rise to the Top

On Sept. 19, Google launched its mobile-payment system, Google Wallet. The offering allows users to pay for products from their Google Nexus S after loading a credit card onto their Wallet app and tapping the device against a reader. The idea, Google says, is to make it easier for consumers to make purchases, as well as securely buy products without needing to search through a wallet to find plastic.

As the first major player to the market, there’s a chance that Google Wallet will gain an early lead. Considering how lucrative mobile payments could eventually be for Google, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Google spends an inordinate amount of cash to solidify its position in the marketplace. But to say now that Google Wallet will reign supreme in the mobile-payment business would be premature. In fact, there’s a good possibility that Google Wallet won’t dominate that space at all.

Here’s why.

1. Consumers lack knowledge, experience

Unfortunately for Google and any other company thinking of competing in the mobile-payment business, there is a general lack of knowledge among consumers about how it all works. They hear buzzwords, like near-field communication, and they’re unsure of what that all means. What’s more, no company has really explained it to them. Until consumers fully understand mobile payments, no company can win out in that market—Google included.

2. Limited phone availability

For now, Google Wallet is available only to Google Nexus S owners. That device, which is running on Sprint’s network, is by no means the most popular smartphone in the market, and since it’s available only on one carrier’s service, the vast majority of consumers won’t even be able to run Google Wallet. Google says more devices will support Wallet in the future, but until that day comes don’t expect its service to be too well-known outside certain circles.

3. All wireless carriers aren’t onboard

In a blog post announcing Google Wallet on Sept. 19, Google said that it was “releasing the first version of the [Google Wallet] app to Sprint.” For now, Verizon Wireless, AT&T and other carriers are not in partnership with Google. And considering those firms reportedly have their own plans in the NFC market, they might not want to jump at the chance to support Wallet so quickly. Until wireless carriers jump on the Wallet bandwagon, the service won’t be rapidly adopted in the market.

4. Apple might jump into the space

There is rampant speculation that Apple will bring an NFC chip to the iPhone 5. If it does so, the device could support Apple’s own Google Wallet competitor. Such a platform could be a major force in the marketplace. After all, Apple has a boatload of customers who have their credit card information on file with iTunes. If it could find a way to use those for its own Wallet competitor, Google’s service could be in for trouble.

5. There will be multiple competing services

Apple isn’t the only company vying for dominance in the mobile-payment business. A number of firms, including PayPal and Visa, are reportedly working on mobile-payment services that could compete against Google Wallet. Simply put, the mobile-payment business will become highly fractured in the coming years, and that could very well hurt any company’s ability to score major market share.

6. There are too many moving parts

With Google Wallet, there are simply too many moving parts for the service to quickly take off and dominate the space. For one, handsets need to have an NFC chip and support the software. Secondly, Google needs to get credit card companies onboard. From there, the search company needs to get merchants to support Google Wallet. In other words, there are multiple steps Google must take to achieve a highly profitable level of deployment for Wallet. It might not achieve its goal for years to come.

7. It’s MasterCard, for now

According to Google’s blog post announcing Wallet, MasterCard credit cards will be supported with its new service. However, cards from Discover, American Express and Visa are not supported, although Google said that support “could” come in future versions of its service. Until then, it’s a major issue for Google. Until all the major credit card companies jump onboard, there’s no way for Wallet to dominate the market.

8. Fear over security

There is already some fear that goes into taking plastic out of a wallet and handing it to someone to swipe. But when it comes to a new technology that allows credit authorizations to be passed over the air, a whole new range of worries crops up for consumers. Are those security fears warranted? They certainly are until Google proves otherwise. As a result, Google will have a hard time persuading people to use Wallet until they demonstrate that the service can’t be compromised by cyber-criminals.

9. Generally poor marketing

So far, Google has engaged in very little marketing for Wallet. And so far its early marketing efforts haven’t looked all that effective. Most recently, Google used a clip from the television show “Seinfeld” to showcase how Wallet might be able to solve a consumer’s troubles. But the search company will need to do better than that. Google Wallet is an unknown entity in today’s mobile space, and Google will need to push hard to get folks to pay attention to it.

10. It’s still in its infancy

The mobile-payment business is still very much in its infancy. In the coming years, there’s no telling where it might go, what experience consumers prefer and how well the available services will deliver what consumers want in a secure and reliable mobile-payment system. So, while it’s theoretically possible for Google Wallet to eventually dominate the marketplace, it’s quite unlikely. At this point, it looks like several companies will have a shot and none, at least for now, will stand out above the rest.

facebook subscribe button

Facebook recently introduced a new subscribe button for personal profiles that lets you adjust how much and what types of activity you see from friends such as photo posts and game and status updates. The new button also lets you follow the public updates of people on Facebook who are not your friends including artists, journalists and other public figures. You can also opt-in to share your public updates including photos, status updates, and links with people you don’t know but who might be interested in you.

