Search:  

Beboers can only browse featured profiles. You can’t freely browse or search for Beboers by specific criteria. This adds a level of security that many sites do not have; however, it also limits Beboers’ ability to expand their network of friends.

To search for friends you have to upload your address book to Bebo and they will find your friends' profiles through their email addresses. Or you can type in individual email addresses and hunt for your friends that way. You cannot simply search the Bebo database by name, school or city.

Help/Support:  

We happen to find Bebo’s help files and FAQ section very entertaining. They are not just your bland everyday FAQ answers; they address the user with a very casual and humorous tone while still getting the point across. Additionally you can contact Bebo using their email support form.

Legitimate Friend Focus:  

Bebo’s security is seriously locked down; therefore, the chance of receiving unsolicited email from creepy people around the world is cut to almost nothing. In the time we had our Bebo account we did not get one message that wasn’t from a person we didn’t know, or a friend of a friend. Bebo encourages you to know your friends in real life before they become part of your network online.

Bebo still has its work cut if they want to oust the top two social networking services, but judging by their popularity in the UK and Ireland it is only a matter of time before they become a United States sensation. Although we like the seriousness with which Bebo addresses security we would like to see better search or browse features and more privacy setting customizations.