I use Facebook every day now. I'm pretty well hooked. But this article, which talks about the intellectual pedigree (Girard), political sympathies ("Thatcherite") and financial connections (the CIA) of its board, gives me the creeps in a big way.

I'm sure I'm oversimplifying this, but what is there to be afraid of? Being inundated with advertising? The site disappears when "They" see they're not profiting in the ways they wanted? People can have all the intentions they want, but making certain that things work out their way is another accomplishment entirely. Looking foward to your answer!

I stayed away from Facebook for quite awhile, but then I began to realize that it is a good way for me to connect with lots of people who I might never have been able to reach any other way. It also helps with the awareness of my online magazine, The Gantseh Megillah. But I also agree, that there is a lot of potential for information sharing of a more negative type.

One Good Use:
Just hang out an account with your name as a way for old friends to find you. It works well for that, and you don't even have to log in to get updated when they do find you: You'll get a lil' email with their name == hooked up.

People get addicted to it like a MMORG. Well, everyone needs to discover the internet at some point, so who cares if they do themselves in with a MUD, with programming, web design, WoW, or Facebook? Its an object lesson that many need to learn: Balance your fracking life. Nobody else is going to do it for you.

There's no infliction of politics on you if you have boundaries. If you don't, you have to learn sometime: Might as well be in cyberspace as anywhere else.