How to view facebook profile without logging in?
October 2, 2010 2:18 AM Subscribe
How do I view my own facebook profile page without having to login to the site? I'd like other people to be able to view my profile page even if they've not signed up to be members of facebook.
I recall that last time it was the standard behaviour: I could simply google my name and click on the link to facebook on the search result and view my profile according to my privacy settings. Now it seems that facebook is insisting that visitor have to sign up first in order to be able to view my profile.
I've tried setting "everyone" to all the values in the privacy settings page but it still doesn't work. Is there anything that I can do now, or I should just grudgingly accept this change?
I recall that last time it was the standard behaviour: I could simply google my name and click on the link to facebook on the search result and view my profile according to my privacy settings. Now it seems that facebook is insisting that visitor have to sign up first in order to be able to view my profile.
I've tried setting "everyone" to all the values in the privacy settings page but it still doesn't work. Is there anything that I can do now, or I should just grudgingly accept this change?
Go to Privacy settings, at the bottom, choose Applications, Games and Websites, at the bottom of that page is an option that controls "public search"..
that should do it for ya...
posted by HuronBob at 7:03 AM on October 2, 2010
that should do it for ya...
posted by HuronBob at 7:03 AM on October 2, 2010
Best answer: I think you're seeing what happens when someone isn't logged in to Facebook and tries to view content on Facebook. I just tried this with my URL -- facebook.com/username, which is what the first comment is referring to. I have enabled public search, as the second comment says. I can't view my own profile when I'm not logged in.
You have to be logged in to see anyone's profile. "Everyone" in the privacy settings doesn't literally mean all 6 billion humans in the world. It means "Everyone -- as long as they've logged on to their Facebook account." Facebook apparently wants to encourage people to create an account and log in to Facebook, which isn't surprising.
I don't think the privacy settings have anything to do with this. It's not like if your privacy is just really, really open, then anyone on the web can view your profile. As you've seen, you can have maximally open privacy settings, and someone who's not logged in can't see the info you're being open about. Conversely, you could restrict a lot of your info and someone who's logged in would still be able to view your profile (it would just be missing some info).
posted by John Cohen at 7:06 AM on October 2, 2010
You have to be logged in to see anyone's profile. "Everyone" in the privacy settings doesn't literally mean all 6 billion humans in the world. It means "Everyone -- as long as they've logged on to their Facebook account." Facebook apparently wants to encourage people to create an account and log in to Facebook, which isn't surprising.
I don't think the privacy settings have anything to do with this. It's not like if your privacy is just really, really open, then anyone on the web can view your profile. As you've seen, you can have maximally open privacy settings, and someone who's not logged in can't see the info you're being open about. Conversely, you could restrict a lot of your info and someone who's logged in would still be able to view your profile (it would just be missing some info).
posted by John Cohen at 7:06 AM on October 2, 2010
Response by poster: I have enabled public search, as the second comment says. I can't view my own profile when I'm not logged in.
Yes, this is exactly what I mean. While it used to work in the past, it seems that now there's no way to show my own profile to other people who are not a member of the site. I definitely do not like this and perhaps this could be a good reason to move on from facebook to the next big social network hits in the future.
posted by joewandy at 12:06 PM on October 2, 2010
Yes, this is exactly what I mean. While it used to work in the past, it seems that now there's no way to show my own profile to other people who are not a member of the site. I definitely do not like this and perhaps this could be a good reason to move on from facebook to the next big social network hits in the future.
posted by joewandy at 12:06 PM on October 2, 2010
I definitely do not like this and perhaps this could be a good reason to move on from facebook to the next big social network hits in the future.
People have been complaining about Facebook's constant redesigns for years. And ... Facebook keeps getting more and more users. Complaints about Facebook don't seem to be backed up by what would actually matter to the company, i.e. declining use of the site. Some new social networking site isn't going to overtake Facebook just by having the same features plus some extra advantages. People are going to stay with Facebook because that's what all their friends use. Very few people are going to care more about the ability to view a profile without being logged in.
posted by John Cohen at 1:05 PM on October 2, 2010
People have been complaining about Facebook's constant redesigns for years. And ... Facebook keeps getting more and more users. Complaints about Facebook don't seem to be backed up by what would actually matter to the company, i.e. declining use of the site. Some new social networking site isn't going to overtake Facebook just by having the same features plus some extra advantages. People are going to stay with Facebook because that's what all their friends use. Very few people are going to care more about the ability to view a profile without being logged in.
posted by John Cohen at 1:05 PM on October 2, 2010
I don't know when "in the past" this used to work, but it was one of my biggest peeves about FB until I actually joined -- which can be interpreted as, yes, an incentive for someone like me to join.
I don't care about my own profile so much, but I have a couple of public Pages that I wish could be accessible. Ultimately FB is not a web host and has no interest in being one -- it would undercut the basic underpinnings of the site.
posted by dhartung at 5:05 PM on October 2, 2010
I don't care about my own profile so much, but I have a couple of public Pages that I wish could be accessible. Ultimately FB is not a web host and has no interest in being one -- it would undercut the basic underpinnings of the site.
posted by dhartung at 5:05 PM on October 2, 2010
« Older Questions about "recruitment agencies"... | Good SEO submission software or submitters Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by malusmoriendumest at 6:25 AM on October 2, 2010