The ever-brilliant Maciej on Social Networks and the Social Graph...
How are you supposed to feel at home when you know a place is full of one-way mirrors?
We have a name for the kind of person who collects a detailed, permanent dossier on everyone they interact with, with the intent of using it to manipulate others for personal advantage - we call that person a sociopath. And both Google and Facebook have gone deep into stalker territory with their attempts to track our every action. Even if you have faith in their good intentions, you feel misgivings about stepping into the elaborate shrine they've built to document your entire online life.
-- The Social Graph is Neither (Pinboard Blog)
... go read the whole thing. It's thought-provoking. I've likened Facebook to living in an apartment block, and having your own blog as living in the country. Sure - the air is cleaner, you have more freedom but you don't see your friends so much. Maciej has an even dimmer view of Facebook. Imagine living in an apartment where the walls are one-way mirrors - now that's creepy.