I didn't connect with Facebook because I know all the dirty tricks people play. ;)

I can't connect now, after the fact. There are also some simple design oversights. For example, any time I see a list of people, there should be a "follow" button next to their name.

It's actually quite hard to find people to follow starting from nothing, unless I want to follow some of the 8-10 people you suggest automatically.

I'd give the first-time experience a C+.