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"Citizens of Internetland: we are at war, and the enemy is a virus. Not the kind we're used to hearing about, one that spreads via suspicious emails and turns our machines into mindless zombies for massive denial of service attacks, but one that is passed by human contact \u2014 specifically, posts on Facebook \u2014 and turns us into mindless zombies. \nMonday's outbreak of a fake privacy notice, one that urged users to claim back the copyright on their Facebook posts by making a declaration, was the last straw. Not only because it should have been blindingly obvious that this pseudo-legal babble was nonsense, but because the fake notice had done the rounds once already this year, back in July.  \nLuckily this one wasn't a dangerous scam, like the Facebook post that claimed to offer free flights on Southwest but actually spammed your entire friend list, or the offer of a free iPad mini that got you to install a dubious app, or the \"you're tagged in a photo\" honey trap. It was more of a chain letter, like the Facebook pricing scam.\nStill, this has to stop. We need a centralized system to alert and control these outbreaks before they take over everyone's Timeline \u2014 a kind of Centers for Disease Control of the Internet. Until that happens, we all have to take responsibility for prevention and containment. If you're not involved, if you sit back and let scams spread from Timeline to Timeline, you're part of the problem. Here's how the CDC would handle it:\n1. Early detection. If something reads like a chain letter, it probably is one. The purpose of a chain letter and the purpose of a virus are one and the same: to propagate itself as widely as possible. Be suspicious, especially of legal wording or conventions you've never heard of. Look for typos. Be alert for anything with a bovine whiff. \nSnopes is your friend; the site lives to destroy urban legends. Wikipedia is your friend, though you might want to get a second source. Even Google is your friend, if you're pushed for time. If your pals put their name to something that mentions the Rome Statute, say, it's worth taking five seconds to find out what that treaty does (it allows for the prosecution of war crimes). \n2. Rapid response. Once you've identified a post as fake, or even if you're not sure about its veracity, get into the comments section every time you see it pop up. Don't be afraid to show your friend some tough love. If they're unwittingly helping to spread a scam, they'll want to know about it, even at the risk of a few blushes. \nRemember, your goal is to make their friends think twice about posting it themselves. And if you're unsure, asking the friend to provide a second source for the information can't hurt.\n3. Sound the alarm. A post of your own, warning friends of the danger, will go a long way towards containment. Enlist them as virus fighters. You are the white blood cells of the Facebook body. It's up to you. Facebook itself doesn't have the resources or the inclination to clamp down on scams, untruths or chain letters as fast as you can. \nSo next time you see a free offer that sounds too good to be true, or your friend posts some legalese that doesn't sound like them, don't just roll your eyes. Don't confine your skepticism to Twitter. You have it in your power to prevent an epidemic. You have, to paraphrase the hapless Todd Akin, ways to shut that whole thing down. Use them.\nBONUS: 10 Facebook Tips for Power Users \n\n\n10 Facebook Tips for Power Users \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. View Photos Full-Screen\n\nYou can browse Facebook photos in full-screen mode, making for a better gallery viewing experience. \nIn an album, click on the first image, then hover over the photo. A floating menu will appear along the bottom of the image. \nClick on \"Options\" and you'll see the ability to \"Enter Fullscreen.\" Now you can browse with a clean, black background. \nTo return to normal mode, simply hit the Escape key or the \"X\" on the top-right of your display.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Hide What You Read\n\nIf you like Facebook's new social reading apps, but don't want to broadcast to the world what you read on your coffee break, adjust the settings accordingly. \nFor apps that you're already using, head to \"Account Settings\" from the drop-down menu next to \"Home\" at the top-right of your display. Go to the \"Apps\" tab.\nNow click \"Edit\" to the right of the relevant app. In the box that opens you'll see \"Posts on your behalf - Who can see posts this app makes for you on your Facebook timeline?\" \nUse the drop-down menu to select \"Only me.\" You can also follow this same process as you sign up to new apps.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Create a List Based on Your Interests\n\nHave you taken advantage of Facebook's \"Lists\" functionality?\nSimilar to Twitter lists, you can create lists based on your interests and then tune in for a targeted catch-up on certain topics. \nTo create your first list, simply click \"More\" next to the \"Interests\" section on your homepage menu. Click \"Add Interests,\" then \"Create List.\"\nYour lists can be comprised of people, subscriptions and friends. Once created, you can choose to make them private to you, or share them with the world. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Populate Your Map With Pics \n\nYou can retrospectively add locations to images you've already uploaded to Facebook, making for an interesting map that shows all the places you've been.\nTo populate your map with photos, click on the \"Photos\" box under your cover photos and select \"Add Photos to Map.\"\nYou will then be able to scroll through all your images and add the relevant geo data.\nThere's more information about adding imagery to your Facebook map here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Reposition Photos on Your Timeline \n\nIf you want your timeline to look as lovely as possible, you can fine tune how your images appear.\nIf an image is off-center or you can't see the main focus of the photo, reposition it to look better.\nClick the \"Edit or Remove\" pencil icon on the top-right and select \"Reposition Photo.\" Click and drag it until it's in a better position.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Hide From Friends In Facebook Chat\n\nThere's bound to be a few people you'd rather not chat with on Facebook. Hiding, or appearing to be offline to certain friends, is simple. \nJust click on that person's name in the chat window, as if you were about to start a conversation, then hit the cog icon in the top-right.\nFrom the menu, click \"Go Offline to [Name].\" You are now hidden.\nA more detailed walk-through of this process can be found here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Pre-Approve All Tags \n\nDid you know you can set your Facebook account to require pre-approval before any tagged content appears on your timeline?\nTo set this up, select \"Privacy Settings\" from the drop-down menu on the top-right of your Facebook page.\nNext to \"Timeline and Tagging,\" click on \"Edit Settings.\" \nLook down for \"Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your Timeline\" and \"Review tags friends add to your own posts on Facebook\" -- set these both to \"on.\"\nWe have previously offered a more detailed look at this process. It can be found here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n8. Hide Annoying Content From Your News Feed\n\nWhat appears in your Facebook news feed is subject of much discussion, but you can control it, to a certain extent.\nFrom the homepage, click on the pencil icon that appears when you hover over \"News Feed,\" and select \"Edit settings.\"\nHere you can hide posts coming into your stream from certain people, certain apps and certain pages. \nIf you really want to drill down to customize your news feed, we have previously offered some useful tips here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n9. Create a Secret Group\n\nYou can create a \"secret\" Facebook group that only you, and the friends you choose to share it with, can view. It's a fun way to share members-only content with a select few.\nTo start your secret group, click \"More\" next to the \"Groups\" area on your homepage. Select \"Create Group\" on the next page that loads. \nOnce you've named your group, choose a fun icon from the drop-down menu, add friends and then check the \"secret\" option. \nYou will now see your new group under the \"Groups\" area in your homepage. Click on it to post to the group and view content from others.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n10. Upload Images in High Quality \n\nFinally, Facebook's default photo upload functionality is not high resolution. \nIf you want to ensure your images are the best quality possible, always check the \"High Quality\" box as you upload. \nIt will take a little longer, but the better images should be worth the wait.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImage courtesy iStockphoto, Raycat"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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