Thing #11 - Facebook

Week 5 is all about Social Networking. But why is social networking a part of this challenge?
First, check out this Common Craft video about social networking.



What is Facebook?
Facebook is considered by many to be the frontrunner (at least this week!) in the Social Networking scene. It started out as a site just for college students, but is now open to anyone, and chances are, you know more than a few people who are on Facebook, even if you aren't. There are all kinds of terms that have become commonplace thanks to Facebook - friending someone, writing on their wall, poking them, tagging people in your photos...

Basically, with Facebook, you create a profile page that can include information about you, what schools you went to, where you work (or none of that! It's up to you how much or how little you share). You can adjust the settings so that everyone can see this information, or only those you have designated as your friends. You can search for your real-life friends by their name, a school or workplace, or their email address.

Facebook allows you to share little updates about your life ("status updates"), which also show up in your friends' news feeds. (A news feed is a page you can view to see the most recent updates from all of your friends.)

To get started thinking about Facebook, take a look at these articles and lists.

Newbie's Guide to Facebook: CNET
This article gives you a pretty good description of what Facebook is and why you might want to use it.

Facebook Principles
These are Facebook's stated principles, and it will give you a better idea of what you can do with Facebook, as well as Facebook's own ideas about the freedom of information posted on the site.

How to Use Facebook: 5 Tips for Better Social Networking
Okay, so you're using Facebook. How can you get the most out of it? This article helps you get started.

Save Face on Facebook: Facebook Etiquette
How can you avoid being that annoying friend on Facebook? Here are some tips.

10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
Facebook is all about sharing details of your life and connecting with others... this article will help you understand some of the important privacy settings to keep your information safe.

What do you think?
We're not requiring people to join Facebook for this part of the challenge. Instead, write a blog post about Facebook. Are you on Facebook? Why or why not? How do you think Facebook is changing how people interact with each other? What's your take on the privacy issues that surround Facebook?

Bonus for those who are on Facebook: Become a fan of the Ocean County Library. (Not required!)