Frequently Asked Facebook Questions and Answers about Using the Squadron's Boating Activities Page and Group

Q. What is Facebook?
A. Facebook is a " social media " website. This means that it provides a way for people to communicate with each other over the World Wide Web (www).

Q. How do I use it ?
A. First, you have to join. This means getting on the Facebook website, providing some information, and then picking a password.

Q. What information do I have to provide ?
A. The only thing you really need is a valid email address. Facebook will ask for your name and a few other things that you may want others to know, but you can ignore most and make up the required ones if you would like.

Q. Then what?
A. Once you are a member of Facebook, you get your own personal "page. " For the purposes of the Power Squadron, you can ignore this if you like.

Q. What is my "page"?
A. Every individual, organization, company, radio station, etc. has it's own "page." Their page is a presence on the World Wide Web that's accessible through Facebook. Your page is your presence on the web and you can link to others. Once you link to others and they write and "post" something on their page, you will see this on your page. You can think of your "page" as a tiny piece of the Facebook website that is yours and allows you to communicate with other "pages."

Q. Will I get advertising and other things on my page even if I don't want them?
A. Yes. This is one of the ways Facebook makes money.

Q. All I really want is news on Squadron boating activities. Is there a way I can do that?
A. Yes, there is. In addition to a "page" the Squadron has a "group." A "group" is a private "page" that only members of a group can write on. The only thing that shows up in the "group" are the messages that the members post. It's this " group" that we use to communicate up to the minute information about boating activities.

Q. What is the Boating Activities presence of Facebook?
A. We have both a "page" and a "group." On our " page" we post our boating activities so that the world can see what we are doing. On our "group" we discuss our activities and make changes as we see fit. We can change locations, times and even the type of activity up until the last minute. We post open spots on our boats and when and where from we are leaving. All of these discussions are open to members of the group and no others.

Q. How do I join a group?
A. All you have to do is find the group using the Facebook search function and then ask to join. Any current member of the group can let you in. If you are a new Facebook member, it's easier to ask someone to show you how it all works.