The following is part of our series on different ways you can use Facebook to connect with public figures and organizations around the world. Read the previous blog post in this series here.





From reality television to prime-time dramas, I admit it, I can be a bit television-obsessed. I often find myself spending an evening after a long day's work catching up on my favorite television shows. Unfortunately, a busy schedule can prevent even the most devoted fan from catching key plot lines and dramatic twists. Luckily, I can keep up to date on my favorite shows with my friends on Facebook, so I never miss a beat.



Watching Online



Every September, there are a dozen new television shows that I want to check out, but I only have so much time to tune in each night. One of my favorite websites, Hulu, streams TV shows directly on its Facebook Page using the application Watch Now. This way, I can watch full episodes of the hottest fall shows whenever I want, including "House," one of my favorite medical dramas on Fox. My friends can see how far along I am in the current season of diagnostic mysteries when I share the episode to my Facebook profile.



I also am discovering funny clips that I've missed thanks to my friends. I first heard of the popular joke from NBC's workplace comedy "The Office" about a social networking site called "Book Face" because a colleague shared the Hulu clip on his profile.



Teasers



Sometimes the best part of my day is when one of my favorite shows posts a new teaser for an upcoming episode on their Facebook Page. "Gossip Girl," the CW drama about young Manhattan elites, airs on Monday nights and then posts video and photo previews for upcoming episodes on Tuesdays. The week of waiting to watch the next episode of gossip among Serena, Nate, Chuck and Blair is more bearable when I can see fashions from "Gossip Girl" shared directly on my home page in the meantime.







Wednesdays are equally interesting when the Fox musical comedy "Glee" posts clips from the night's upcoming episode paired with introductions from all of my favorite cast members. Sometimes the show even includes clips of its ever-popular musical numbers like this rendition of "Keep Holding On."



Then there are times when my friends share their favorite TV shows with me on Facebook. For instance, one friend posted that she had seen the future in the "FlashForward Experience." It piqued my curiosity, and when I visited the show's Facebook Page, I was directed to a Facebook Connect-enabled website where I was suddenly immersed in the ABC show's trailer. The site uses the viewer's Facebook photos to create an individualized video after that viewer grants permission . The trailer asks, "Where were you on September 24?" I am definitely looking forward to the answer when I tune into the new science-fiction series.



New Favorites



Although my television schedule is busy with old favorites, I always have room for a new show. Those can be the most surprising. Several of my friends became a fan of the Travel Channel's competitive eating show, "Man v. Food," through an ad they saw on Facebook with the challenge, "5 lb burger, 4 peppers, 25 min." This, I had to see for myself.



I've also seen friends become fans of the new ABC sitcom "Modern Family." The show highlights its "Favorite Modern Moments" in a photo album on its Facebook Page. I laughed out loud at this photo and immediately tuned in through the ABC.com link I found on Facebook.







Annie, an associate on Facebook's communications team, can't wait to see tomorrow's TV line-up on Facebook today.

UPDATE on Thursday, Nov. 5: The comment period for the proposed privacy policy is now complete. While the total number of comments did not reach the threshold to hold a vote, we did receive a lot of good feedback. In the coming days, we'll be reading your comments more closely, and we'll keep you informed on our next steps through status updates from the Facebook Site Governance Page. Thank you all for your participation.



UPDATE on Monday, Nov. 2: The proposed privacy policy now includes the TRUSTe certification seal, which reflects TRUSTe's approval of the policy. Please comment on the proposed policy here by 12:00 p.m. PST on Nov. 5.





Starting today, Facebook's privacy policy is available for your review and comment. This is the next step in our ongoing effort to run Facebook in an open and transparent way. In April, we launched a new system of governance for the Facebook site and became the first company to our knowledge that invites users to both comment and vote on proposed changes to its governing policies.



