Actually, the facebook discussion explains pretty much why I don't do Facebook -- and why I have a friends-locked LJ.

The ability to lock my LJ so only specified people can see the contents is vital; it gives me a controlled space in which I can disclose more stuff than I could on, for example, my Very Public blog (300,000 visitors in the past three days!!! Normally 9000-11,000 readers per day).

If I can't lock down my privacy settings, I can't maintain the partition between my public persona and my private life. And I DO NOT WANT complete strangers dropping in and snooping on my personal doings or my family.

Facebook's privacy model is basically poisonous to anyone who has a public job (be it teacher, politician, or author).

What it means to someone who has a public job (moi, as a teacher who is also seeking to become an author) is that you have to be reasonably careful about what gets posted. These days, though, IMO that covers just about anything on the internets. It does mean that I have to ruthlessly monitor my con behavior, which is a pain, but that's the price of my current job (and there are times when I question it, like under the current stress of budget cuts and disregard for teaching).

The primary reason I do Facebook is that it's a way for me to keep up connections with family and friends who just plain won't do LJ. I already have a pretty detailed history on Usenet, even though I've not posted there since December (and what keeps getting tossed up is older and older stuff--what's up with that?). So I'm pretty much already out there.

As it were, I got informed about a piece of family stuff just yesterday through Facebook that I wouldn't have known otherwise...so it's a connector for me. Plus it's allowed me to reconnect with people from my youth, and some of that is actually pleasant (many of us scattered apart because we were so eager to get the heck out of Springfield that we didn't keep in touch. Can't keep 'em down on the farm once they get to the big city, y'know).

I agree.

I have a Facebook account (started for writing purposes), which I haven't used once because I do not trust the privacy of the site. You have no control over the information once you post, not where it goes or who can see it.

I worry about my personal information, perhaps too much, but I can't rid myself of that concern. Look at how much people tell about themselves in their author bios. It's part of the business, but I'm weary about how much information can get out there. Criminals do not look at that information like us normal people--they see opportunity.

How do you defend yourself when you can't even control the people who can get the information?

Nope Predator Drones are not funny. Yet, as someone whose father met her first "car date" in the kitchen while Dad was cleaning his shotgun there does seem to be a tradition of Dads who threaten potential suitors in overthetop ways. Doesn't make it funny or right.
Anon

Daisy cutters, no.

But if they ever figure out a dandelion cutter, they will make a fortune.

Presuming it only cuts dandelions...