Here's how you can get started with creating your own Facebook and join the 24 million users who have their own profiLes already. If you haven't
got an invite, it doesn't matter. Simply log on to Welcome to Facebook! | Facebook and
then sign up using your e-mail 10. After confirming your account via
the confirmation e-maiL Facebook sends you, you are all ready to get started. Just login with your e-mail ID and password to create your own personalized Facebook profile to enjoy all the site's features and, of course,

ADD AN APPLICATION to start socializing! Once you log in to Facebook, you are then navigated to your Facebook account where you will first see invites from those already on Facebook. The second step involves using a Friend finder tool that enables you to enter an e-mail address and its corresponding password to invite everyone in your contact list and find friends who are already using Facebook.
It is important to use this tool with discretion since you might not want
all of your contacts on your e-mail list to get an invite from certain peopLe, for instance, an ex-employer. You are then directed to a page that recommends you to fill out your profile information. The next step involves joining a network to give you ac~ess to viewing profiles of other people in your seLected network. If you are a bit wary of disclosing all this information, you can aLso skip these steps initially and keep them on hold until you get better acquainted with your Facebook.
After you've decided to start using your Facebook, it is important to keep in mind the reason why you want to own a Facebook profile, that is, whether it is for personal reasons or for professional use. Based on this decision, you can then update your profile and other details that will be visible to your contacts. Remember that Facebook is a powerful tool
when used for either of the two purposes; however, if you try to mix the two, the result might not always be according to what you initialLy expected. For example, you wouldn't display a similar photograph of you taken at your birthday party on your professional profiLe where you want to be associated with potentiaL business partners.

The same goes for the personaL details. So proceed with the utmost care. You wouldn't want your Facebook profile to be the reason you lose out on business opportunities or even your job, simply because you entered information into it without giving it much thought. If you are looking to create a personaL account to catch up with friends and make new ones, the first thing you would want to do is put your picture on your profile for two reasons: so that others can recognize you instantly or put a face to your profile and second to prevent Facebook from putting a big blue question mark on your display profile to mark the absence of a display picture.
Once you've edited your profile,
and searched for friends using the "Search" field featured on the left pane of your Facebook account, you can then also add photo albums to your profile, join groups, or even create your own. Facebook also includes some great third-party applications, which can be used according to your discretion and taste,

Although adding these applications can be fun, it is essential to check their privacy settings and determine how much of your personal information they will be able to view. To browse through applications to
add them to your profile, click on the "Applications" link in your Facebook account.

In the "Edit my Applications" page that you are navigated to, click on the "Browse More Applications" button and then select from various categories of applications, For example, the "iLike" application allows you to add music to your profile or even dedicate a song to a friend. With over 2000 applications to choose from and the ability to know which of your network contacts share a similar application, socializing is made much easier.

Here you can also check which applications have the most activity, are the most popular, or have the most active users. In case you're using an account for professional purposes, it is important to carefully update your "Work" and "Contact" profiles accurately and keep them updated. You wouldn't want an outdated contact number to prevent a potential business partner from contacting you. After creating your profile and setting up your Facebook account, the next step would be to get networked. Read on to learn how.