At the time, we also introduced a new policy document -- our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This document avoids the legal jargon that most sites typically put in their "terms of service." It articulates the mutual relationship and shared obligations between Facebook and its users as clearly and plainly as possible. We received excellent feedback from many of you over the course of a two-week comment period.



We now are doing the same with our privacy policy. Our primary goals remain transparency and readability, which is why we've used plain language and included numerous examples to help illustrate our points. For example, here is how we explain users' options for modifying or deleting information or content in the current privacy policy on the site:

When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information. ...

... Even after removal, copies of User Content may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other Users have copied or stored your User

Content. ...

Access and control over most personal information on Facebook is readily available through the profile editing tools. Facebook users may modify or delete any of their profile information at any time by logging into their account. Information will be updated immediately. Individuals who wish to deactivate their Facebook account may do so on the My Account page. Removed information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time but will not be generally available to members of Facebook.

Viewing and editing your profile. You may change or delete your profile information at any time by going to your profile page and clicking "Edit My Profile." Information will be updated immediately. While you cannot delete your date of birth, you can use the setting on the info tab of your profile information page to hide all or part of it from other users. ...



Deactivating or deleting your account. If you want to stop using your account you may deactivate it or delete it. When you deactivate an account, no user will be able to see it, but it will not be deleted. We save your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.) in case you later decide to reactivate your account. Many users deactivate their accounts for temporary reasons and in doing so are asking us to maintain their information until they return to Facebook. You will still have the ability to reactivate your account and restore your profile in its entirety. When you delete an account, it is permanently deleted. You should only delete your account if you are certain you never want to reactivate it. You may deactivate your account on your account settings page or delete your account on this help page.



Limitations on removal. Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users. However, your name will no longer be associated with that information on Facebook. (For example, if you post something to another user's profile, and then you delete your account, that post may remain, but be attributed to an "Anonymous Facebook User.") Additionally, we may retain certain information to prevent identity theft and other misconduct even if deletion has been requested.



Backup copies. Removed and deleted information may persist in backup copies for up to 90 days, but will not be available to others.

As a recent college graduate, I use Facebook to keep up with the latest news from my alma mater, Pomona College, in Claremont, Calif. For instance, I learned about a happy hour for young alumni via a status update, and I saw photos of John Krasinski, who plays "Jim" in "The Office," on his recent visit to campus.







Pomona isn't the only college utilizing Pages. In fact, in addition to colleges and universities, a number of academic groups are now on the site. We also recently launched a Facebook in Education Page on the site as a resource for teachers, professors, administrators, counselors and others who work in academia.



Here are a few other interesting examples of how educators are using Facebook to connect.



Texas A&M University has connected with nearly 150,000 people through their Facebook Page. They share highlights from the latest Aggie win on the football field, exclusive interviews with the university President and admissions information.



Stanford University uses their Facebook Page to host open office hours for people to connect with professors and luminaries. They solicit questions on the Page and post responses in a series of videos. You can see the most recent edition here with Provost John Etchemendy.



High schools from San Jose, Calif. to Sanford, Fla. also are using Facebook to organize student and alumni events, generate support and excitement around upcoming games and keep their local communities informed about school activities.



Svein Arber, a high school teacher in San Francisco, Calif., created a Facebook group to connect with his Advanced Placement (AP) literature class. Over the course of the year, students write posts on the group's discussion board to analyze the narration style in Phillip Roth's "American Pastoral" and debate whether a character in Albert Camus' "The Stranger" is fundamentally good or evil. Svein also uses the Events feature to remind students of due dates for assignments. "It's been very positive," he said. "I'm able to reach my students where they live."







Other teachers are encouraging students to use Facebook to collaborate with peers across the globe. For example, two high school students from the Loudoun Academy of Science in Sterling, Va. are studying the positive qualities of maggots in collaboration with two students in Singapore, more than 9,000 miles away. One student, Joanne Guidry, told The Washington Post, "When we talk on Facebook, you can't tell they are halfway around the world."



