Social networking is becoming more important in both your personal and professional life by the hour. Thanks to computers and the Internet, the modern world has elevated instant gratification and open communication to the status of “required†on the social and business scale. Sometimes, however, you can’t get to the computer. You need a solution more flexible than your desktop or even your laptop can provide. Thankfully Facebook has taken pains to offer it to you: Facebook Mobile.
Most modern cellphones and smartphones have the ability to send and receive email. Facebook takes advantage of this by allowing you to upload status updates or photos from any email account. By providing you with an email address contact unique to your account, the Facebook crew has given you the freedom to update your presence from anywhere with email access including most modern mobile phones.
Of course, if your mobile device has web access, you can access Facebook Mobile directly from your device’s web browser. This allows you to update your status and upload photos as well, but also adds access a variety of other features: browsing news feeds, viewing profiles, and handling requests amongst many others. In fact, if your mobile device’s interface and web browser are up to the task, you can do anything on Facebook Mobile that you could do on Facebook from a computer. You can even have a link sent to your phone that makes logging into Facebook Mobile a one click trick.
Loading up a mobile web browser usually takes time and can be somewhat of a resource hog, especially given the limited memory available to mobile devices. A more sophisticated way to access Facebook would be directly from a mobile application designed especially for the task. Not surprisingly, the team at Facebook has implemented this option as well. Facebook Mobile applications are as svelte as they are engaging. The iPhone and the Blackberry have well-designed software created specifically for them, of course, but equally splendid options exist specifically for Palm, Android, Windows Mobile, Sidekick, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson as well. If you are in the mobile majority, these applications are the top-notch choice for accessing Facebook away from home.
The time has come to unhinge yourself from your desktop and start enjoying the “social†part of social networking. No longer will you have to wait by your computer for that desirable contact to send you the request he or she promised or waste your lunch scrambling to get home because your work has blocked access to Facebook and you have to let all your friends know that the location for the party tonight has changed. If you are ready to liberate yourself while somehow, ironically, still staying connected, fire up your web browser and head to Facebook.com/mobile to start using one of these versatile social networking solutions. Stay connected, stay flexible, and remember who’s in control: you!