This isn’t the first time everyone has been all twitterpated on the privacy settings and failures for facebook. I have been an outspoken critic of the lack of privacy until I realized that we would not be subject to these invasions of privacy if we weren’t addicted to the narcissistic practice of self-publishing our every move and thought so maybe we all get what we deserve. Gawker thinks we’ll never quit.

What started for college kids to connect and hook up has turned into a national obsession. Marketers are insisting that brands cannot neglect an awesome facebook fan page and people are wasting hours of productivity updating their status when they should be working.

All the criticism aside, I love facebook.

Using facebook is a great way for me to connect to long lost friends and recapture the great memories we share. It’s also a great way for brands to connect with their consumers, if done the right way.  We advise brands to be engaged in social media and to have real live conversations and interactions with their constituents. When done correctly, facebook can connect a faceless corporation with people in deeply personal ways. This can elevate a brand and develop loyalty among consumers in a way that other mediums cannot.

Recently, I culled my friends list to people that live far away or family. When I see friends I say, “How are things going with you? I’m genuinely interested because I deleted you on facebook.” It gets a laugh and leads to a real live conversation where I’m engaged without using a social network to connect to people.