I think it is important for people to continually question whether they are living according to their stated values. When people come along and make threads like this, it serves as a reminder to check where you stand. It could have been done a little less aggressively, which explains the various responses, accusations of trolling, etc. But ultimately I think that threads such as this serve a vital function in the community.
Yeah, for some people, using social networking sites is "selling out." I personally like to keep in touch with people and let them know I haven't disappeared off the face of the Earth. If I feel like connecting, Facebook makes it very easy for me to do so. And if I'm not in the mood for the way it makes me feel, I don't sign on, because it is a connection to the mass media, to a mainstream culture I prefer not to participate in. So there is a difference between the way I use it and the way my friends from high school and college use it. I'm not particularly attached to it. It's a convenience that I can easily do without, but because I don't have to, I don't. Trying to contact people by email is getting more difficult because they all use social networking sites. Phone numbers change without warning, unless you count them telling people via Facebook.
With friends I make on the road, though, I much prefer phone/email contact if I can't have face-time. It feels weird to use Facebook to associate with someone who shares my distaste for mainstream culture. I tend to reserve it only for the people who don't share my feelings on the matter... family and friends from an offroad past that I've chosen to leave behind.
But those are my feelings, based on my values. Others will have different values and act accordingly, and if they aren't doing me any harm, I could care less.
