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The Globe and Mail has introduced several Facebook features to create a more personalized and social user experience:

  • The Globe and Mail and its writers (including Rob Carrick, Jane Taber, Peter Cheney and James Mirtle) maintain several Facebook pages to connect with readers. Via our Globe Life Facebook page, we also offer an app, Globe Lifestream, which delivers personalized lifestyle news, tips and insights. To read more about The Globe's pages and app on Facebook, click here.
  • Using Facebook's new Social Plugins, The Globe has developed a more vibrant and interactive community, allowing readers to connect with millions of Facebook users, share and recommend content and follow friends' activities and "Recommends", without leaving Globeandmail.com. To read more about how the social plugins work, click here.

The Globe on Facebook

Q: Why Facebook?

A: Many of our readers use Facebook to interact with friends, get reading recommendations and keep on top of what's going on in the world. Now, with a click, readers can connect with millions of Facebook users through The Globe's social plugins, Facebook pages and Globe Life app.

If you aren't a Facebook user, your globeandmail.com experience stays largely the same. You are still able to share stories via e-mail and several other tools such as Digg and Twitter.

Q: What's the difference between a Facebook fanpage and a Facebook app?

A: The Globe Life fanpage is where our editors and reporters share stories and personally connect with readers. When a Facebook user "Likes" The Globe Life fanpage, they will occasionally see updates on everything from health to parenting to food in their Facebook newsfeed. A fanpage can also be "Unliked" at at any time. The Globe Lifestream app is an additional feature of The Globe Life fanpage which further personalizes a user's experience. If a Globe Life fan chooses to initiate the Globe Life app, they will get a custom feed of stories that are tailored to their interests, based on their Facebook activity. The app also lets you decide which articles, news items, columns and videos are best for your life. Share, save content for later, earn ballots for exclusive contests and explore all that Life has to offer.

Q: What happens to the information I share withThe Globe when I initiate the Globe Lifestream app?

A: In order to assemble your initial, personalized Globe Lifestream, the app will go through your Facebook activity and serve you content based on what you've been discussing.

For example: If you mentioned a great recipe for "fettuccine alfredo", Globe Lifestream will present you with Food & Wine content.

Once Globe Lifestream is enabled you will be able to easily adjust the content you see based on how you're feeling that day.

The application was developed by The Globe and Mail in accordance with Facebook's privacy policy and any personal information you share with The Globe will be subject to The Globe and Mail's privacy policy.

Social Plugins

Now, with a click of a button, the Globe community can easily interact with their current network of Facebook friends and find out what others are reading about on the The Globe and Mail website.

The Globe and Mail has introduced three Facebook Social Plugins that will further customize the experience at Globeandmail.com. These features include:

Recommend Button

Facebook users can endorse select articles and reporters from Globeandmail.com, by clicking the Facebook "Recommend" button. These updates will be shared with the user's Facebook friends. This function replaces our old Recommend button on all articles.

Activity Feed

While browsing Globeandmail.com, Facebook users will see an activity box that shows their friends' recent activities, "Likes" and recommended content from The Globe and Mail.

Recommendations

As a user's friends endorse select articles and content, the Recommendations Facebook Social Plugin creates a list of recommended content based on what friends have shared with their Facebook community.

How it works

To use the new plugins, readers need to be logged in to their Facebook account. Because we have replaced the recommend button with Facebook "recommend", readers will have to be logged into Facebook to recommend stories. Our most-recommended stories will now be easy to find via the Recommendations Social Plugin on our homepage, and a reader's recommendations will also appear on their Facebook wall. Readers also have the option to add a comment or message to appear with their recommendation on their Facebook wall.

News is made to be debated, discussed and shared - it's a social experience, and we're getting a bit more social. Have more questions? Just keep reading.

Q: Why don't I see my friends' recommendations in the Recommend plugin on Globeandmail.com?

A: To see your Facebook friends' recommendations, you must be logged in to your Facebook account while visiting The Globe site.

Q: Where did the thumbs-up option go on Globeandmail.com?

A: Globeandmail.com readers can now recommend stories using the "Recommend" function, which offers more choices. Readers can easily post stories they like to their Facebook wall, and have the option to add a comment.

Q: Why do I see my Facebook profile picture on Globeandmail.com?

A: When you are logged in to your Facebook account while visiting Globeandmail.com, our Social Plugins will display a personalized view that only you see. The Plugins will show you which stories you have recently recommended by clicking "Like", along with your Facebook profile photo. Your profile photo is automatically pulled from Facebook, and is not housed on The Globe and Mail website.

Q: Do all visitors to Globeandmail.com see my picture as well?

A: No. Only you and your Facebook friends will see your photo. When someone visits Globeandmail.com and is not logged in to their Facebook account (or if none of their Facebook friends have recommended anything lately), they will see a random selection of recommendations from Globe readers who have their Facebook privacy settings set to "Public". If you do not want to be included in this random selection of recommendations, you may want to check whether or not your privacy settings are set to "Public".

Q: Can everyone who visits Globeandmail.com see my recommendations?

A: No. Only you and your Facebook friends will see which stories you have recommended by clicking "Like".

When someone visits Globeandmail.com and is not logged in to their Facebook account, they will see a random selection of recommendations from Globe readers who have their Facebook privacy settings set to "Public". If you do not want to be included in this random selection of recommendations, you may want to check if your privacy settings are set to "Public".

Q: Do my Facebook friends now know which stories I have read at Globeandmail.com?

A: No. Our Social Plugins only display which stories you have recommended by deliberately clicking "Like" on a story page. Your Facebook account and the Social Plugins will not display every story you have read.

Q: Do Globe and Mail staff now have access to my Facebook account?

A: No. None of your Facebook data is shared with Globeandmail.com when you view the social plugins. Social plugins pull information directly from Facebook and Globeandmail.com has no access to the data being displayed to you. For more information on how social plugins work, click here.

Q: What if I don't want anyone besides my friends to see my recommendations?

A: If you prefer that your recommendations are only visible to your friends, just adjust your settings in Facebook. After logging into your Facebook account, click the Account tab in the upper right corner and select "Privacy Settings". Click "Profile Information" and then select "Only Friends" from the Likes and Interests drop-down menu. For more information about Facebook's privacy settings, click here. Facebook also offers a Help page with more questions and answers about the social plugins.

Didn't find the answer to your question here? E-mail us and let us know.

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