Facebook

Category: Community



Facebook is a popular social networking service. Originally offered to college students, the service has since opened up its doors to anyone with an e-mail address. Facebook gives users a place to make and explore personal profiles and interact with friends. While offerings were initially limited to a comment board called "The Wall" and a personal picture, the site has now built several in-house services like photo hosting, interest groups, status messages, link sharing, a personal blog, and the news feed.

The news feed is the integral part of the service. It records user actions, and alerts Facebook friends about your actions in a centralized location. The feed came under fire when it was first released, due to a lack of privacy controls. It was quickly remedied and has gone on to become one of the most popular elements of Facebook, allowing users to see what their friends have been up to without having to visit each profile individually.

The service recently launched a development platform that lets users make their own "application" for Facebook. These applications can run the gamut, from single-use widgets to full-blown Web sites that can be accessed and integrated into Facebook's various services. Users can add as many applications as they want, then integrate and rearrange them on their profile page.

Web site: www.Facebook.com

Webware coverage: How to waste time at the office with Facebook Platform; Facebook's Zuckerberg makes surprise appearance at NYC developer event; Did Facebook underestimate the Platform's success?

Winners in this category:


• Bebo
• DeviantArt
• Digg
• Dogster/Catster
• Facebook
• Friendster
• Gaia Online
• LinkedIn
• Me.dium
• MySpace

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