Social Networking: Facebook
Note details about the entire site & describe briefly-Facebook has a number of features with which users may interact. They include the "Wall", a space on every user's profile page that allows friends to post messages for the user to see
, "Pokes", which allows users to send a virtual "poke" to each other (a notification that tells a user that they have been poked),
Photos, where users can upload albums and photos, and "Status", which allows users to inform their friends of their whereabouts and actions. Facebook constantly creates new features for it's users.
Assess how it is used-Facebook is a free-access social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. You can use it for finding old school friends and work colleagues who you had lost touch with, and once you found them you are able to contact them with greater ease than other sites. It is big among high school and college students too. They can contact and/or communicate instantly with friends by just being on the computer.
Assess who uses it (based on the other users)-High school and college kids probably make up most of its users. The youngsters of today are now supposedly the 'facebook generation', meaning that they prefer to spend the majority of their time communicating with their 'friends' online than in person.
Assess what it represents to the users-It represents your own "space" on the Internet in which you can customize to you're liking. Its a place to talk with friends and network. It has become "the cool thing to have" because "everyone has one." Like any innovative website the media were quick to jump on the facebook phenomenon, which helped feed interest in facebook, as increasing numbers of people signed up to see what all the fuss was about. The Internet through sites like facebook and myspace are becoming the main way of communication.
Assess if it's useful or not (and answer the why or why not)-It is useful because you can catch up with old friends and are able to make new 'friends' whilst being entertained with the games and other downloads it provides. Its a source of entertainment and social networking that makes it easier to make and keep in contact with friends. It connects millions with one another.
Assess if private information about a user is apparent
-There are security setting you can make to restrict strangers from viewing your profile. So the information you wish to share is totally up to you. If you block someone, they will not be able to find you in a Facebook search, see your profile, or interact with you through Facebook channels (such as Wall posts, Poke, etc.). You can set your profile to "My network and friends", "Everyone", "Friends of Friends", and "Only Friends." These allow you to pretty much control what people get to see. It seems to be pretty secure.
