Facebook For Dummies (Kindle Edition)

by Leah Pearlman (Author)

Very Basic Information, Good if You've Never Used Facebook But Plan to, However if You're Already Familiar with FB, Not Much Use
By James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews

I joined Facebook a few months ago, didn't know anything at all about it, just that other people wanted me on there too. If I had picked up this book at that exact stage of my Facebook experience it would have been very, very helpful, especially in knowing just what all the terminology and features were going on about. Having used Facebook for a few months now (and believe me there's lots of elements to Facebook I don't know) being that through trial and error I have become familiar with the basic tools on the site, (write on wall, post an image, start/edit a photo album, send someone a message etc) I found there wasn't really anything this very basic book could teach me. Well except I did find out what poke means, I had always wondered. The book really doesn't go into too much depth at all other than the basics. A lot of those basics if you're familiar with e-mail or basic photo software, wordprocessing you'll have no trouble working out yourself either.

This book would be ideal for the don't use a computer much in your life type people who have heard about Facebook, know their grandkids or whoever are on there and want to become a part of the very easy communication method. Facebook is a great site, by far an easier way of communicating than e-mail, chat rooms or anything else plus it's lots of fun! So if you're a bit daunted by it, then by all means this sort of book will be a great aid. If you're already familiar with the basics of Facebook, then there's really not much this book can offer you.

By the way Facebook has recently changed its layout and member profile appearances (it calls these changes the new Facebook) something which has dated this book still using the old (or classic layout) a fair bit even though it is still 2008 at the time of this review, the same year as publication.

There's actually a better book than this for those not too computer savy called Facebook: The Missing Manual. If they are both around the same price, I'd get that instead.

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Facebook is certainly one of the hottest sites on the Web. Not only does it help people get connected and stay connected with family and friends, it is increasingly being used by businesses to connect with their customers. If you've thought about getting into the Facebook community, Facebook For Dummies is a great tool to help you maximize the experience.

Written by a pair of Facebook insiders, this handy guide shows you how to create a profile, communicate with friends, play with Facebook applications, and explore the unique ways Facebook can improve your business. You'll find out who's on Facebook, how to protect your privacy, how others use the site, and how to tailor the system to meet your needs. Find out all about:

• Creating a Facebook profile that enhances your real-world relationships
• Sharing photos and messages with friends
• Joining networks for your city, school, or work
• Managing the amount of information you share
• Understanding and using synchronous and asynchronous messaging, private and public communication, and active and passive interactions
• Taking advantage of free and paid ways to use Facebook for business

Whether you want to connect with friends already on Facebook or be the first on your block to join, Facebook For Dummies will smooth the way!

From the Back Cover

Find out how to maximize your Facebook experience

Create a Facebook profile that enhances your real-world relationships

Whether you want to connect with friends already on Facebook or be the first on your block to join, this is the book you need. Written by a pair of Facebook insiders, Facebook For Dummies shows how to create a profile, communicate with friends, play with Facebook applications, and explore the unique ways Facebook can improve your business.

Discover how to:

• Create a profile to your liking
• Share photos and messages with friends
• Join networks for your city, school, or work
• Manage the amount of information you share
• Use Facebook for business

About the Author

Carolyn Abram: One of the first Facebook users on the west coast, Carolyn took her English degree from Stanford University (Class of 2006), and decided the best career move was to get paid to be on Facebook all day long. On the Product Team since 2006, Carolyn has managed voice, language, and tone for Facebook, while contributing as an author and manager of the Facebook Company Blog. Originally from Ardsley, New York, Carolyn currently resides in Palo Alto. She boasts the highest ratio of mess to desk at the office. Her hobbies include hiking, writing, enjoying sunshine, mocking her friends, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Leah Pearlman graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Brown University, where she first signed up for Facebook to find out the name of a boy in a class. Typical. She spent two years at Microsoft learning the product management ropes (seriously, there are ropes) before becoming a Product Manager for Facebook. Since joining, she has worked on a wide range of projects including messaging and the Inbox, News Feed, Pages, and Ads. At the office, Leah’s desk is always clean, except sometimes when it’s not, and instead of a chair, she sits on an inflatable ball — she has only fallen twice while people were watching. Her hobbies include snowboarding (though she feels pretentious every time she says it), writing (see previous parenthetical comment), and also playing Ultimate Frisbee.