facebook.com (facebook.com)

Member Name: thole09

Product:	facebook.com
Date:	26/09/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ease of use

Disadvantages: "Disappearing" notification area

Facebook is a social networking website. First launched in 2004 aimed towards students at Harvard University, it has since expanded to allow anyone above the age of 13 to register and access the service. Facebook is currently the most widely used social network with Alexa Traffic Ratings deeming it the second most visited website in the world.

Facebook sports dark blue graphics which are offset by a generalized white background with black text. This look offers a comfortable visual experience which is typical to most websites by default. I have found navigation around Facebook to be simple. To first access the network, users must register by inputting their e-mail address, full name, date of birth and a secret password. New users will then be taken to their homepage which allows further customization by inputting more personal details such as place of work, school and physical location. As with the majority of social networking websites, the purpose of Facebook is communication. The service allows users to send messages similar to e-mail compositions quickly and easily to any user who allows the receiving of messages. Other methods of communication include the "poke" feature which sends a quick notification to the recipient directing their attention to the sender, and making posts on another user's "wall" which serves as a public forum for friends of the recipient.

Locating others is another simple feature of Facebook. At the top of each webpage rests a search bar where users can input the full name an individual. Clicking "search" will reveal a page of suspected matches and comparison of photos, if available, likely leads a user to their intended person. I have experienced no issues using Facebook's search feature. For more precise results in the event of a wide search result, a location or school can be input which narrows the results considerably. I have found several old school acquaintances and could be on the verge of re-establishing long lost friendships.

My Facebook usage has been minimal in comparison to more fanatical users. I have been a registered user for a few short months and sign on every now and then. In that time, I have found the interface to be subject to numerous changes. Some of these changes have been positively received, however some others have been negative. One of the most obvious issues that seems to riddle facebook at present is the lower "applications" bar which rests at the bottom of the webpage. This area seems to disappear rather frequently and does not leave me with the quick access needed to certain features such as my mos recent notifications list. The webpage itself is also subject to numerous memory usage spikes. It seems that when a new feature is added or is being openly tested then my computer will slowly grind to a halt and force my web browser to close.

Facebook has become the juggernaut of social networking and there is no sign of the ship sinking any time soon. It's easy to see why when non offensive colours meet a highly accessible interface. I would highly recommend Facebook to those seeking a social networking platform for personal use.

Summary: Thumbs up