In May 2009, Facebook became the most popular US social networking site, just barely surpassing MySpace’s number of unique visitors.
Facebook now allows you to choose a username for your user page. For example, rather than the Web address (URL)being a randomly-assigned number like “id=592952074,” it can now be a name of your choosing, like facebook.com/larry.richman.
This makes it much easier to share with others your profile or some other Facebook page in a more personal way. It also adds authenticity and helps create a trusted environment because the identity of the people and things on Facebook will be more clear.
While the Church is still developing a strategy on how to use Facebook appropriately, preliminary pages have been created for the following:
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Facebook
- Liahona magazine (facebook.com/liahona)
- For the Strength of Youth magazine
- Friend magazine (facebook.com/friend.magazine)
You’ll notice that we’ve establish an easy username for each page, except for the main Church page. That will be set up once Facebook provides instructions to us and releases the names reserved around trademarks, such as “Mormon.”
To claim your own username (sometimes called “vanity URL”), visit facebook.com/username. Usernames can only contain romanized letters, numbers, and periods–no hypens or underscores. Think carefully about the username you choose. Once it’s been selected, you won’t be able to change or transfer it.
Facebook has really helped LDS Singles stay in touch with each other and promote single activities in the Church, and help them feel they are not alone in the Church.
In fact now for each “decade” (Singles in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60+) each have their own facebook groups with links to local activities and local Singles facebook groups as well. Currently the LDS Midsingles of the World facebook group I started has over 2,100 members worldwide with links to all the local Midsingles facebook groups for 30-something Midsingles, as well as lists all Midsingles Conferences, Midsingles Wards.