There also are Facebook applications like Schools, which help students before they even step foot on campus, during school and after they graduate. Incoming students can contact admissions offices and engage with their peers. Current students can get help with homework from classmates and plan club meetings, while graduates can locate other alumni and organize reunions. You already can find schools like Arizona State University, Michigan State University and Becker College through the Schools application.



The Courses application allows educators and students to view class rosters and manage their schedules, while the Flashcards application keeps students language skills fresh by allowing them to to study spelling, French vocabulary and much more.



Now, that's some A+ work. Be sure to check out the recently launched Facebook in Education Page for even more tips on using the Facebook in the classroom, stories about educators and answers to frequently asked questions about Facebook and academia. We would love for you to share your own experiences, as well.





Julie, a specialist on Facebook's user operations team, is moving to Ireland to put her teaching skills to work in Facebook's Dublin office.

The following is part of our series, Facebook Tips, which answers some of the most commonly asked questions about using Facebook. While we hope the tips we share on the blog will be informative, remember that we are unable to answer individual questions here. We'll always direct you to the Help Center for additional information about the topics we cover.





You don't have to be logged in to Facebook to get the latest updates from friends. Email notifications allow you to know when people interact with you on the site, whether through Wall posts, comments, tagged photos or friend requests. Similar to the notifications you see in the lower right hand corner on Facebook, email notifications let you know what's happening even when you aren't logged in.



You can manage email notifications by selecting the "Settings" link in the upper right hand corner of any page. From the Notifications tab, you can choose which actions you want to generate emails. For example, if you want to be notified by email each time someone writes on your Wall or receive weekly email digests about your friends' upcoming birthdays, just check the boxes next to these options. If you'd rather not be notified when people poke you or comment on your photos, just leave those boxes unchecked.



To change the email address associated with your account, select the "Settings" tab. You'll then see your current email address and can select "change" to add or delete addresses. Your Facebook email notifications will only be sent to the address you designate as your "Contact Email," so also be sure this information is accurate.









Melody, a specialist in Facebook user operations, has three new email notifications.

Michael Kaiser is the executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a U.S.-focused nonprofit organization that works to keep people secure online. The organization focuses its efforts on cyber security education to provide information and tools for people to take control over preventing cyber crimes and attacks. As October and National Cyber Security Awareness month come to a close, we asked Michael to share his thoughts on precautions people should take online.





Many people believe they know their way around the digital world as well as or better than the physical world. Everything from paying bills to phone calls to distant relatives can now be done online. People store some of their most important documents, photos and financial information electronically -- and seem to be more organized than ever. Yet while people may be cyber savvy and on the cutting edge of digital culture, they may not be cyber secure.



It turns out that we are only as protected as the weakest link in our network, so if you don't take precautions, you're not just endangering yourself. You also are impacting your friends and family. For instance, a "cyber criminal" can leave his entire network at risk by using an easily guessed password like the word "password" for his email account. This innocent person inadvertently becomes an enabler of cybercrime by not being cautious.



With a growing number of people online for a significant portion of every day, it's not surprising that more people are particularly visible and vulnerable targets of cyber criminals. Often, a healthy dose of common sense and knowledge about threats are the first step. Keep these 10 tips in mind as you get on the path to becoming cyber savvy.

1. Protect your personal information. Know who is going to see it and understand the value of it and why the other party needs it before you share.
2. Create complex and lengthy passwords that include letters, numbers and symbols. Be sure to change them often, and keep in mind "password1" doesn't make the cut.
3. Don't use public networks to conduct private business.
4. Set your security software, operating system and browser to update automatically.
5. Conduct transactions only on secure sites. Look for "shttp" or "https" in the URL.
6. Use privacy, safety and other settings on social networks.
7. Understand threats and learn more at the NCSA website and the Facebook Security Page.
8. Back up important information regularly to keep your music, photos and work protected.
9. Physically protect your computer, too. If you wouldn't leave your credit card unattended in a public location, you shouldn't leave your computer either.
10. Report cyber crimes.

