Facebook was initially launched to serve as a site where students of Harvard University could interact, share photos and meet new friends. It was then named thefacebook.com. Designed in 2004 by three Harvard students Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, this site that became very popular among Harvard students, soon expanded and included other students from Yale, Stanford and Columbia Universities. At present, Facebook is the most popular social media network site all over the world with members from all walks of life and age brackets. Added applications on Facebook make it more exciting and fun. If you want to make the most out of being a Facebooker, here are ways to explore its applications:
1. Create your own Facebook account. Sign up on the sign up page by getting to this link: facebook.com. Read the terms and conditions very well before finishing up. Be sure you are at least 13 years of age and if you are in the 13 to 18 age bracket, you should be a student. You also need to have an official email address for your account to be validated.
2. After signing up, fill up the information page. It is up to you if you do not want to share certain information. This is where you can make use of the privacy applications of Facebook. Click the ‘Settings’ and go to the privacy options. Choose which settings you prefer to safeguard your privacy.
3. After you fill in the information page, you already have created your Profile page on Facebook. At this point you can now browse on the various applications found in the network.
4. Look for the “Applications†at the left side of your Homepage. Click this word to see the available applications you have in your page, or if you have not installed any, choose from the available “Featured Applications†section on the right side of the page.
5. Find friends and add them to your Friends’ list. Your friends may have some applications of their own. You may also want to try these applications.
6. Join networks or surf through them to discover more applications. Facebook networks are grouped into four: regions (linked to cities and countries), colleges, workplaces and high schools. By joining a network, you will be able to look through members and find old friends and classmates. You may classify people in your Friends’ list according to their age, relationship, sex, status, religious and political views, schools attended and so on. As you interact with friends, you will be led to more suggestions for applications.
7. Put in all the applications you like. However do not include any or all applications you find in your search. Be choosy and select only those that you find helpful, useful and fun. All you have to do to add applications is to click the name of the application and hit “Add Applicationâ€. You know you have successfully added an application because a confirmation will appear on the screen.
8. Personalize your application. Follow the instructions on the settings. You may need to fill up an information page. After you have updated your application, you may proceed to test and use it.
9. Accept invitations by friends for you to join certain movements like a certain page and promote causes. These are also Facebook applications created by other people to establish more networks of members.