Facebook is a great way of keeping in touch with family and friends whether they are near or far away!

Many people now use Facebook to communicate rather than use their telephone or email. And of course with many of the latest mobile phones you can use face book and it’s a lot cheaper than calling or sending text messages.

You can communicate in 3 main ways:

• post your comments in the box at the top of the page - these are then shared with everyone who is linked to you on face book
• send a message to someone - this is then specific to that one person and not shared
• use the instant messenger service to talk in real time to someone - you will see “Friends on Line” in the left hand column

You can post your photographs on Facebook

• there is an easy way of uploading these from your computer
• you can create albums of photos for each occasion such as holidays and birthdays
• you can comment on other peoples photographs by entering a short message in the box underneath the photo

Getting started

Go to www.facebook.com

It is fairly simple process to create your Facebook page. You will need to provide your name, email address, a password and your date of birth. You may not wish to use your personal email address, so create a new one specifically for Facebook by going to Hotmail, Yahoo or MSN.

Adding Friends

You can do this is three main ways

• if you already know they are on Facebook just type in their email address into the search box
• if you join using your personal email, Facebook will offer you the facility to look at your address book - those contacts you have saved within Hotmail for instance - and add anyone who has a Facebook page automatically
• you can comment on other peoples photographs by entering a short message in the box underneath the photo

In each case a message will be sent by Facebook to the other person. That person will have to accept your request to add them on to Facebook. You will receive the same message from those wishing to add you.

Writing on your wall !

This can be confusing. This is where someone writes a message in the general box at the top of your Facebook page. You will be notified via your email and by a red number appearing in the top left hand corner of your Facebook page that someone has written on your wall.

The red number appears in one of the three buttons next to the Facebook logo - Friends Requests, Messages or Notifications (Wall)

If you cant read the wall message click into the Profile button in the top right hand corner of the page - between the Home and Account buttons.

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