UPDATE on Monday, Nov. 2: The proposed privacy policy now includes the TRUSTe certification seal, which reflects TRUSTe's approval of the policy. Please comment on the proposed policy here by 12:00 p.m. PST on Nov. 5.





Starting today, Facebook's privacy policy is available for your review and comment. This is the next step in our ongoing effort to run Facebook in an open and transparent way. In April, we launched a new system of governance for the Facebook site and became the first company to our knowledge that invites users to both comment and vote on proposed changes to its governing policies.



At the time, we also introduced a new policy document -- our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This document avoids the legal jargon that most sites typically put in their "terms of service." It articulates the mutual relationship and shared obligations between Facebook and its users as clearly and plainly as possible. We received excellent feedback from many of you over the course of a two-week comment period.



We now are doing the same with our privacy policy. Our primary goals remain transparency and readability, which is why we've used plain language and included numerous examples to help illustrate our points. For example, here is how we explain users' options for modifying or deleting information or content in the current privacy policy on the site:

When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information. ...

... Even after removal, copies of User Content may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other Users have copied or stored your User

Content. ...

Access and control over most personal information on Facebook is readily available through the profile editing tools. Facebook users may modify or delete any of their profile information at any time by logging into their account. Information will be updated immediately. Individuals who wish to deactivate their Facebook account may do so on the My Account page. Removed information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time but will not be generally available to members of Facebook.

Viewing and editing your profile. You may change or delete your profile information at any time by going to your profile page and clicking "Edit My Profile." Information will be updated immediately. While you cannot delete your date of birth, you can use the setting on the info tab of your profile information page to hide all or part of it from other users. ...



Deactivating or deleting your account. If you want to stop using your account you may deactivate it or delete it. When you deactivate an account, no user will be able to see it, but it will not be deleted. We save your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.) in case you later decide to reactivate your account. Many users deactivate their accounts for temporary reasons and in doing so are asking us to maintain their information until they return to Facebook. You will still have the ability to reactivate your account and restore your profile in its entirety. When you delete an account, it is permanently deleted. You should only delete your account if you are certain you never want to reactivate it. You may deactivate your account on your account settings page or delete your account on this help page.



Limitations on removal. Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users. However, your name will no longer be associated with that information on Facebook. (For example, if you post something to another user's profile, and then you delete your account, that post may remain, but be attributed to an "Anonymous Facebook User.") Additionally, we may retain certain information to prevent identity theft and other misconduct even if deletion has been requested.



Backup copies. Removed and deleted information may persist in backup copies for up to 90 days, but will not be available to others.

UPDATE on Monday, Nov. 2: The proposed privacy policy now includes the TRUSTe certification seal, which reflects TRUSTe's approval of the policy. Please comment on the proposed policy here by 12:00 p.m. PST on Nov. 5.





Starting today, Facebook's privacy policy is available for your review and comment. This is the next step in our ongoing effort to run Facebook in an open and transparent way. In April, we launched a new system of governance for the Facebook site and became the first company to our knowledge that invites users to both comment and vote on proposed changes to its governing policies.



At the time, we also introduced a new policy document -- our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This document avoids the legal jargon that most sites typically put in their "terms of service." It articulates the mutual relationship and shared obligations between Facebook and its users as clearly and plainly as possible. We received excellent feedback from many of you over the course of a two-week comment period.



We now are doing the same with our privacy policy. Our primary goals remain transparency and readability, which is why we've used plain language and included numerous examples to help illustrate our points. For example, here is how we explain users' options for modifying or deleting information or content in the current privacy policy on the site:

When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information. ...

... Even after removal, copies of User Content may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other Users have copied or stored your User

Content. ...

