How to Use Facebook
- By Gunter Jameson
- Published 03/5/2011
- Tutorials
- Unrated
Facebook is THE social network. It has over 600 million users worldwide and is still growing. In fact, in the US, 4 out of 5 people have a Facebook profile. That is huge success for a company that was just founded in 2004 as a side project of a Harvard computer science student. Chances are that even if you don't have a Facebook account, you know someone who does and they've probably tried to get you to join.
But for some people, joining Facebook seems to be a daunting task. They think it's too complicated, or they don't understand how it works. If you are part of the small number of citizens who has not yet created a Facebook profile, but have been thinking of doing it, here are a few tips to get you started.
1) Sign up
Signing up on Facebook is easy. Go to Facebook.com and just fill out a few personal details like you name, email address, gender, and birthday, and you're all set. It only takes a few minutes and it's pretty painless.
2) Fill out your profile
Now that you have an account, take a few minutes to fill out some information about yourself, like where you went to college, what you do for a living, what movies you like, and more. Don't worry about people seeing this information. You control who you want to connect to on Facebook, and you can always change your privacy settings to
a level you are comfortable with.
3) Privacy settings
Not everyone is comfortable with sharing everything about themselves with everyone in the world. So, take a minute to review your privacy settings and set them at a level that is comfortable to you. However, keep in mind that people you connect to (or "friend") on Facebook will be able to see your information. Keep in mind: You control who you are friends with online. If you are uncomfortable with a person seeing your personal info, do not become friends with them.
4) Friending
Speaking of friends, use the search bar to find people you know on Facebook and ask to be friends with them. Once you are friends, you can see their complete profile and follow their updates.
5) The wall
The wall is your default view. It's the place where everything happens. On the wall, you'll see all the status updates, links, pictures, and more that your friends post to Facebook. Feel free to comment, like, or create your own status updates. As you see everyone else interact on Facebook, you'll start to get the idea.
Of course, there is more to Facebook, but for now these are the basics to get you started. Take a few minutes to look around, explore, and click buttons and links. Don't worry; you won't break anything. When you become more familiar with Facebook, you'll get better at using it and staying in contact with the people you care about most.
But for some people, joining Facebook seems to be a daunting task. They think it's too complicated, or they don't understand how it works. If you are part of the small number of citizens who has not yet created a Facebook profile, but have been thinking of doing it, here are a few tips to get you started.
1) Sign up
Signing up on Facebook is easy. Go to Facebook.com and just fill out a few personal details like you name, email address, gender, and birthday, and you're all set. It only takes a few minutes and it's pretty painless.
2) Fill out your profile
Now that you have an account, take a few minutes to fill out some information about yourself, like where you went to college, what you do for a living, what movies you like, and more. Don't worry about people seeing this information. You control who you want to connect to on Facebook, and you can always change your privacy settings to
3) Privacy settings
Not everyone is comfortable with sharing everything about themselves with everyone in the world. So, take a minute to review your privacy settings and set them at a level that is comfortable to you. However, keep in mind that people you connect to (or "friend") on Facebook will be able to see your information. Keep in mind: You control who you are friends with online. If you are uncomfortable with a person seeing your personal info, do not become friends with them.
4) Friending
Speaking of friends, use the search bar to find people you know on Facebook and ask to be friends with them. Once you are friends, you can see their complete profile and follow their updates.
5) The wall
The wall is your default view. It's the place where everything happens. On the wall, you'll see all the status updates, links, pictures, and more that your friends post to Facebook. Feel free to comment, like, or create your own status updates. As you see everyone else interact on Facebook, you'll start to get the idea.
Of course, there is more to Facebook, but for now these are the basics to get you started. Take a few minutes to look around, explore, and click buttons and links. Don't worry; you won't break anything. When you become more familiar with Facebook, you'll get better at using it and staying in contact with the people you care about most.
Gunter Jameson
Gunter Jameson writes for DegreeCentral.com about online degrees. His hobbies are snowboarding and reading.
View all articles by Gunter Jameson