15 Important Facebook Functionalities

By Roland Quitaling

“Add me on Facebook!”

“Please don’t tag me in those photos.”

“Ew. Did you like her status?”

These are just a few of the common phrases we find in our colloquial language today. Facebook is becoming more than just a social networking site. It’s becoming part of culture. I want to delve deeper into why Facebook is the largest social networking site in the world. Why, exactly, does it have more than 800 million active users? In attempt to answering this, I wanted to list the 15 most important functionalities that benefit both its users and its business.

1. Membership

To gain access to any of Facebook’s services, membership is required. Membership grants the user with responsibility of taking care of his or her own profile. Each member’s profile is his or her identity in the Facebook network. With a growing population of Facebook users, users join to be connected to their loved ones, business, and colleagues. Restricting their services solely to members, Facebook controls the environment by introducing advertisements and incentives.

2. Networks

The networking capability of Facebook is the majority reason why people choose to sign up for membership to the site. Facebook connects users to one another in a convenient fashion with the easy click of adding a friend. The site connects classmates, coworkers, family members, and people in the community. Separate from e-mail, phone conversations, and texting, Facebook strives to become a convenient experience that incorporates all forms of communication into one. When people grow to realize this, they join Facebook.

3. Friends

Acquiring friendship with users of Facebook is the principal way to connect to others. Not only is the user vouching for other Facebook users, but also subscribing to everything the user has to share. The user can use Facebook’s friendship to learn of others on a deeper and personal level. Faebook uses the user’s curiosity to promote products, coupons, and services to generate revenue.

4. Privacy

Facebook provides the functionality to customize the users’ privacy. Providing exclusivity to the networking schema is what helps drive people to connect with others. It allows the user to control what he or she shares to whichever networks he or she chooses. Privacy on Facebook helps secure their users from leaving by providing options and relieving their fear or disclosure.

5. Newsfeed

The Newsfeed is an important feature to the Facebook user. It keeps the user in ‘the loop.’ The live feed headlines updates relevant to the user in some way. Facebook uses this feature to spark responses, discussions, and interaction and encourages users to remain on the site.

6. Profile

This is the user’s identity on Facebook. It contains a wall of public messages posted by other users. It also contains the user’s status updates and information. It links others to the user’s photos. The profile is what links users to their networks. Given the information provided in a Facebook profile, it is what initially sparks users to join and become a member of Facebook.

7. Wall Posts/Comments

Facebook offers the ability to publically share opinions and messages on profiles, posts, photos, and etc. Facebook utilizes their comment system to promote interaction on their site. Facebook exploits the users’ right to share their point of views across the networks they are individually connected to.

8. Like

The ‘Like’ feature is an important and simple functionality offered by Facebook. It displays the Facebook user’s approval of a product, page, post, or anything that can be shared on Facebook. The like creates publicity by showing up on the news feeds of connected users. The Like also acts as credibility system for accompanying companies, services, and products on Facebook. The more likes garnered entails how legitimate and reliable something shared shows to be.

9. Photos

Facebook’s application, photos, shares images on the site and identifies the user and those who are tagged. The site comprehends that a pictures are indeed worth a thousand words. The photos application allows users to examine others’ profile on another level and feeds their curiosity.

10. Events

Facebook allows users to promote events, invite users to their events, and keep track of who are attending. Facebook uses this application’s simplicity to attract users to create e-invites via Facebook. As a result, users who do not have Facebook are gestured to join in order to participate and RSVP.

11. Groups

‘Groups’ provides users the ability to create their own networks and can be used for discussions and events. This application is another way for Facebook to campaign users to apply for membership and concentrated interaction.

12. Chat

Facebook Chat allows users to chat with their Facebook friends on a one-to-one basis or multiple friends simultaneously through the groups feature. With users spending a significant amount of time on the site, Facebook exploits this by making them available to chat. In attempt to replace instant messaging platforms, Facebook uses chat to persuade users to remain on the site.

13. Messages and Inbox

The Message and Inbox system allows users to send messages to any discoverable profile. Since it is tied to the profile, users are comfortable sending a Facebook message to the person rather than to an e-mail address.

14. Notifications

Using e-mail, text, and a badge system, Facebook’s notification services keeps users up to date of any event changes, wall posts, tagged photos, and etc. Notifications alert the user to access Facebook and interact at moment’s notice, given its urgency.

15. Third-Party Applications

Giving developers their API and tools, Facebook allows third-party developers to create their own applications on the site. Utilizing elements of Facebook, the applications offer a unique experience to the user. Using Facebook as a platform for their applications, these developers must abide to Facebook’s terms of agreement. Facebook has ultimate control over what these developers produce.