Access and control over most personal information on Facebook is readily available through the profile editing tools. Facebook users may modify or delete any of their profile information at any time by logging into their account. Information will be updated immediately. Individuals who wish to deactivate their Facebook account may do so on the My Account page. Removed information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time but will not be generally available to members of Facebook.

Viewing and editing your profile. You may change or delete your profile information at any time by going to your profile page and clicking "Edit My Profile." Information will be updated immediately. While you cannot delete your date of birth, you can use the setting on the info tab of your profile information page to hide all or part of it from other users. ...



Deactivating or deleting your account. If you want to stop using your account you may deactivate it or delete it. When you deactivate an account, no user will be able to see it, but it will not be deleted. We save your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.) in case you later decide to reactivate your account. Many users deactivate their accounts for temporary reasons and in doing so are asking us to maintain their information until they return to Facebook. You will still have the ability to reactivate your account and restore your profile in its entirety. When you delete an account, it is permanently deleted. You should only delete your account if you are certain you never want to reactivate it. You may deactivate your account on your account settings page or delete your account on this help page.



Limitations on removal. Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users. However, your name will no longer be associated with that information on Facebook. (For example, if you post something to another user's profile, and then you delete your account, that post may remain, but be attributed to an "Anonymous Facebook User.") Additionally, we may retain certain information to prevent identity theft and other misconduct even if deletion has been requested.



Backup copies. Removed and deleted information may persist in backup copies for up to 90 days, but will not be available to others.

Michael Kaiser is the executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a U.S.-focused nonprofit organization that works to keep people secure online. The organization focuses its efforts on cyber security education to provide information and tools for people to take control over preventing cyber crimes and attacks. As October and National Cyber Security Awareness month come to a close, we asked Michael to share his thoughts on precautions people should take online.





Many people believe they know their way around the digital world as well as or better than the physical world. Everything from paying bills to phone calls to distant relatives can now be done online. People store some of their most important documents, photos and financial information electronically -- and seem to be more organized than ever. Yet while people may be cyber savvy and on the cutting edge of digital culture, they may not be cyber secure.



It turns out that we are only as protected as the weakest link in our network, so if you don't take precautions, you're not just endangering yourself. You also are impacting your friends and family. For instance, a "cyber criminal" can leave his entire network at risk by using an easily guessed password like the word "password" for his email account. This innocent person inadvertently becomes an enabler of cybercrime by not being cautious.



With a growing number of people online for a significant portion of every day, it's not surprising that more people are particularly visible and vulnerable targets of cyber criminals. Often, a healthy dose of common sense and knowledge about threats are the first step. Keep these 10 tips in mind as you get on the path to becoming cyber savvy.

1. Protect your personal information. Know who is going to see it and understand the value of it and why the other party needs it before you share.
2. Create complex and lengthy passwords that include letters, numbers and symbols. Be sure to change them often, and keep in mind "password1" doesn't make the cut.
3. Don't use public networks to conduct private business.
4. Set your security software, operating system and browser to update automatically.
5. Conduct transactions only on secure sites. Look for "shttp" or "https" in the URL.
6. Use privacy, safety and other settings on social networks.
7. Understand threats and learn more at the NCSA website and the Facebook Security Page.
8. Back up important information regularly to keep your music, photos and work protected.
9. Physically protect your computer, too. If you wouldn't leave your credit card unattended in a public location, you shouldn't leave your computer either.
10. Report cyber crimes.

UPDATE on Thursday, Oct. 29: Today, a San Jose, Calif. court awarded Facebook $711 million in damages against Sanford Wallace, one of the spammers who accessed people's accounts without their permission and sent phony Wall posts and messages. While we don't expect to receive the vast majority of the award, we hope that this will act as a continued deterrent against these criminals. Most notably, the judge referred Wallace to the U.S. Attorney's Office with a request that Wallace be prosecuted for criminal contempt, which means that in addition to the judgment, he now faces possible jail time. This is another important victory in our fight against spam. We will continue to pursue damages against other spammers.



