4/5/2009 social networking assessment

-Note details about the entire site & Describe it briefly.
Facebook is the social networking service through the internet. Basically, it provides members a page such as a blog, and each member can make a relationship through the friend request to a person that they want to know. The most new things is that member can make a new relationship even if they don’t know each other well. After that, the status of “Friends” which you have relationships through the Facebook blog is displayed. At a Home screen, members can upload pictures, videos, and some links that they are interested in. Profile menu have wall menu that friends can leave a message, info menu that host’s sex, birthday, e-mail address and education work, and photos menu has pictures that the host upload. Friends menu lists people who have a relationship with me and some people who have common friends with me or common education work but they are not friends with me yet. Inbox menu works like e-mail. Anyone who knows each other can send a message to his or her friend or read it in inbox. Member can search his or her friends easily, typing name or e-mail address. The most interesting thing is that Facebook also have messenger, working only inside of Facebook website. When a member finds his or her friends are connecting Facebook, he or she can talk to a friend in real time through the messenger.

-Assess how it used
Facebook is used broadly for a connection between people and people. In addition, more and more people can get to know each other by its provided tools. The page it gives a member becomes the mean to express him or herself. Then, people open their pages only to the people who are friends. Searching system and “people who you may know” can make people connect a new relationship very easily.

-Assess who used it (based on the other users)
Legally, it is available to whom are 13 years old or older and 18 years old in high school or in college or adults, aged more than 18 years old. Recently, not only individual use it but also business people use it as a representative of their company. Not only US people but also worldwide people join in.

-Assess what it represents to the users
“Connection” is the goal of Facebook’s. It shows what Facebook is made for. A page that Facebook provides is the space in order to express who individual really is, and people have connections by those pages. Posting individual’s feelings, tasks, photos, videos at one’s page, and comment to other pages are all of things that member can do.

-Assess if it’s useful or not (answers the why or why not)
It is very useful in recent lifestyle. People are busy and they can’t afford every people they know. If friends, professors, co-workers, club members, and relatives are in Facebook, people can keep in touch and have a new relationship without extra time. In a short time, the connection can be maintained. Real time chatting can make people do multiple tasks while they talk each other.

-Assess if private information about a user is apparent
Yes, user’s information is clearly displayed in profile menu between friends. The users know each other’s real name, and e-mail address. Of course, there are host’s photos available.

The recent change of Facebook’s policy is criticized harshly. At this point of view, its policy about private information is not appropriate. The most criticized one is that Facebook has a right to all of members’ contents- pictures, videos, and writings- even though member doesn’t want. Surprisingly, Facebook still has a right about past contents after the member termites the service. It means member doesn’t take any benefit at all if Facebook sells some contents and earn money. In addition, Facebook use the contents wherever they want even though member doesn’t agree with it. Protection about private information is required by its users now.