Facebook, one word that is synonymous with procrastination, immaturity, vanity, oversharing, and, of course, annoyance; and now Facebook will become, in one word, new.

The “new” Facebook will come complete with a service to decrease the already waning privacy on the site, called Facebook Connect. Mark Zuckerberg, the Harvard social networking troll that created Facebook, held a developers conference yesterday unveiling plans to enhance the Facebook experience. Facebook Connect creates a portable identity verification system for users to import their Facebook information and friends from one site to another.

There are “plans” to create privacy mechanisms through mini-software applications available for users to upload to the site, though this initiative was severely downplayed during the conference. To quote Zuckerberg:

"Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. When the world is more transparent, it's important for people to be good to each other. We want the community and ecosystem [of developers] to be aligned with us."

In an effort to promote this “transparent ecosystem,” Zuckerberg has opened up the floor for developers to run rampant. Zuckerberg seems to be living in a cloud of pot smoke over Disney World because people are not going to live in perfect harmony on a Facebook wall. For your protection (and ours), we have devised some keen, tactical approaches to Facebook privacy.

Google Yourself
This may seem a little self-indulgent and narcissistic, yet it could safeguard you in more ways than one. Facebook has a public search directory feature, allowing people to search you from Google or Yahoo! Search engines. Since some of us like to take photos doing things that are less than honorable, figure out what people can see and take measures to make sure it’s what you want them to see.

Get To Know the Privacy Settings
Once new Facebook launches, it’s guaranteed that the format and functions of the privacy settings will be different. Get familiar with the settings and set everything at a comfortable level.

Keep Personal Information, Personal
Your home address, your dorm address and room number, phone numbers, or your location at every point of the day, should not be available on Facebook. Do yourself a favor, and delete all personal information from those fields…now!!

Stay on the look out for the new Facebook. Hopefully, these suggestions will leave you armed and prepared for application and Facebook Connect madness.