Published on Friday, March 6

We hate spam just as much as you do, and we're always working to stop it. Last week, we won a ruling in this ongoing fight. A court in San Jose, California issued a temporary restraining order against three spammers--Sanford Wallace, Adam Arzoomanian and Scott Shaw. They broke the law by sending unwanted messages and wall posts to people on Facebook, which in the United States violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the California Anti-Phishing Act and the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM). Now, any contact these spammers have with you or anyone on Facebook could land them in jail.



This isn't the first time we've gone to court to battle spam. Last November, we also told you about our first victory--an $873 million judgment made against Adam Guerbuez and Atlantis Blue Capital for sending sleazy messages to people on Facebook. This was the largest judgment ever for an action brought under CAN-SPAM. We continue to work on collecting as much as possible from Guerbuez and Atlantis Blue (likely far less than the full amount) and have hired a firm to help with this. We're hopeful that this kind of persistent pressure will act as a deterrent against those attempting to trick and annoy people on Facebook.



Of course, this fight requires a team effort. In addition to our dedicated legal team, Facebook also has security experts and engineers focused on the integrity of the site. We're continuing to build systems to prevent and respond to spam attacks. Our User Operations team also works around the clock to identify problems and assist people who've been affected.



We will continue bringing spammers to justice, but we need need your help, too. Report spam by using the links located throughout the site.







Be sure to also check out the tips and information on our Security Page to educate yourself on how to keep your account secure.





Sam O'Rourke from the Facebook legal team is busy keeping you safe from spam.

Starting today, Facebook's privacy policy is available for your review and comment. This is the next step in our ongoing effort to run Facebook in an open and transparent way. In April, we launched a new system of governance for the Facebook site and became the first company to our knowledge that invites users to both comment and vote on proposed changes to its governing policies.



At the time, we also introduced a new policy document -- our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This document avoids the legal jargon that most sites typically put in their "terms of service." It articulates the mutual relationship and shared obligations between Facebook and its users as clearly and plainly as possible. We received excellent feedback from many of you over the course of a two-week comment period.



We now are doing the same with our privacy policy. Our primary goals remain transparency and readability, which is why we've used plain language and included numerous examples to help illustrate our points. For example, here is how we explain users' options for modifying or deleting information or content in the current privacy policy on the site:

When you update information, we usually keep a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information. ...

... Even after removal, copies of User Content may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other Users have copied or stored your User

Content. ...

Access and control over most personal information on Facebook is readily available through the profile editing tools. Facebook users may modify or delete any of their profile information at any time by logging into their account. Information will be updated immediately. Individuals who wish to deactivate their Facebook account may do so on the My Account page. Removed information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time but will not be generally available to members of Facebook.

Viewing and editing your profile. You may change or delete your profile information at any time by going to your profile page and clicking "Edit My Profile." Information will be updated immediately. While you cannot delete your date of birth, you can use the setting on the info tab of your profile information page to hide all or part of it from other users. ...



Deactivating or deleting your account. If you want to stop using your account you may deactivate it or delete it. When you deactivate an account, no user will be able to see it, but it will not be deleted. We save your profile information (friends, photos, interests, etc.) in case you later decide to reactivate your account. Many users deactivate their accounts for temporary reasons and in doing so are asking us to maintain their information until they return to Facebook. You will still have the ability to reactivate your account and restore your profile in its entirety. When you delete an account, it is permanently deleted. You should only delete your account if you are certain you never want to reactivate it. You may deactivate your account on your account settings page or delete your account on this help page.



Limitations on removal. Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users. However, your name will no longer be associated with that information on Facebook. (For example, if you post something to another user's profile, and then you delete your account, that post may remain, but be attributed to an "Anonymous Facebook User.") Additionally, we may retain certain information to prevent identity theft and other misconduct even if deletion has been requested.



Backup copies. Removed and deleted information may persist in backup copies for up to 90 days, but will not be available to others.