Un-tag forever -- finally
Friends, parents and employers have long been urging users to comb through questionable Facebook pictures.
Now, users can finally un-tag and delete with confidence.
On Facebook’s old servers, even though pictures were, indeed, immediately removed from one’s profile page, it took a long period of time to permanently remove the images from Facebook’s systems -- often years.
Facebook installed its new servers in February, and according to recent articles, they are finally up to speed. Now, pictures will be permanently removed (though not necessarily forgotten) in 30 days or less, according to Huffington Post.
Max Shatz, a rising junior at Rowan University majoring in public relations, has been a Facebook user since June 6th, 2008.
Four years ago, Shatz -- like many -- joined because it was the thing to do (just like joining Xanga or MySpace). “It seemed like a good idea,” he said. “I continue using it because it makes maintaining relationships with people I’ve met over my whole life as simple as logging on; extended family, foreign friends, etcetera.”
Shatz doesn’t post just anything. “Before I post anything, I ask [myself] if people will find what I post interesting,” he said.
As for pictures, he never posts anything that would be “embarrassing or incriminating.” “I even avoid posting pictures people don’t look good in,” said Shatz.
If only everyone could be so kind.
Shatz feels it’s important for people to think twice about what pictures they post online. “People seem to forget that Facebook is not a diary,” he said. “You can change privacy settings, but you can be sure someone you don’t want seeing what you’re posting will see it.”
Moral of the story? Make sure you know whom your pictures are visible to, and what they may imply.
Allie Caren is a Summer 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.