Facebook Class Outline

I have been very busy and unable to post lately. I have been asked to create a class on the basics of using Facebook for senior citizens. This is the outline of the class it will guide them from signing up through the basics of communicating. 

Facebook Class Outline

1.       Introduction

1.1.    You should already know this but there are some requirements if you’re going to benefit from this class.

1.1.1. You should know the basics of using a computer

1.1.2. You should know how to use an internet browser (such as internet explorer)

1.1.3. You should have an e-mail account that you can check from a website and you must know how to check it.

1.1.4. We do have other free classes that will teach them to you if you do not know them, but this class has been designed around you knowing these things already and there is not time to help you with them.

1.2.    Signposting

1.2.1. First I’m going to talk about what facebook is, and why we are teaching the basics of how to use it.

1.2.2. Then I’m going to cover how to get to the site and create an account

1.2.3. Next I’ll show you how to find people you know on facebook.

1.2.4. Then I’ll show you how you can send messages, with pictures or links to websites that you want to share.

1.2.5. Finally I’ll show you how you can use it to keep up with the little things in your friends lives and how to share even the little things with your friends.

1.3.    About Facebook

1.3.1. Facebook is what is known as a social networking site.

1.3.2. Social networking sites are basically a place for you to interact with people online. Especially people you might not see face to face on a daily basis. There are tools for meeting people, sending messages, sharing information, playing games together, and much more. All of this can be done without leaving your computer.

1.3.3. Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world.  On average fifty-million hours are spent on facebook each day. Surveys have shown it to be popular, for both social activity and professional networking

1.3.4. This class cannot teach you everything about using facebook. It is meant as an introduction so that you will be able to use the most basic parts of it, and to get comfortable with it so that later you can experiment using some of the other features.

2.       Getting to Facebook

2.1.    Open your Browser

2.2.    In the address bar type http://www.facebook.com

2.3.    Fill in the form

2.3.1. In the future you’ll just use the top two boxes for your e-mail address and password.

2.4.    Click sign up

2.5.    Fill in the security check

2.6.    You’ve now signed up for a facebook account. They are sending you an e-mail right now to verify the e-mail address you gave them.

3.       Verifying your address

3.1.    Go to the website where you check your e-mail

3.2.    You should see one from facebook. Open it

3.3.    Click the green button labeled “Get Started”

3.4.    Now they take you to your facebook page which asks you to do a lot of things. You can actually skip most of this for now.

4.       Finding people

4.1.    If you know a friend or family member who has a facebook page you can use the search box at the top of the screen. Just enter the name, and a list of people who have that name will come up.

4.2.    If you see the right one, you can click on their name and you’ll see some of their information so you can double check they are the person you want.

4.3.    If you’re sure, you can click the “Add as friend button at the top of the screen, and it will send them a message so they can add you as a friend next time they log in.

4.4.    You are only friends if you both agree. If they don’t agree, then they won’t show up in your friends list and you won’t be able to communicate with them over facebook.

5.       Sending a message

5.1.    Facebook actually has a messaging system that’s very much like e-mail

5.2.    To send a message click the message button at the top of the screen

5.3.    You’ll then see a list of recent messages that people have sent you, and you’ll see a link labeled “Send a New Message”

5.4.    When you click send a new message, a new window will pop up. You can see it looks like an e-mail

5.5.    In the “To:” box you can enter the names of people who are friends with you, and you can put e-mail addresses as well.

5.6.    The “Subject:” box works just the same as it does in e-mail

5.7.    The message field is where you can type whatever message you want to send.

5.8.    You also have three options to include something in the e-mail. If you look at the buttons at the bottom left of the little window, you can see buttons to attach a picture either one that’s on your computer already, or if you have a webcam attached to your computer it can use that, you can attach a video message if you have a webcam on your computer, or you can attach a link to another site.

5.8.1. Pictures

5.8.2. Video

5.8.3. Links

5.9.    Then when you’re finished, just click send.

6.       Status updates and News Feed

6.1.    Facebook also has another way to communicate. Facebook allows you to post short messages that will automatically display to all your friends (and other people depending on your privacy settings). These messages called statuses are designed for you to share what you are or will be doing, or what you have done. It’s a great way to keep up to date with people about the little details that you might forget to mention in a phone call or e-mail. Just like your statuses will be shared with others, their statuses will be shared with you.

6.2.    On the left hand side of the screen look for where it says “news feed” and click on that.

6.3.    This is probably empty right now. It will fill up as you add friends and they update their status messages.

6.4.    See the box that says “What’s on your mind?” click on that box and you can type a quick message in it. Then click share.

6.5.    You might get a pop up message about the post being visible to everyone. Facebook has many settings to control your privacy, but if you accidentally set them wrong, then your friends and family will not be able to add you as a friend or see what you post on facebook. So for now, click continue.

6.6.    Notice that your own status messages go into your newsfeed, and that it will show you how long ago the message is from. Also notice that under you status are two links one of them is labeled comment. The other is labeled like.

6.7.    You can click comment to post a short message that is associated with the original post. And when you click the comment button after that, it gets added.

