Facebook in Sixty Seconds
by Michael Camilleri
So Facebook mania is sweeping Australia. It’s great for me living in Japan to reconnect with people from school or university. One thing I’ve noticed come up a few times now are people who’ve joined Facebook and are then wondering what to do next. For those people I present Facebook in Sixty Seconds.
1. Facebook is a closed network. Users have a profile page and can link to other people as their ‘friends’. Other people must be registered as your friend or be in one of your networks to see your profile.
2. Users are segmented into different networks (educational, regional and professional). To join an education or professional network you must be able to receive email to a domain associated with that network. The domain usyd.edu.au is registered to the University of Sydney, for example.
3. Your profile is very rigid. MySpace-like customisation is almost impossible. You can add and remove bits of the profile (called applications) but that’s about it.
4. Your wall is like a telephone line anyone can listen in on. Custom dictates that comments left on your wall are usually replied to on another user’s wall.
5. Photos is Facebook’s killer app. Photos are uploaded into albums. Each album can only contain 60 photos but you can have an unlimited number of albums. Other Facebook users can be tagged in photos. From your profile page you can see every photo you’re tagged in. Comments left on photos generate notifications to the original uploader and everyone tagged in the photo.
6. Users can create events using the Events application. Events have their own wall, list of confirmed guests and can have photos uploaded to them. People can be invited to events and indicate whether they’re definitely coming, might be coming or aren’t coming.
7. Notes are like blogs. If you write a blog already you can import your entries using your blog’s RSS feed. Comments left on a note generate notifications for everyone who has previously commented.
8. Other applications can be added to your profile. Facebook recently opened their platform to third parties and there are now hundreds of applications. For instance, you can rate movies, plan upcoming trips, show books you’re reading, display a fortune cookie or add a graffiti wall so that people can draw messages to you.
And time’s up. Any questions? Leave a comment :)
Comments
Lol, you didn’t blur out Ko’s name. =P Though, you did this post in 60 secs? Wow. =D
I figured he needed the friends.
I hate you :P
You’ll thank me for this some day, Ko.
:/ I hate that there’s yet another internet application for “enhancing” friendship. I’m currently trying as much as possible to avoid joining Facebook. Though I’m finding more and mroe that it’s becoming harder. I’ve just received another invite, but this time from an old high school friend who I thought a) had dropped off the face of the planet or b) wasn’t interested in talking to me anymore. … It’s really annoying.
I agree that for a long time I thought social networking sites were a complete waste of time. So that I don’t have to admit I’m a hypocrite I’m going to make the sweeping generalisation that up until Facebook they were. The thing that I like about Facebook is that it’s quite good at allowing you to easily find, contact and keep in touch with your friends and then also helping you share photos, blogs, videos, etc with the people you want to reach. I admit I’m biased towards the app because I’m living in another country but even if I were in Australia I think I’d still find it useful.