The social networking site www.facebook.com has become a modern day phenomenon. In 2003 registration to the website, which allows one to display personal information and photos, to get in contact and keep in touch with friends very easily, and to create groups that promote events free or charge, was limited to Harvard University students only. Through the hard and persistent work of Harvard student, founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, there are now over 150 million registered users worldwide on the website that is accessible to anyone over the age of 13 who has a valid e-mail address. While many share similar and valid concerns related to allowing youth to display personal information online, Facebook’s popularity is continuing to soar among people of all ages and occupations and membership continues to remain free of charge because of funding generated by advertisers.
For anyone in Ponoka that is a registered member or is thinking about singing up, Ponoka News is now an official Facebook group. The group will include pictures that have been published in the newspaper, information about upcoming events such as Ponoka Stampede week and a place for members to leave news tips or story suggestions that will be taken into consideration for upcoming editions. It is a way to keep us informed on and connected with what’s happening in our community so next time you log on, search for “Ponoka News” and join the group.