Faceboook is a social networking website that allows users to create personal profiles including interests and afficiations. Users can crete and maintain contacts, join discussion groups, interest groups, chat, and share with people who have the same interests. (Click image to get to Facebook.)

Historically, Facebook began as, and remains, a site for college students to stay in touch and network using the available tools instead of IM and email. The difference is that members can crete full profiles, search contacts by name or institution without having email addresses or IM names. Pictures and video can be uploaded, users can join networks and groups, share, and comment.

It is easy to sign up for the free service by creating an account.

Use in classroom
Facebook can be used as a communication tool in the classroom. Messages can be posted between students and instructors and information can be shared on progress on projects using the 'wall' feature.

Pictures can be shared privately or publicly using Facebook's photo sharing application or an add-on applications such as Flickr.

The profile page can be used to share student profiles and interests as introductions in classes.

Educational institutions are getting more and more interested in Facebook as a means to reach out to students. Universities see this technology as a tool to network with alumni and current students and to reach out to them, for example, in cases of emergency such as imminent school closings. Many efforts to have students sign upfor "urgent" text-messaging at universities and colleges has proven unsuccessful. Facebook offers an alternative as students may choose to affiliate with the insitution they attend. This means the institutions will be able to reach out to them through Facebook.