Introduction
Facebook is an internet-based social networking platform that was founded by a Harvard University sophomore, Mark Zuckerberg. Launched on the fourth day of February in 2004, the website is operated and owned by Facebook, Inc; a private entity. However, companies like Microsoft have a stake in this platform. It is worth to note that the term, Facebook was derived from the paper facebooks – representing campus community members – that American preparatory school and colleges gave to fresh students, staff, and faculty as a means of identifying each other within the campus.
Main body
Facebook has free-registration that allows anyone to access to the website. The only requirements are a minimum age of thirteen years and a bona fide email address. Registration, however, has to be verified by the Facebook administrators depending on the criteria dictated by the terms and condition of the forum. In fact, if any user wishes to change any details that he or she entered previously, the administrator has to verify the information first, before the user’s details are changed. Note that there is a potential for users to give false information while registering with Facebook since no form of documentation is required for verification purposes. However, the platform obligates the user to include information that is true. In addition, users have the option of joining various networks that are identified with the workplace, region and city; as well as interact and connect with anyone within the platform.
Moreover, users can create and update their individual profile; add friends as well as send them general and poke messages, and inform other people about themselves. Note that absolute privacy is not adequately guaranteed in this platform, especially for users who are not fully familiar with the websites privacy features. Almost anyone can view the profile information and activities of others in the website. However, this viewing is limited to users who are approved friends or are in the same network, and individual users have the option of allowing their friends to view their information.
The platform has several features. It includes Pokes, which is an application used to send virtual pokes, a Wall which is to posting messages, and Photos that allows users to upload digital photographs. Also Status feature enables users to notify others users of their actions and whereabouts. Note that the Wall can be viewed by anyone so long as the viewer has also the profile’s owner approval which is determined through the privacy settings. Furthermore, user can post both textual contents and attachments to the Wall. Additionally, programmers are allowed to create applications that are compatible with Facebook through the Platform feature. In this regard, Facebook itself created the Marketplace, events, Video Gifts and Photo applications. The Marketplace allows posting free ads; Events informs users of upcoming events; while Video feature enable users to share personal videos.
The Photo application, which is very popular (The Facebook Gifts), allows users to upload an unlimited number of photos as well as photo albums. However, the application limits the users to save only sixty photos in an album. Privacy settings are activated in this application that allows individuals to limit and determine who views their photographs in a particular album. It allows the flexibility of applying different settings to different photo albums. In addition, the Photo feature enables users to label or rather tag users in a photograph. For instance, if a user’s friend appears in a particular photograph, the user can label the photo so that a notification is sent to the friend informing them that they are tagged, and a connection is provided to them to allow them view the photo.
As time goes, Facebook has been adding more features in its social-networking website. One is the features include News Feed application that is present in every homepage of the users. It is used in highlighting information relevant to user’s friends such as upcoming events, profile changes, and birthdays as well as other activities on the platform. Zuckerberg (2008) had once lamented over Facebook failure to control the viewing of an individual’s events, conversation and relationship status by other users. The Chat feature has also been integrated in the Facebook website, and allows users to see who of their friends are online on top of allowing them to chat. Gifts feature enables users to give virtual gifts to friends. These virtual gifts are worth $ 1 for every purchase and can be accompanied by a personalized message.
The Facebook note, which is a blogging application, is another feature that includes capabilities like tagging, embedding of image, etcetera. Furthermore, allows readers to give comments on entries of other users. Also, it allows users to import blogs from other blogging services such as Blogger, LiveJournal and Xanga.
Facebook is almost similar to another social-networking platform known as MySpace, but there is a major difference in the degree of customization (Brad). Whereas in MySpace users are allowed to manipulate their profile using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), in Facebook only plain text is allowed.
Chess is an example of an application that was created by independent programmer. Related to Scrabble, it enables users to play games with friends. The game is asynchronous, which means users can continue with their game anytime even after breaking for some time. Other applications that have been created in Facebook include Most Lovable person, Hug me application.
Seemingly, the website has several subscribers and operates on a global scale. That is, it has users all over the world. More than sixty nine million people use the platform actively. According to websites ranking company, Alexa, Facebook traffic rose from sixty million to sixty seven million between September 2006 and September 2007. Moreover, Quantcast places the website at number 16th in regard to user traffic; whereas Compete.com ranks the platform at position 20. However, it is noted as the most popular website in terms of photo uploads.
However, the platform is not in operational in Iran and Syria due to the fact that it allows excessive freedom to the users (American Islamic Congress). Moreover, it has users ranging from celebrities, musician, actors, college student, working people and the general public. However, although the scrutinizing is not strict, only users above the age of thirteen years are allowed to join the platform (Carolyn; Facebook).
The social-networking website has controls that ensure that the use of the platform is maintained within certain ethical standards. For instance, users can report any activity that is illegal or contravening their interests. The administrator has the sole rights of deciding the course of action for anyone or group that faults these rules.
Although the platform is free to users, it gets its revenues from advertisements which are in form of banners (Zoe). Microsoft, Inc. is the only Facebook partner that controls and operates banner advisements (Facebook). As such, advertisements that appear in Facebook must be approved by both Facebook and Microsoft in addition to having an agreement between the advertiser and the two companies. The platform collects data that is useful in directing these advertisement banners to the right audience (Louise).
Conclusion
The website is a powerful social networking tool. It allows people from all corners of the world to share information as well as interact and link up for various reasons. Moreover, it is useful to users who want to rely information to people globally, whereby information is categorized as commercial and non commercial. Furthermore it has the advantage in that it is free to anyone irregardless of his background.
On the other hand, Facebook has been marred by controversy over issues such as privacy protection (Catherine, A15). The platform privacy agreement states that “we can use information about you that we collect from other sources, including but not limited to newspapers and Internet sources such as blogs, instant messaging services, Facebook Platform developers and other users of Facebook, to supplement your profile” (Facebook Privacy Policy).
References
American Islamic Congress. 2007. Facebook Faces Censorship in Iran. 2008. Web.
Brad, Stone (2007): Facebook Expands Into MySpace’s Territory. The New York Times. 2008. Web.
Carolyn, Abram. 2006. Welcome to Facebook, everyone”, 2008. Web.
Catherine, Rampell. 2008. What Facebook Knows That You Don’t, The Washington Post. Pg. A15. 2008. Web.
Chess. Facebook. 2008. Web.
David, Kirkpatrick. 2007. Facebook’s plan to hook up the world. CNN. 2008. Web.
Facebook – My Account. 2008. Web.
Facebook Platform Launches, Facebook, 2007. Web.
Facebook Privacy Policy. 2008. Web.
Facebook. 2008. Terms of Use. Facebook. Web.
Facebook. Product Overview FAQ: Facebook Ads. Facebook. 2008. Web.
Friends and Social Timeline. Facebook. 2008. Web.
Louise, Story. 2008. To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping Closer Eye on You. The New York Times. Web.
Statistics. Facebook. 2008. Web.
The Facebook Gifts. 2008. Web.
Zoe, Barton. 2006. Facebook goes corporate.
Zuckerberg, Mark. 2006. Calm down. Breathe. We hear you. 2008. Web.