Social networking at its best (facebook.com)

Member Name: dajack36

Product:	facebook.com
Date:	06/06/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Talk to friends online, see what friends are doing, express yourself, very simplistic and modern

Disadvantages: Possible identity fraud, and other such disputes.

Facebook has really hit home in the previous 1 to 2 years, and is now one of the most famous and most popular websites on the internet. It has been all over the newspapers, mainly because of how it can contain and consume some people's lives, mainly teenagers.

Facebook started off as a site designed to help people meet up with friends from their old school. But as it has gone on, and the user count has soared, the site has really become more of a teenage area. As a result all teenagers and young adults now seem to have Facebook, it is very, very popular.

The reason, in my opinion, for the immense popularity of Facebook is it simplistic and easy features. Members do not have to spend a ton of time on Facebook just to update their profiles, like you will find on Myspace, the main competitor. Instead, it just takes a simple sentence to update the profile, very simplistic and minimalist. It is a site designed to be up to date with the current times and demands of the public, and in my opinion Facebook does this very well and meets all of its requirements in full.

The popularity of Facebook has spurned on a sort of internet revolution, in many ways being one of the websites to lead forward the Web 2.0 site start up, with a high tech site, that can include videos and photos, while still being simple aneough to be viewed on a mobile device, like for example the Iphone and Ipod Touch, which now have their own Facebook application, such is the popularity of the website.

In my experience, as a regular Facebooker, I have had a very good time with the website. I like the fact that I can see what all my friends are up to, and it is also a way to communicate with some friends without having to pay for a text message fee, it is very useful. Some people though have had much trouble with Facebook, there is of course the potential possibility of Identity theft and fraud as a result of the social networking, so if you are going to sign up, or already have, then always be on the look out for any tricksters, trying to steal your information.

Identity theft is certainly something to be worried about, but we all know that it can happen anywhere, so Facebook is not in my opinion really to blame, despite what the tabloids seem to think. I have had random people add me on Facebook, but do not worry, for there is not too much of a risk. All users are given the option to block or even delete any nasty and malicious contacts, so the site is safe enough.

My only other fault with Facebook is the fact that about every half year or so, the while site is given a new update, with a new flash interface. While there is good intent here, it can be annoying for the first few weeks before you get used to it, and disrupts the normally speedy user experience. I suppose that after a while you do get used to it, so it's not all bad.

In a short summary, I would have to say on the surface that Facebook is an easy going site with very few faults. Look a little deeper however, and you can see a few of the faults of Facebook, it may be brilliant, but this can consume people's lives, especially teenagers, when they should really be outside playing with friends in person or doing some much needed. In my experience though, Facebook has performed seamlessly and I have had no serious problems, which is why I will give it 5 stars, an outstanding social networking site.

Summary: Highly recommended, especially for young adults and teens