For me the novelty of Facebook wore off quite quickly - a bit like blogging in that respect. Amusing at first and sometimes useful but hardly essential. I admit it's a handy way to track down real friends - but it isn't a substitute for real life. I know - I'm sure I used to have one.

Tom Hodgkinson in the Guardian  paints a much more sinister view of the Facebook operation. How much do you know about the politics of the people behind the site? An interesting read. (Think neocon, global conspiracy).