Introduction
With more than 800 million active users and growing, ignoring the buzz about Facebook (www.facebook.com) is hard. It’s an ever-present topic these days, and it shows no signs of letting up. If you’re ready to get to the bottom of this Internet sensation and find out how to use this social networking phenomenon for yourself, this is the book for you. Social networks are a bit daunting at first, but don’t worry. This book shows you how to navigate the site and make use of its various features in no time at all. By the end, you’ll feel as if you can Facebook with the best of them!
About This Book
As part of the Sams Teach Yourself in 10 Minutes guides, this book aims to teach you the ins and outs of using Facebook without wasting a lot of precious time. Divided into easy-to-handle lessons that you can tackle in 10 minutes each, you learn the following Facebook tasks and topics:
• How to painlessly set up a Facebook account
• How to create and manage a profile page, including how to add a profile picture and work with the new timeline
• How to connect with friends and make new ones, plus organize them into specialized lists
• How to communicate by messaging, chatting, and posting status updates
• How to track what your friends are doing and what they’re up to on Facebook
• How to upload photos, links, and videos to share with friends
• How to share your common interests and hobbies through groups
• How to add applications to get more out of your Facebook experience
• How to sell and buy stuff in the Marketplace
• How to use Facebook’s mobile features
• How to create pages for a professional business or organization
• How to keep yourself safe and protect your privacy on Facebook
• How to conduct yourself on the site and follow Facebook’s terms of service and unspoken etiquette rules
After completing these lessons, you’ll know everything you need to know to get the most out of your time on Facebook.
Who This Book Is For
This book is geared toward anyone interested in learning his or her way around Facebook. Whether you’re a new user or a seasoned participant, or you’re just learning how to navigate the new and improved interface, this book shows you each major feature of the site and how to make use of it. For example, have you always wanted to start your own group? Have you ever wondered how to invite people to a party? Or have you always wanted to look for more applications to try but didn’t know how to find them? You’ll learn how to do these tasks and more.
Each lesson focuses on a particular subject, such as communicating on Facebook or using the Photos application. You can skip around from topic to topic, or read the book from start to finish.
How to Use This Book
To use this book, all you really need is a healthy dose of curiosity to find out what you can do on Facebook. To use Facebook itself, you’ll need a computer (PC or Mac), a web browser (any kind will do), and an Internet connection. That’s it. Facebook is free to use, so if you have those three things, you’re all set and ready to go.
If you use a smartphone, iPhone, or iPad, you can also tap into Facebook’s features.
Conventions Used in This Book
Whenever you need to click a particular button or link in Facebook, you’ll find the label or name for that item bolded in the text, such as “click the Delete button.” In addition to the text and figures in this book, you’ll also encounter some special boxes labeled Tip, Note, or Caution.
Tip
Tips offer helpful shortcuts or easier ways to do something.
Note
Notes are extra bits of information related to the text that might help you expand your knowledge or understanding.
Caution
Cautions are warnings or other important information you need to know about consequences of using a feature or executing a task.
Screen Captures
The figures captured for this book are mainly from the Internet Explorer web browser (version 9.0) or from the Safari web browser (version 5.0.5). If you use a different browser, your screens might look slightly different.
Also keep in mind that the developers of Facebook are constantly working to improve the website. New features are added regularly, and old ones change or disappear. This means the pages change often, including the elements found on each, so your own screens may differ from the ones shown in this book. Don’t be too alarmed, however. The basics, though they are tweaked in appearance from time to time, stay mostly the same in principle and use.