Anyone can read articles and view photos at www.allarounddanville.com but becoming a registered user is free and allows readers to become citizens of an online community.

Click on the “Register” button and fill out the form including an e-mail address. You can create a special user name that reflects your personality or you can use your own name. You absolutely need to use a real e-mail address though. Once the information is added and the submit button is clicked, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to this address. You will need to check your e-mail and click on the link back to the site in that e-mail to finish the registration process.

Once a member, you have access to your own page with a unique URL that is essentially a web page for and about you. This area combines the functions of a blog site and a social networking site. Some activities to consider:

· Fill out your profile. This will help you and others identify potential on-line friends based on your interests.

· Update your user photo. The computer assigns generic artwork to represent you, but you can upload your own photo or identify artwork in the vast resources available to represent you instead.

· Request others to join and become your friend on the site. Your friends can see areas the general public can’t. You can also communicate through the site with your friends by leaving a message or a comment.

· Create an event. This can be a personal event for you and your friends to remember or a public event that anyone can see. If your group or organization is hosting an event or meeting you want to let others know about, post it as public. If you are having a birthday party for your friend, post it in the private area, unless you have a big house and really want to invite everyone who reads the site.

· Post your favorite photos to share with your friends or with everyone. Upload digital family photos, vacation shots, pet pictures - whatever you want.

· Write a blog. A blog, or web log, can be a place to talk about your take on issues of the day, it can be a place to share information on areas of interest to you, it can be a diary of your thoughts or anything else you want it to be. Your blog will be accessible on All Around Danville, but you can also send your other friends the direct link to your blog or post its link on other sites. You can choose to allow or not allow comments and can manage them from your profile area.

· Create lists. These lists help your online friends get to know you. They can be your favorite movies, actors, books, famous people, places you’ve traveled, websites you enjoy, top scoring games, etc. It’s your world.

Next time we’ll look at how you can become an ace reporter for your new on-line community, www.allarounddanville.com.