Facebook

Facebook has become the meeting place where you can scribble a quick note describing what you are doing right now, and comment on absolutely anything then share it with everyone in your contact list, who in turn can comment and discuss your status.

To create a Facebook account, you supply some personal details and upload a profile photo, to enable friends and acquaintances to find you easily on the network. Once inside Facebook, you can start searching for work colleagues, school and university friends, travel companions... Using the search field we can re-launch friendships and keep in touch with people who live hundreds of kilometres away.

There are lots of options available on Facebook: upload photos, create albums, label those who appear in the photos, comment on them, send private messages, get access to a large number of online games...

On your own Facebook homepage, you can comment on your current state, writing this in the box at the top; you can post the link to a webpage you have enjoyed, upload a photo, post a video and, of course, view the activities of people in your contacts list.

Facebook also comes with an instant messaging option, found in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, where you can see which of your contacts are online, then chat with them just the same as on MSN, Yahoo Messenger or ICQ. You can also choose to send private messages to contacts, just like sending an email, and contacts can read these by accessing their in-tray. You can even send a message to a number of contacts.

Finally, all the uploaded information can be submitted with varying levels of privacy. For example, with an uploaded photo, you the user can decide who can see it: friends only, friends of friends or everyone. You can even exclude certain friends from viewing; indeed, you can create groups with limited privileges.