Legitimate question. From http://www.jwz.org/doc/groupware.html: "Your 'use case' should be, there's a 22 year old college student living in the dorms. How will this software get him laid?"

Ah, but if he's prone to computer addiction, the software needs to shove him outside to interact with real people, or shove him out of his chair to enjoy his girlfriend/boyfriend/pet(?!) in the next room. Perhaps Facebook needs the various noprocrast features HN has.

Facebook lets you communicate with people from about five arm-lengths and everyone stays satisfactorily content with the arrangement.

However, with your good friends it does help organise things as you can discuss things like in a BB forum, where everyone in the thread is involved. My friends and I are currently arranging a possible quadruple-date for valentines. It would probably be quicker to arrange over the phone, but how do you involved 8+ people in the decision making in one phone call?

Simply: Facebook will not get you laid. It will not get you good friends; you may communicate with good friends through facebook but you'll find a way to do that through 2 paper cups and a length of string! It does work as a delaying tactic so that you don't loose acquaintances, however I have little compunction against ditching acquaintances so this doesn't really help me.