This document provides an overview of Facebook including statistics on its users, what Facebook is, eligibility requirements, reasons to use Facebook, pros and cons, privacy settings, and how to sign up and navigate the various pages. It notes that Facebook has over 7.3 million active users, fastest growing among those aged 25 and under, and allows users to connect with friends, find common interests, stay connected to distant contacts, and safely meet new people. It also discusses privacy concerns and how to control privacy settings.

1. What? You’re not on Facebook?
Emerging Technologies Presentation
By Traci Wright

2. Statistics
• Facebook is the #1 Social Networking Site (open
for dispute)
• It is has more than 7.3 million active users
• Fastest growing demographic in the 25 and
under set – originally geared to the college and
university set.

3. What is Facebook?
• It is:
*a social utility that connects you with the
people around you;
*a content aggregation hub

4. Eligibility
• Users must be thirteen years of age or older
• Users under the age of eighteen must
currently be in high school or college
• Users must agree to and abide by all the terms
and conditions of the Terms of Use

5. Why Facebook?
• By making connections between people visible, it is a
tool for finding work, love, common interests
• Could make new friends through friends or area
networks
• Build support – allows caring people in your life
informed of your challenges and vice versa
• To celebrate success – not enough of this going on!
• Keeps you connected to friends and family in different
locations
• Safer than chat rooms to meet people

6. Pros
• Aggregate the range of services you use across the web in a single
location
– Useful tools such as SkypeMe displays current status and visitors can
place a call to your account with a single click
– Presence broadcasting features of tools like Twitter and Jaiku
– Twitter tweets directly from FB, displays current status on profile and
can view friends’ timelines while on FB
– KyteTV
– Can combine SNS websites
– Photo and video sharing capabilities of sites such as Flickr and
YouTube
• Ability to follow friend’s statuses
• Feed shows friends’ applications – good discovery tool
• Latest additions to profiles in a single feed

7. The Downside
• Information Overkill
Can’t get rid of feed completely
Tweeter is better for this because YOU decide what is shared
With Mini feed everything is visible
• Friends
 Anyone is free to ask to be your friend; it is up to you to
decide if you want to do that or not.
 You are also free to invite another person to be your friend
and they, too, have the right to add you or not.
 I have found it helpful to establish rules for my facebook
friends.

8. The Downside
 For example, when I get a request from someone I don’t know, I politely
explain that I use my fb to keep track of my friends’ statuses and updates,
and so I don’t add anyone as a friend unless I have met them in person. I
find this avoids hurt feelings and most are understanding.
 Some of us are concerned over it becoming a popularity contest. It
is helpful to decide for yourself, before you begin, your reasons for
having a facebook profile and to use it for that purpose, and not be
concerned over how many friends you have, or worry when you
lose one.
 There are many reasons why someone might delete you from their
facebook, and often they are not personal or related to you
specifically. However, if you are highly sensitive, you might have to
decide not to add anyone that you are not in regular contact with.

9. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• In order to access profiles on Facebook, you MUST have a profile yourself.
• If you don’t want someone to see you or contact you EVER, you can block that
person. They will not know you blocked them other than they won’t be able to
find you.
• Concerns about on-line communication taking away from face-to-face social
interaction
• Email-like messages
 New messages indicated with a number beside Inbox tab at top of Home page.
 Once in Inbox, there are four tabs; Inbox, Sent Messages, Notifications and Updates.
 I’m not sure why notifications and updates are included here. They are not relevant to email
but to your facebook in general. Notifications are also shown on the bottom right hand of your
page toolbar (regardless of which page you are on) as a little screen icon.
 Messages can be sent to multiple friends at once with replies sent to everyone initially
messaged, or the responder can choose to message only the sender. This is helpful in planning
where schedules need to be considered, etc., similar to a forum or chatroom.
 Anyone on facebook can message you if they can see your profile unless you block this feature
• Contact List
 Found on Friends page under Phonebook and Everyone

10. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• Event list
 Found by clicking on Calendar page icon on the Applications toolbar at the bottom of any FB page. Once on
Events page, four tabs are displayed; Upcoming Events (yours), Friends’ Events, Past Events and Birthdays.
 You can plan your own events and send invitations out to your friends even if they aren’t on facebook
 Guest lists can be hidden, replies hidden, or all displayed depending on your choices
• Twitter-style updates
 Three different places to write what you like. On your Home page, the question is posed, “What’s on your
mind?”, on the Profile Wall page, you and/or your friends are urged to “Write something...” which is then
fed through the mini-feed to your friends, and your mobile unit as a text message if you have signed up for
it, and on your Friends page under Status Updates you are asked, “What are you doing now?”
• Blogging via Notes
 might be considered weak compared to other online sites
 Accessed on Home page on the left hand side
• Privacy Issues
 Control of personal information posted by you
 Control of information posted by others (which even if you don’t have a profile can be posted on FB)
 FB will remove data as stated in their Terms of Use under User conduct
 Sharing of information
 Unsolicited comments/postings of/by others

11. If you’re still curious to try
Facebook...
It’s only a click away, and
completely free other than asking
for a few bits of personal info.

