Facebook for College Students

About Facebook for College Students

Facebook was launched in February 2004 as a way for college and high school students to interact with each other via the Internet. As of late 2007, there were more than 50 million Facebook users worldwide (collegiate and non-collegiate).

Originally called "The Facebook," the network was developed by Mark Zuckerberg when he was a student at Harvard University. His idea, which started as merely a hobby, spread fast throughout the campus and was quickly picked up by several Ivy League schools including Stanford and Yale universities. Zuckerberg garnered help from fellow classmates Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, and pretty soon, Facebook was growing -- almost too fast. By the end of 2004, it was a national network, connecting college campuses all over the United States. It was doing so well, that by August 2005, Zuckerman and Moskovitz dropped out of Harvard to work on Facebook full-time.

How the Network has Changed

In just a few short years, Facebook has changed dramatically:

• In August 2005, the name was changed from thefacebook to Facebook.
• Originally intended for college and high school student-use only, Facebook is now open to anyone older than 13 who has a valid e-mail address.
• E-mail addresses do not have be linked to a certain school (.edu for example); they can join one of many networks including geographic regions or places of employment.
• It is now one the top sites on the Internet for uploading and sharing photos.

How to Use Facebook

If you are not familiar with online social networks, Facebook is a good place to start. Once you register, you can join a network to hook up or meet others with similar interests. Those networks includes:

• Schools (high school or college)
• Workplace
• Geographical region (anywhere worldwide)

From there, you can post photos, search for friends and post or read messages on The Wall - a place where others can leave you a public message. However, you can only post on The Wall of someone who is in your network. Other features of Facebook include:

• Beacon: As part of its business solutions, Facebook Beacon allows users to shaer information from other Web site with those in their Facebook network. This concept was originally well-received, but some claimed it could cause privacy problems for the participating companies.
• Video: Similar to the videos you can upload to MySpace or YouTube, Facebook videos allow users to share homemade movies with one another. Make sure you read the fine print as to what videos are acceptable.
• Gifts: This feature allows you to send personal messages with icons to other members. For about $1, you can buy icons for special events or holidays.
• Marketplace: Facebook users can list what they to sell or get rid of (or what their looking for) within their groups of friends, their network or other networks.
• Pokes: This feature allows users to interact with one another. However, there is no steadfast purpose for pokes, and members can make up their own reasons to use them.
• Status: Want to let everyone know what you're doing right now? Then let your status speak for you. A Facebook status can be anything from sleeping, studying or lost in translation.
• Events: Is there something going on you want everyone in your network or even the other networks to know about? Then list it in the Facebook Events.

With the Good Comes the Bad

While Facebook is a good tool to meet and share with others, it is also a system that can easily be abused if not used correctly. For instance:

• Using Facebook to campaign for student government elections when it may be against the school's bylaws
• Violating a school's code of conduct by using Facebook to "commit" a crime, such as sexual harassment, academic dishonesty and irresponsible computing
• Posting pictures of yourself drinking alcohol if you are underage

Staying Safe on Facebook

Just like any other online social network, users must know how to protect themselves. Incidents such as fraud, identity theft, stalking and cyber bullying run rampage on networks where people disclose too much personal information. With just a few clicks, almost anyone can find someone they know (or want to know) on Facebook. In order to protect yourself while online, you should never disclose your:

• Last name, address or telephone number
• Social Security number
• The exact title/section number of classes being taken
• Dorm or apartment numbers
• Place of employment
• Banking or credit card information

A Final Note

All in all, Facebook, for college students or anyone else who has registered, is what you make of it. If you want it to be a fun place to meet others, then it will be. If you don't, then it won't be. Remember, though, to be safe because some people are not who they always seem to be online.