Facebook

Facebook

Facebook is a massive social networking site, when you sign up you create your own profile page which allows you to accept your 'friends', add images, 'poke' your friends, play online games whilst you also can join a community, group, application, forum or create your own quiz.

To register you have to be 13 or over 13 years of age. Facebook users represent themselves with their real names, not nicknames. It is impossible to create an account with what could be a fake name, for example 'Princess Timberlake' is not possible. You can choose what to promote on your profile from basic info to jobs to your photos. Unless you 'accept' or 'request' someone to be your friend, they cannot see your profile! All profiles offer the 'report this person' link so that if someone is bullying or annoying you or if they have a graphic photograph Facebook can remove it, often immediately.

When you join you can choose how you know that friend whether it be school, work or by location. Facebook is quick and easy to find friends online, you can search names using the search toolbar or ask Facebook to search your email address book.

Facebook is counted on during these busy times for families and friends to stay in contact easily. Facebook is one of the fastest growing and popular social networking site, with 175 million active users worldwide, this statistic is growing each day. Facebook also allows you to invite your friends to events, this is so much easier and updated than sending a snail mail invite. Facebook is also great as it provides you with a couple of days notice before someone's birthday!

One of the most popular things to do whilst using Facebook is to post a status update and have your friends 'like' (thumbs up) or comment on your status. Facebook also offers a chatting function, where through the web page you can talk to your Facebook friends, who are online. All the while Facebook provides you with notifications from who commented on your wall (web page), photograph or who else commented on your friends status update. You can add as many photographs as you want to your Facebook page, there are no restrictions. You are able to upload to albums and create new albums. You can even share you're your photo album with someone who doesn't use Facebook!

Facebook is for the mature social networkers although there is only one major difference between MySpace and Facebook and that is that Facbook does not allow website customisation. MySpace allows users to decorate their profile, Facebook only allows plain text.

Facebook was founded in February 2004 by a Harvard sophomore, Mark Zuckerberg. Mark began the program for Harvard students and then moved on to High School and College students, the program became popular fast then everyone of any age was using the program.

Facebook has a huge advantage of you being able to find someone you haven't contacted in a long time, which is why it is popular with people of all ages. You can search via schools allowing you to find primary and even kindergarten friends. Business, musicians, actors, writers and all types of artists have Facebook profiles for keeping in touch with fans and promoting their shows and specials.

Facebook has been banned in several countries such as Syria and Iran and in many work-places to discourage employees from wasting time as Facebook can become addictive. Many students use Facebook as a distraction from study and pending assignments. Facebook is now available to be used on your mobile phone, which means it is accessible all day, everyday. The Facebook Mobile Website is used by millions of people daily.

A Nepali ski racer was found in Paris via a Facebook campaign after disappearing two weeks prior. A Paris member recognised him after seeing him on the Facebook campaign and he was brought home safely.

An Australian survey showed that 55% of Australian staff said that their employees had banned social networking sites within their workplace. 28% of employees said they would hide their screen from their bosses with 17% skipping their lunch breaks so they could use that time to play on social networking sites, such as Facebook. Although 66% of employees have their work colleagues as friends on Facebook showing that it isn't all play.

Femail.com.au conducted a survey posing the question: Should Myspace and Facebook be banned in offices? 57% of people said yes compared with 24% of people that said no. 12% opted for restricted access while the reminding 5% agreed with monitored access.

Girl.com.au asked readers how often they visited social networking sites Myspace or Facebook a week. Surprisingly 33% never visited 23% visited 20+ times a week.

For more information see:
www.femail.com.au/myspace-and-facebook-banned-in-offices.htm
For the full results of the Femail.com.au Poll "Should Myspace & Facebook be banned in offices?" see: www.femail.com.au/poll_results.php
Have your say in the blog and tell us how you use Facebook: www.femail.com.au/blog/index.php?/archives/107-Myspace-and-Facebook-Banned.html