Here’s the situation: you’re interested in what’s happening in the lives of a few of your friends, but you’re reluctant to open up Facebook lest you get submerged in the usual tide of branded offers, game requests, and inane updates from people you haven’t seen for several years. Don’t worry! There are ways to check Facebook without actually having to deal with Facebook. Who do you want to hear from? Unfortunately, you are going to have to dive into Facebook to set this up, but it won’t take long. And once you’re finished, you may never have to open the app again. The first thing to do is to specify who you to hear updates about. The easiest way to do this is to add your favorite contacts to the Close Friends list, which Facebook has conveniently created automatically for you. Click Friends from the left-hand navigation pane then Close Friends to see who’s currently on it.