Facebook - like?

Most of you are probably on Facebook.  I'm not.  This has been a deliberate choice, for many reasons.  I respect the decision to join Facebook, and who knows, I may join at some point, and I appreciate when others respect my decision to not join.  But I have felt an enormous amount of pressure to join.  And to be honest, the more pressure is exerted, the less inclined I am to join.  That may be my stubborn side, but I don't want to do something just because everyone else is doing it. 

Here are some of the reasons I'm not on Facebook:

1) My privacy is already invaded enough - I'm not comfortable having personal information splashed across the web.  Yes, I know, there are privacy settings.  And yes I know, most of my personal information is already accessible.  But I can control having a Facebook page.

2)  I have enough friends and family to keep up with as it is, so I don't feel the need to connect with folks I haven't seen or heard from in 30 years.  Another pro-Facebook argument is that it helps one connect with folks from high school, or college.  Frankly, I try to be a good friend to all my current friends, and that is enough for me!

3)  It's another thing to 'check' every day.  When I worked as an adjunct, at two colleges, I had 4 email accounts to check every day.  I didn't want something else to have to check consistently.

4)  I prefer to spend my time in person with folks, or even on the phone, rather than online.  I'm old fashioned.  There - I said it.  I'd much rather go out for lunch, or tea, or a walk, than communicate with folks online.

Of course, who knows, I may become a fan and you'll see me with a Facebook page and wonder what happened.  But for now, I'm happy with my choice.  I even have mixed feelings about blogging, but there is more control with blogging, and it's not as personal. 

Let me know why you like, or don't like, or have ambivalent feelings about Facebook.  I'd love to hear your responses.  Part three on my philosophy of technology will be on smart phones.