Facebook fans know exactly what to expect when they visit their profile page each day: public wall posts, private messages, and most of all, invitations to install yet another Facebook add-on, those free third-party applications designed to “enhance” your online experience.

There are literally thousands of applications available, and we all have that one friend who has chosen to install each one.

Yes, it seems we’re not content to merely let the world know what we’re doing at that precise moment (“Marc is eating a sandwich”), catching up with high school flames or showing off photos of our kids to the world — Facebook is now the gateway to movie trivia, vampire bites, booze mail, horoscopes or a SuperPoke if that doesn’t sound too painful for you.

In all fairness, some of these Facebook applications are pretty cool, such as Where I’ve Been. This application places a world map on your Facebook profile page so you can show others where you’ve been, where you’ve lived or where you want to go to (and with the latter, you might just get a newfound Facebook friend to join you). Similarly, TripAdvisor offers pushpin maps for Facebook users.

We also like iLike, a social music application that lets you share and discover music with other Facebook users: share iTunes playlists with friends, access free MP3s to match your tastes or sign up for concert notifications when your favourite artists are playing near you.

And then there’s Video and Super Wall, both of which let you upload videos (including YouTube clips) or get more out of your photos by creating collages and slideshows or by drawing over pictures. According to Facebook, Rock You’s Super Wall has more than 18 million active users each month, making it one of the most used apps of all.

Oh, and when you’re bored to tears, MindJolt’s nearly 500 playable games can really help make the time fly by with its collection of online puzzle, arcade and strategy diversions.

But for every one of these handy or fun apps, there are 20 annoying ones like Pet Sabotage, so you can hurt a friend’s virtual pet; Moods, where emoticons show other Facebook users how you’re feeling at that time (like, who cares?); Pig’s Milk (“mad experiments and moments of reflection”) and the self-explanatory Food Fight! application. Sigh.

Facebook is fun folks, but remember less is more!

On a related note, a recent report published by the Better Business Bureau of British Columbia says young people are exposing themselves to identify theft by posting personal information on the Internet, especially on social networking sites such as Facebook.

If you (or your kids or younger siblings) are spending time on Facebook — and many millions of Canadians are — then take heed to the following tips on better protecting yourself or loved ones from online scams and other dangers.

1. Never give out personal info: Posting your name on your Facebook profile page is perfectly reasonable, but you need not list your address, birth date, phone number, work details or any other private information. Also be cautious about what kinds of photos you’re posting in case they reveal personal info.

2. Close your network: Rather than making your profile public to everyone — meaning all your details pop up if someone types in your name or clicks on your name on someone else’s site — you can choose to close your Facebook network to everyone except for a small group of friends.

3. Watch your wall: You might do a good job keeping personal info off your main page but your friends or coworkers might blow it. For example, say you’re going on vacation and a dim-witted friend writes on your public wall something like “Dude, have fun in Mexico!” Be sure to remove these comments ASAP.

4. Be wary of forms: When you sign up for many of the third-party Facebook apps you might be asked to fill out info, so companies can collect names for marketing purposes. Don’t fill out every field if you don’t feel comfortable about it, such as address, phone number, email, and so on.

5. Use email messages: Remember, someone’s Facebook wall can be viewed by anyone, so before you post a comment or question to it, ask yourself if it’s better as a private email, which only the Facebook user can read.