If you’re concerned about strangers subscribing to your profile against your will, you can rest easy. A Facebook official said the social network will not force you to allow people to subscribe to your public updates. This is an entirely opt-in part of the new subscribe function.

Facebook has started to roll out the subscribe button to users, so you should see them on your friends’ profiles soon. You can also activate the public subscriber option right now. Here’s how to get started with the new subscribe button.

What is a Facebook subscriber?

On Facebook, there are two different classes of subscribers: your friends and everybody else. Your friends are already subscribed to get your updates as they always have, and you, in turn, are subscribed to their updates.

If you choose to allow public subscribers, then those people will only see the content you share that is marked public. Let’s say Jim subscribes to the profile of Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Jim will then see all the public updates that Zuckerberg shares such as status updates, game activity, photos and videos, and life events such as marital and employment status. Zuckerberg, on the other hand, will never see Jim’s updates unless Jim has allowed public subscribers to follow his profile and Zuckerberg chooses to subscribe to Jim. This is basically the follow-followers model that Twitter uses.

Finding subscriptions

Facebook will start showing suggestions of people you can subscribe to in a section on the right-hand side of your Facebook home page. This will be similar to the “People You May Know” section located in the same place. You may also choose to subscribe to people by viewing updates that come through your News Feed. This could happen, for example, if one of your friends comments on a public status update from someone you don’t know.

Adjusting content flow

Whether you end up subscribing to someone’s public content or are subscribed as a friend, you can use the same tools to adjust what kind of content you see from each person. This is only an optional feature, and if you do nothing Facebook’s algorithms will decide as usual what should show up in your News Feed and what shouldn’t.

But chances are there’s someone in your Facebook life you would prefer to see less of in your News Feed but don’t want to eliminate entirely. You may have a friend who is a FarmVille addict and you can’t stand seeing their gaming updates. Or perhaps you know someone who has posted one inane status updates too many. For times like these, the subscriber button will come in handy.

Just visit that person’s profile and click on the “Subscribed” button at the top right of their profile. This will show you a dropdown menu of options to control the content you see from that individual. You can tell Facebook to show all of that person’s updates, most of their updates or only the important ones. If that doesn’t give you enough control, you can also control four specific update types that you want to see including gaming activity, status updates, life events, and photos and videos. Just click the check mark next to each update type to remove it from your News Feed.

The subscribe button is still rolling out so it may be a few days before you can adjust content settings this way.

Facebook Subscribe

If you would like to allow subscribers to view your public updates, the easiest way to activate this feature is to visit the Facebook Subscriptions page and click “Allow Subscribers.” After you allow subscribers, a dialog window will appear where you can set two preferences related to public subscriptions: commenting rules and new subscriber notifications.

By default, only your friends and friends of friends can comment on your public updates. But you can choose to allow anyone to comment on your public updates by selecting “On” from the dropdown menu in the Comments section of the dialog.

For new subscriber notifications, you can choose to be alerted when anyone subscribes to your updates, only when friends of friends subscribe or you can turn off new subscriber notifications entirely. By default, notifications are set to friends of friends.

Subscriber limits

Facebook will allow an unlimited number of people to subscribe to your public updates, but you can only subscribe to a maximum of 5,000 people.

On the Web, you can set public updates in the content sharing entry box at the top of your Facebook home page by clicking on the cog next to the Post button. Facebook’s mobile apps also have options for setting status updates to public or just friends.

But there are a few things to note about going public. First, once you set an update to Public (meaning anyone on Facebook could potentially see it) all your updates will be set to Public until you change this setting back to Friends or Custom. Also, if you are using Facebook’s custom function for your updates, you will lose your settings entirely when you decide to share a public update. Meaning that every time you share a public update, you will have to reenter your custom settings when you switch back.

Blocking

If you want to block a subscriber from your updates because of harassing comments or other unwanted behavior, click on “Account” on the top right of your profile and select “Privacy Settings.” On the next page, scroll down to the bottom and click on the “Manage Blocking” link in the “Blocked People and Apps” section. From there you can enter a user’s name or e-mail address to block them from viewing your updates.

Facebook has been hard at work adding new features to its services leading up to the social network’s F8 developer conference next Thursday. Facebook recently revamped its friends list feature that is supposed to make it easier for you to group friends into different categories similar to the Google+ Circles feature.