FAQs about Facebook
 
Facebook is a powerful social media tool that allows you to connect with friends, family and even groups with similar interests. All you need is access to the internet, a computer, or a smartphone.  Below are some very, very general FAQs, with the specifics and illustrations best seen at the Facebook Help website, the address for which is: https://www.facebook.com/help/
 
What will I see when I click on the Facebook link at the top of my Rotary club’s homepage?
You will be automatically redirected to this website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-Club-of-Burlington-Central/233831843302198
There, you will see the recent posts, photos, status updates from your club’s Facebook representative. You will be able to comment, ‘like’, and even re-post (or “share”) some of the information to your own Facebook page.
 
 
Getting started:
The sign-up page is www.facebook.com
You will need a valid email address and a password.
 
Finding friends on Facebook:
After you have joined Facebook, you will be given a few options to help you find friends with whom to connect. You can choose to search individually for them (my choice) or to have Facebook upload the contacts from your computer’s address book and to have Facebook then match your contacts with the people who are already on Facebook (I don’t like this option, personally. I don’t want my dog’s vet or my mechanic or anyone else in my address book to be part of my Facebook world).
 
You may wish to sort your friends and family in to different groups in order to control your privacy, and who will see your posts. For example, it’s possible to have friends as “close friends”, or “acquaintances”. Or you can create your own list.
 
How to post a status update on Facebook:
From your Facebook page, place the cursor in to the status-update box where it says: What’s on your mind?
 
That will become your current or most recent status.
 
You can do a few things here. Most notably at the outset, choose your audience. Do you want this to be public, and visible to the world? Or only to your “close friends” but not to your acquaintances? This is where having identified and chosen how to characterize your “friends” and contacts, as mentioned above, comes in handy.
 
Click on “post” and there you have it, your status will appear in your feed, and in the feeds of the friends whom you’ve chosen to be included in your post.
 
Privacy and Facebook:
The issue of privacy on Facebook is not only complex but also contentious. You may have heard a lot about it. But there are some simple steps that you can take in order to control your privacy and who, of all Facebeook users, can see what you post or comment upon. Here are some first steps to take.
 
From any Facebook page:
Find the  in the upper-right corner of any Facebook page and click on that.
Select Settings
Select Privacy
Click on the various choices, for example: Who can see your future posts?
 
You can also choose  Privacy Shortcuts at the top right of any Facebook page.
 
And remember, when you post a status update to Facebook, choose your audience, this will prevent your post from being “Public”.
 
Other uses of Facebook:
Facebook has a few so-called apps, or applications (programs) that they have spun off. One of which is called Messenger and can be used to contact friends privately, and is essentially a texting or a chat tool that you can use both on your computer and on your smartphone (if you download the app). Messenger is represented by a small “quotation bubble” icon in the top blue bar of your page.