12. Getting Started
Go to www.facebook.com
Click on Sign up For Facebook

13. Sign In Page
All information needs to be provided, but will not be
posted on your profile page unless you ask for it to be
displayed. Click on Sign Up.

14. Profile Page
This is the information you choose to share with your friends, your friends and
network, everyone or no-one depending on your privacy settings.
Profile Picture
To post a profile picture, click on the upper right hand corner of the
This is my Wall where my friends can
photo box and choose an option. If you don’t have a digital photo of
post messages to me or I can post
yourself, perhaps a friend does and they can email it to you, or once
messages that all can see, and are fed
they are added as a friend they can post it, tag you, and then you can
add it as your profile shot if you like. Facebook will even take your through the Mini-feed on my friends’
picture for you if you have a webcam! Home page. It also shows my recent
activity (Friends added, walls I’ve written
on, etc.)
 There are
four sections
under Edit
My Profile;
Basic
Information,
Personal
Information,
Contact
Information,
and
Education
and Work.

15. Profile Privacy Overview
 By clicking on Settings on the right hand side of the Top tool bar, you
are able to set your Privacy settings for your Profile , Search, News Feed
and Wall, and Applications information.
This is also where you block people you do not want to be able to find
you in a search, see your profile or interact with you in any way on
facebook.

16. Profile - Basic Privacy
 From Privacy (manage) (found under Settings),
Click on Profile (Basic will be the first page to view) to control who can see
your profile and related information; and
 Contact Information to control who can see your various contact
information and see how a friend sees your profile

17. News Feed and Wall - Privacy
 Return to the Privacy page and click on News Feed and Wall
 On the right at the top is an explanation of what will never be displayed
 Below that is a list of what MAY be posted if you don’t edit the Applications
settings and a place to do that
 This is also where you control what goes on your Wall and through Recent
Activity

18. Applications - Privacy
 Return to Privacy page and click on Applications.
 This Overview page opens up and explains how Applications interact
with your information.
 The Settings tab at the top takes you to the page where you can
control what types of information your friends can see about you
through applications.

19.  Once you have created your Profile and edited your privacy
settings, it is time to start adding friends and exploring the various pages
that comprise your facebook. Facebook will prompt you through the
various processes.
 When you are deciding on your privacy settings, you might also take
the opportunity to decide on what friends you would like to add
(work, high school, interest group friends, etc.). These can be placed in
groups.
 Facebook will ask you if you want it to extend invitations to those in
an existing contact list. If you choose this option, MAKE SURE you review
the invitations prior to sending. You are NOT able to rescind an
invitation (friend request) once it is sent. You are, however, able to
delete the person if they accept your friend request, but it is easier (and
less open to insult) if the request is not issued in the first place.
 After your initial extension of invitations to friends, from your Home
page you will find a tab that says CONNECT WITH FRIENDS. There are
two options.

20.  Once a friend has accepted your friend request (or you have accepted theirs),
you can view their profile (again depending on their privacy settings). You can
read their Wall, access their personal and contact information, photos they have
posted, and their application boxes.
 You can also see their friends, as well as your mutual friends. By looking at
your friends’ friends, you send friend requests to them if you desire.
The following slides highlight some of the various pages that make up yours
and your friends’ facebooks.

21. Status Updates Page, found under Friends Tab
Top
Toolbar
Status updates are
Found on
what is written by
Every
you and your friends
Facebook
in this box and
Page
transmitted to the
mini feed and on this
page.
Bottom
Toolbar
Found on
 Each of the words on the top toolbar are tabs and take you to
Every
different pages in your facebook.
Facebook  The icons on the bottom toolbar take you to various applications.
Page Some are standard to every facebook profile while others are added
by you.

22. My Events Page
 Shows my RSVP status and any other information included on the invitation
 By clicking on the title of the event, the fb page will be displayed, and
depending on the privacy settings of the event, I might be able to see who is
attending or not, comments added, or pictures and videos contributed by
guests or the hosts.
By looking at the guest list, I might be able to locate mutual friends that I would like
to add to my friends
Also found under the Events icon are Friends’ events, past events, and
friends’ birthdays (if they have that information displayed on their profile.

23. Groups Page
 This page is accessed by clicking on the Groups icon at the bottom of any facebook page
 It displays groups I belong to on the left, and groups my friends belong to on the right
 The Browse Groups tab at the top allows you to view all groups in facebook at large.

24. Things to remember:
Set Privacy settings!
Add Friends.
Use it as a tool.
Don’t take it personally.
Explore and enjoy.
Keep connected with those you care
about.
Happy facebooking!: