Social Networks - Will she or won't she?

I have never wanted a Facebook account, and there are many reasons for that. My major concern is my own privacy. I want my close friends and family to know what is going on in my life, but not acquaintances, work colleagues, customers or strangers. I have a busy life, and I don't know where I would find the time to update my profile, and tell my friends about the insignificant things that are going on in my life, let alone the significant things. I have seen several Facebook profiles, and always feel that I am invading the privacy of the person whose profile I am reading.

I really believe that interest in Facebook is a generational thing. Having gone through university before the PC was in common use (!), I didn't grow up with the idea of social networking on a computer. I can see how Facebook would allow friendships to be nurtured, developed, and maintained among university classmates. I'm even envious of how easy it must be for young students to maintain friendships instead of letting them drift apart. But then again, don't we maintain contact with the "friends" who really matter in our lives? It will be interesting to see the long-term effect of Facebook, to find out if it really does allow people to keep friends longer.

The fact that Facebook "owns" the information that I post is also intimidating. After it's posted, it could hang around for years even if I choose to delete it. While government is trying to get Facebook to make some changes regarding privacy issues, I have not yet heard enough to convince me to sign up for an account.