Introduction

Facebook was begun in 2004, when Mark Zuckerber developed an online version of the student directory at Harvard University. The application was popular, and expanded to other schools, eventually opening up to the general public two years later. Currently, the service boasts half a billion "active users" and has become the most popular destination on the Internet.

In spite of the fact that so many are using it, not many are aware of the full range of features that Facebook offers. With that in mind, the author developed the present book as a guide to the full range of features and capabilities. It covers the basics for those who have not yet begun using the site, and goes into details that even fairly experienced Facebook users may not have discovered or considered.

(EN: The drawback to such a book is that it's likely perishable. Facebook itself is growing and changing, and may evolve to include additional features not mentioned in this book or abandon others that have not been popular with its users. Also, while it is the reigning champion of social media, it may not always be this: MySpace claimed that title until it was unseated, and there are many firms that seek to unseat Facebook, and it is often experimenting and changing in ways that displease its user base. But likely most of the features described in this book will remain available, and even if Facebook is unseated, whatever replaces it will provide the same kinds of features, so it's worth considering as a guide to social media in general.)