#14 Facebook

Facebook is a social networking web site that connects people with others. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

Originally, the membership was restricted to students of Harvard University but since 2006 it has been open to all email addresses. Users can select to join one or more participating networks, such as a school, place of employment, or geographic region.

In June 2007, Facebook was ranked in the top 10 web sites and was the number one site for photos in the United States, ahead of public sites such as Flickr, with over 8.5 million photos uploaded daily. It is also the seventh most visited site in the United States. Time magazine reported in its 3 September 2007 issue that Facebook's fastest growing demographic consists of people 35 years or over. In 2008 it has become the social networking forum of choice for the youth of today, out performing MySpace, and reached 200 million users on 9 April 2009.

The name, Facebook, refers to the paper facebooks depicting members of the campus community that US colleges and preparatory schools give to incoming students, faculty, and staff.

• Social Networking in Plain English


• 7 things you should know about Facebook


• Prediction: Facebook will be the largest social network in the world


• College Students Facebook Use Easing Up, While Parents Logging On In Record Numbers
  


• Is Your Boss Your Friend Or Foe?

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#14 Facebook

Go to Facebook and register. Check out this tutorial for assistance on how to join. Edit your Profile. Search for a person you know or work with. See if you can find them and add them as your friend.

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Also...

If you are unable to access Facebook please have a look at home or alternatively explore these sites:

• Another social networking site of interest is Ning. Some users find it more engaging and informative than MySpace and Facebook for professional development uses. Why not visit the site and search for 'Librarians' or 'Teacher Librarians'. You'll be surprised how many varied groups are out there!

• LinkedIn is a popular social network that has a strong professional development basis.

• Twitter is a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. In countries all around the world, people follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happensófrom breaking world news to updates from friends. You can follow celebrities, or just your friends. Twitter is the newest "big thing" in social networking. Have a look!