Facebook Interface: Timeline, News Feed, Ticker, Wall, Profile

What trips up people new to social networking tends to be the Facebook interface; it can be hard to understand when you first join because it's not immediately apparent what determines the material you see on your homepage or profile page--or even how to find those pages.

News Feed Appears on Your Homepage

When each user signs in, they are shown a homepage containing a personalized stream of information that Facebook calls the "news feed" or "stream;" it's full of information posted by their friends. The news feed appears in the middle column of the homepage. You can always return to your personal homepage by clicking the "Facebook" icon at upper left on every Facebook page.
In the news feed are posts or status updates that a user's friends have posted to the network, typically shown only to their Facebook friends. Each user sees a different news feed based on who their friends are and what those friends are posting. The feed can include more than just text messages; it can also contain photos and videos. But the main point is that this stream of updates on your homepage is all about your friends and what they're posting.

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Ticker Appears on the Right

On the right sidebar of the homepage is the "Ticker," Facebook's name for a different stream of information about your friends. Instead of status updates or posts, the Ticker announces each activity your friends take in real time, such as when someone makes a new friend connection, likes a page or comments on a friend's post.

Timeline and Profile: All About You

In addition to a homepage featuring news from friends, each user has a separate page that is all about themselves. For years Facebook called this the "profile" or "wall" area. But Facebook redesigned and renamed the profile/wall area and started calling it "Timeline" in 2011. You can reach your Timeline page by clicking your name at the upper right on every Facebook page.

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