I've shied away from Facebook due to the nonstop privacy problem outcries. That they don't even have the ability to delete anything is worrying and absurd. Their silent watching of their users via persistent cookies that are never deleted, even on logout, is another minus. And there's far too many stupid logic puzzles in setting up the privacy settings -- they didn't have to make it that hard. I can't help but suspect it's intentional, to extract maximum information from users who don't know better by design.

I don't like the idea of social networking sites. You seem to need to vigilantly watch these things. It becomes just another 'job' my information space requires me to perform when computers are supposed to be working for me. They also seem filled with so much useless frippery (farmville, et al) it's hard to take any of it seriously -- except in the ways they threaten you, of course.

If I ever find a use for social networking sites I might try google+. Until then I don't see any pressing reason to use any of them.