10 Things I Learned About Facebook in 2010

1. Not using Facebook is now a political statement.

More than ever before, my friends and relatives have categorically decided not to be Facebook users in protest against the social networking giant’s security policies, fears of being found by prospective (or current) employers, and in the name of reclaiming lost time spent perusing questionable photos of estranged acquaintances. However…

2. The majority of people who leave Facebook come back.

Of my friends who’ve deactivated their accounts, most end up unable to live without it and return within a few months, as the connections made through Facebook and the information available proves useful for personal or professional networking.

3. Most companies can benefit from creating Facebook Pages and recruiting Fans.

It’s become an expected part of any business model for companies to create pages for their products and use their Facebook sites to run giveaways and other sorts of promotional events, while advertising daily to thousands of users via Facebook News feed.

4. It’s really easy to annoy people on Facebook.

Oversharing often leads to a deluge of unwanted spam in your fans’ News feeds. Users will quickly opt to hide your posts or “defriend” you, especially if it’s obvious that you’re only using Facebook for advertising purposes.

5. Famous people, even those who are famous for doing nothing, use Facebook.

No matter who you’re thinking of, they probably have an account. Many celebrities do (under their real names, in fact). As a consequence, many people have gotten very tight about their security settings so as to make sure no one but their friends can see them.

6. People like the idea of Facebook as a narrative.

David Fincher’s The Social Network, which tells the story of Facebook from its infancy, was met with great success at the box office. Many Facebook users enjoy a love/hate relationship with creator Mark Zuckerberg, villifying him as a privacy-stealing maniac, all the while relying on his media network for personal and professional success.

7. Don’t believe everything you read on Facebook.

Can you imagine how much more pervasive the “Paul is Dead” rumor would be if it happened nowadays instead of 1969? The “Share via” function of Facebook makes it all too easy for users to copy and paste other users’ statuses with one click, which is the online equivalent of lighter fluid for hot celebrity gossip.

8. Facebook is the new MySpace Music.

Many musicians are moving over from MySpace, which was unpopularly redesigned and made essentially unusable, to Facebook Pages, as a more efficient way to promote music and events.

9. Facebook applications cannot always be trusted.

You’ve heard of that application that supposedly lets you see who views your profile. Shockingly, it does not work. It just produces spam and may or may not compromise your account.

Facebook’s notions of “privacy” are already questionable; avoid seeking out applications that appeal to serial stalkers.

10. Facebook profiles can be deleted, but never erased.

Even if you immediately delete embarrassing posts to your Wall, all it takes is one of your friends to take a screen shot of your information before it’s forever immoralized. Don’t put anything on Facebook that you wouldn’t want on the front page of the New York Times.