I can't help you, ivamae, but I am really interested in what everyone has to say. I have heard of Facebook, but really know almost nothing about it. Someone told me that it was a big step up from myspace (which I don't like at all), but I don't really get what the difference is. I think for me, blogging serves the same purpose, and I really enjoy that.
Wanda in South Texas

Here is a link that might be useful: The Bee Hive

How old is your step-son? Have you asked him why he thinks you might want to join? I know almost nothing about it, but the purpose is to meet people, isn't it?

Have you seen his page?

Probably would be a good idea to have a long discussion with him about why he wants to be on it. There is so much probablity of getting involved in things that could, and do, turn out badly.

Sue

Ivamae, I was invited to join by my DD, so I did. I have a few friends on it but I'm with you....not the right age group. I mostly find it very confusing. It doesn't hurt to accept. I never go into facebook for myself, but if I recieve an email from someone through facebook, I click on the link in the email. But otherwise, I just find it confusing.

Laurel

IF I wanted everyone on the planet to know my business and how to find me, I guess I'd join. Personally, I keep in touch with people that I choose to keep in touch with. I don't care to post my daily life, photo or hunt for people from my past. I'd say that if you don't feel the need or are not ENTIREly comfortable with it....don't do it. Too many people are willing to share too much info about themselves.
But hey....I'm a pretty cynical person. Fun....but cynical.

You should join. I enjoy it when I get a chance to go onto Facebook. I keep in touch with my niece who lives out of town and I get to look at her pictures.
Kinda fun to look up people from my past or who I went to school with. There are a couple of groups I joined - one group is people around the world with the same last name as mine and a Windsor historical group.

You can find different applications to decorate your page, people can send you cute little things to add to your page. I mostly ignore those things but sometimes I accept one or two.

If you know my last name Ivamae, look me up and ask me to be your "friend" Email me if you don't know my real name and I will give it to you.

Facebook isn't really compatible with Webtv so I go onto the site when I am at my friend or my brother's house.

I've never had a problem or received any strange things or emails. etc. Facebook has a pretty good privacy policy and you can set it so that only people you know can look at your profile.

You can have a virtual garden or a fish tank, all kind of "cute" things.

Have fun.

Anne

I love Facebook. My facebook friends include some of my current friends, old friends that I had lost track of - people that I had often wondered how they were - what they were up to, etc. and LOTS of family - my mom, my dad, my sister, aunts, uncles, cousins.... my great aunt is on Facebook and she's in her 80s. I have 18 people in my list of friends who are over 50 (I just went and counted), so it really isn't just for younger people.

I do have photo albums on my page, but they're only viewable by my friends, and their is no one in my "friends" that I wouldn't feel comfortable showing photo albums to if they were visiting my house.

One thing that I think is great about it is that you can make your Facebook profile as public OR as private as you want it to be.

My mom is in Italy right now, and she's posting pictures from her trip every few days on her page. She only has about 10 people on her list, but they're all people that she wants to share her photos with, and Facebook is a great way to do it easily.

Only people that you accept as your friend can check out your profile, and you can put as much or as little on your profile as you want.

What Nicole said. I don't do much on Facebook myself but I do keep up with others that do more on theirs. My niece who returned from Japan this last December is quite the picture taker and in college. If it weren't for facebook I would know very little about what she's up too. We get caught up at family get togethers but this is her fun way to share with her family and friends. Even though I don't have much on my facebook, I do email persons through it personally. It isn't published online then.
You don't have to put anything on it that tells everyone where to find you if you don't want. Facebook may ask for more info but you don't have to show it.

Face Book, like MySpace is a great way to keep track of what your kids aren't telling you.
I know alot of parents who are on both....

I am on FaceBook.... mainly to see my son's photos while he is studying abroad in Australia.

I am on MySpace and so is everyone in the family and lots of friends. We all have private MS's people contact you to become friends I just refuse~~I have meet a gal from my old high school and that was fun. If someone is going through a happiness or some drama they can blog to us all and we can cheer them up or share in their happiness I like it~~it is simply a way of keeping in touch.