CNN recently asked the question of the title.  The implication being the only ones in the first world that were not on Facebook were old people not on computers, some people with an ax to grind, or just computer illiterates.  They have their opinion, I have mine.  I have never been on MySpace or Facebook, and here is why:

 - For whatever faults some find with JoeUser, I have yet to see the admins here delete a post.  Shove it to your personal blog?  I have heard of those, but they have never deleted it.  Not so with Facebook.  Apparently liberals (as they are wont to do) can gang bang a post and get it deleted.  And if you do not have the star power of a Sarah Palin, I doubt your appeals to get it back will be heeded.

 - Privacy.  Joe User (and probably most other blogs - I do not know) allow you to reveal or hide as much about your private life as you wish.  That is great in this day and age of Cyber Stalkers and ID Theft.  However the Corporate culture at Facebook, as enunciated by their CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is that if you post it, it is open to the world.

 - Employers, in this job buyers market, are looking for any edge when evaluating their employees.  As such, they do troll the social sites.  And use what is posted to Terminate employees .

 - And if you are looking for a job, about the only thing you best have on Facebook is your name, rank and ancestry!  Because many employers are using it to screen prospective employees as well.

Now of course the basis of the internet is openness and freedom.  Which as long as you understand that is fine.  I am on Linked-in, because I do network in my profession.  But that is my choice and I can screen what I put public and what remains private.  And no one can censor my entries.  It is mine and mine alone, as is my blog on JU.

If you love Facebook, great for you.  But you will not find me on Facebook (or MySpace or Twitter - I do not tweet).  And for those not aware of what is really going on with those sites, perhaps a little education through the links I have provided will allow them to make an informed decision.

So the next time some faux news service asks the question condescendingly "Who is NOT....", people will be able to answer from knowledge on who and why.  And make the questioner look like the ignorant boob they are.

For the record, email still works well for sharing pictures as that is the primary method my family uses.  it only goes to the intended people, not the whole world.  I remember a time when posting a picture on the Internet - any kind of picture - was one of the worst things you could do and could get you into a lot of legal trouble (due to pedophiles picking it up and stalking the child).  Why anyone would post anything on a site whose assumption is that nothing you post is private, is beyond me.