6.8.    The link labeled “like” is a quick way to indicate you agree with or were entertained by what they posted. It does not require a message though you can certainly leave a comment by clicking the comment link also. The person who posted the status, and anyone else will be able to see the list of everyone who used the like link on what was posted.

7.       That covers the basics of how to communicate using facebook. There are a lot more options that you are encouraged to try on your own.  Some things you’ll want to learn about as you use Facebook more are:

7.1.    Privacy Settings

7.2.    Using applications and playing games online

7.3.    Other ways to share picture and videos

Me, Myself, and I...

There has been questions recently about what can you share on social networking sites while being a professional. I've heard this issue brought up before and it has perplexed me because I don't see a pronounced difference between who I am at work versus who I am at home.

I think there's a concept buried in people's heads that when they show up to work, or begin acting in some professional capacity, their name changes to "Representative of ..." I've always looked at it as more spending that time to accomplish the goal of furthering the interests of your employer (for which they gratefully compensate you). What this means, in my mind, is that you don't have two different personas that you change just like your work clothes, but rather that when you're accomplishing a "professional" goal your demeanor might shift some, but it's not like you have to completely pack your personality away.

 I understand there is a question about what content is appropriate to communicate. On this my answer is it depends on what the name of the account is. If it is a library account, then it is not the right venue to share your love of knitting scarves for kittens, however if it is an account in your own name, then you are free to communicate anything you like.

The other issue that comes up is when you are trying to build a personal brand does what you can communicate change. I don't believe it does. Even if it doesn't seem like it, your "brand" is a result of your love of dogs who swim in lakes that have 5 letter names. Personal things do affect your approach to professional matters, and, unless you are a robot, they should. So if you want to share about your love of 80's martial arts movies with Hispanic protagonists (are there any?), then by all means please do.

Related posts:
I'm not narcisitic, you're eavesdropping by Bobbi Newman - an older post but a good take on social networking
Personal Accounts, Work Accounts - What to do? by David Lee King

Social Networking Sites

Currently the library I work for bans social networking sites. This policy was a knee-jerk reaction to information spread by groups with a stake in causing people to fear, such as the media (I'm looking at you "To Catch a Predator"), and well meaning groups that barely new what myspace and facebook were, if at all (in this case law enforcement, and other libraries). However, a light bulb finally went off, and so at tomorrow's meeting we will be asking for opinions on stopping the ban. My boss will be doing the initial presentation, and then asking me to share how I use social networks, and how they can be used.

With the background out of the way the rest of this post will roughly be my comments at the meeting:

The Nature of Social Networks

The first thing I want to mention is don't think of social networks, don't think of Myspace or Facebook. Think of it as internet communication. The reason I want you to think of it this way is because that's what every social network is about, that's what every website is about, that's what our online catalog is about. If it's on the internet it's about communication. Whether it's person to person, person to computer, computer to computer, it's all about communication. With that said, I'll mention how I use it personally, then profesionally, and after that I'll talk about how I think the library as an organization and the library staff as professionals can use these particular means of communicating.

Personal Use

The first way I use it is to keep in touch with family and friends. With family all across the nation from California to New Jersey, myspace and facebook allow me to keep in touch with their day-to-day activities in even more depth than a phone call would allow. It allows even the transmission of the little thoughts and quips that have long escaped our memory by the time a phone call becomes a feasible option. My 10 year high school reunion was announced over facebook. Another group I volunteer with does almost all their scheduling over facebook.

Professional Use

I've even used online communication and social networks for professional purposes. Some of you have seen the database video on our site. The software and hardware we chose for that project came from recommendations by library staff around the nation. When Kelly approached me about allowing adults to submit their reading progress for the Summer Reading Program online, I immediately began to ask other library staff whether they had done something similar and what they used. In a mix between personal and professional, I used online communication to let a friend know there was a new Michael Crichton book coming out.

Potential for the Library

As far as what we can do with it. Saying "the possibilities are endless" is cliched, but here are a few examples:

• We can let people know about events and programs that might interest them without them having to come to our website. (They're already going to Facebook and Myspace anyway, so let's talk to them there)
• Have you seen the commercials for the KGB service where you pay $0.99 and can text in a question that they'll look up? We can offer an interface to our Reference Department on these sites. Don't pay just ask a friend…ly librarian. (By the way, this suggestion came from a friend on a social network)
• They can suggest books through these interfaces, and we can track what they let us see them reading (i.e. when they post "I'm reading X and it's really good")
• and for what I think is the most important of the "we can," we can let our customers do what they want, within reason. I know there was at least one customer from Boyce who was hoping we could help her in a time sensitive family situation by giving her access to information that only existed on Facebook, I also know Janie knows of one customer who only came to a computer class to learn to use Facebook so he could reconnect with an old military buddy. Both customers will now remember us failing them. Is that what we want them remembering when the tax comes up for renewal?
  

The bottom line is we need to stop thinking of them even as social networking sites, or social networking services, and start thinking of them as virtual faces with which we can have virtual face-to-virtual face communication with our customers and people who should be our customers.