Setting Up and Using a Facebook Account - Assignment Example

Setting Up and Using a Facebook Account Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 4 Procedure for Setting up a Facebook Account 4 How to Use a Facebook Account 7 Conclusion 10 Abstract Facebook is a social utility platform where people get in touch with their friends. It was founded on February 4, 2004 and its headquarters is in Menlo Park in the California State. Facebook was launched with the aim of enabling connection of people living, working or studying around each other in a place or away from one another. This online social networking site was invented by a group of students from Harvard University led by Mark Zuckerberg. The others were Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. As at its inception, the use and membership of Facebook was open to Harvard University students only. It later spread to other American universities and high schools finally extending beyond the borders of the United States of America. As of the year 2006, the minimum age requirement to be a Facebook registered user was 13 years old but this limitation was in regard to the local applicable laws. Wikipedia reports reveal that by February 2015, the Facebook market capitalization hit 212 billion dollars and that in March the active monthly users had soared to 1.44 billion. This paper is a discussion outlining the steps to guide a novice user on how to set up and use a Facebook account. Keywords: Facebook, social, utility, networking, online, membership. Introduction Setting up and using a Facebook account is easily enhanced by the simple available online tools such as electronic mail (e-mail) address and password. These mark the beginning point for establishing a basic account that can later be updated with additional designs and tools (Ray, 2013). Once registered to use this online social utility through creating a user profile, one can add friends with whom to network. Additionally, one can post information, videos or photos to update their statuses and this is open for viewing by friends. One can also join interest groups created by workmates, friends, and businesses or by institutions of learning. This online social utility enables exchanging of messages and sharing of ideas. Hence the following steps should be the guidelines in setting up and using a Facebook account. Procedure for Setting up a Facebook Account Step 1: Have an email address which can be with the Google Mail (Gmail), Yahoo, Hotmail and many more. This makes use of both alphabetical letters and numerical numbers or just letters only. The email address can be individual or is based on an organization or institution with a central managing point. The addresses can be in any of the following forms i.e. jackcollins2018@gmail.com, nerissawilliams91@yahoo.com and fwronalds17@hotmail.com. An institutional-based email address can be like the following examples i.e. dakeysteve@oxford.ac.uk, or davekins@harvard.ac.us. Step 2: Choose a browser to use in order to connect to the internet. This can either be Opera Mini, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. The choice of the browser is dependent on the taste and preference of the user. Browsers are engines for accessing the internet. Step 3: Depending on the browser chosen, type the word “Facebook” and a page with various links will appear. Choose the link “Welcome to Facebook – Log In, Sign Up or Learn More” and click on it. Step 4: After clicking on this link, a Sign Up page appears where you can fill in your details to start creating your account (wikiHow, n.d.). The details must be correctly filled and ensure they correspond to the contents of the dialogue boxes as is shown in the diagram below. Here, you are also required to include your first and last names, email address, password, gender and birthday. A strong password should be chosen for security purposes in order to protect your privacy. It should also be easy to remember since it is needed for the subsequent log ins. Step 5: After filling in the details, click on the green button written Sign Up. This is only a requirement for the new Facebook users. However, for the existing users, they only need to type their email address and password on the two top dialogue boxes accordingly. This is shown in the following diagram above. Also, as novice user, the next time you are accessing Facebook, you only type the email address and your password. Step 6: Clicking the Sign Up button means that you have agreed with the terms and conditions of Facebook. Hence, from here you are presented with the option of finding friends of which you can also skip if not interested. Step 7: Involves filling the details about educational history, employment history and any other additional personal information. This section can also be skipped to be done later. Step 8: You may want your friends to see your photo on Facebook. Therefore in this step, you upload your photo by clicking on upload profile picture (wikiHow, n.d.). The profile picture can be your own photo or any image of your choice obtained from the internet. Step 9: Upload a picture for your cover photo to make your Facebook account ready for use. The following diagram shows how profile picture and a cover photo looks like. The face of the man that appears with the name Priit Kallas is the profile picture while the natural scenery is the cover photo. Step 10: Click on the button Done Editing so as to save your details. How to Use a Facebook Account Using Facebook account involves the following steps. Step 11: Finding friends: The purpose of opening a Facebook account is to connect with friends and know more from them. Therefore, to find friends type their names or email address on the Friend check box and a range of names will appear. This will be accompanied by the photos of their profile pictures depending on what is uploaded as the profile picture. You can also use the people you may know tool to find friends. This is based on the mutual friendships, educational history, or employment. Click on the add as a friend button and your request will be sent for them to respond. Step 12: Responding to friend requests: Also, your profile picture may appear to your long-time friends, former schoolmates, college mates or workmates and they may want to connect with you. When they send you a friend request you will find a notification in the friends’ button towards the top right corner of the page (wikiHow, n.d.). Click on it and choose confirm or delete request depending on the option you want. Step 13: Updating Status: You may have a story, an encouragement, a news feed or an inspiration that you want to share with your friends. Hence to do this, just type that particular message in the Updating Status box then click post for your target audience to see it. Step 14: Uploading a photo or a video: Facebook enables uploading of photos to your profile and enhance sharing between friends and families (wikiHow, n.d.). From your timeline, click on the option for photo/video and then choose the picture or video to upload. It can be an already existing photo in your account or a new one. Click post for it to be visible on your timeline. The following diagram is an illustration of how a timeline looks like. Step 15: Commenting on a status: When you log onto Facebook homepage you find updates from friends. They may interest you hence you may want to express your views or opinions about them by leaving a comment. Click on the option for commenting, write your comment and then press the Enter Key from your Computer keyboard. Step 16: Liking a status: You may be touched by a status but you lack what to comment about it. Therefore, to show your interest, you just click on the option “Like.” Step 17: Sharing a status: A post may attract your attention hence you may want it to appear on your timeline. Just click on the option “Share” write something about it then click Share on timeline. It will successfully be visible on your timeline. Step 18: Tagging: This is done so that a post can appear in more than one timeline simultaneously depending on the number of friends tagged in the post. If you are the one tagging others, after writing your story or uploading your photo, specify with whom to tag then click post. However, if you want to tag yourself and other people in another person’s post, it can only be possible on an uploaded photo. Click on the photo and specify your name and the other names you want to tag. Step 19: Editing a post or a comment: Usually mistakes arise when posting or commenting on an update. And so if you realize a mistake which you want to rectify, click on the command ribbon on the right side of the post and click on edit. Make the corrections and then press the Enter Key. Step 20: Hiding/ Deleting a post: You may have written a bad post or even commented on a post in a way that is not good. To do away with the displeasure, you can hide it from the timeline or permanently delete it from the timeline. The procedure is the same as above, but in this case you choose the option hide or delete and it will go. The following diagram shows how a Facebook homepage looks like. Step 21: Chatting with friends: It is easier to chat with friends via Facebook by clicking on the name of the person from the chat box. This is designed in such a way that if the person goes offline, he/she will find your message in their inbox later when they log in (wikiHow, n.d.). Step 22: Managing security settings: This is to ensure that the privacy of the user is not infringed. Users are usually advised to choose strong passwords so that the security of their accounts is enhanced. You can also change your password so that your information is not open to hackers. Click on settings on the top right corner where a pop down menu for account settings and privacy will appear. Type your password and re-type as a confirmation (wikiHow, n.d.). Step 23: Logging out: After finishing surfing the Facebook you can log out so that your account is not open to strangers. Scroll up to the right hand side corner again and click on the star then choose log out. Conclusion The membership of Facebook continues to grow because of the large number of people joining this online social networking community on a daily basis (wikiHow, n.d.). This is enhanced by the fact that it is free and requires little time to create a Facebook account. Once created, you can link with friends, upload photos, send messages and even chat with friends. References Ray, Ramon (2013). The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. How to set up a Facebook account. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015 from wikiHow: http://www.wikihow.com/Set-up-a-Facebook-Account. Read More