What I used to think Facebook would be like:  An exciting rendezvous with friends, during which we share our secret hopes and fears, express our controversial opinions, and have philosophical debates….

What it is actually like:  A formal dinner party with acquaintances, co-workers and neighbors, during which we make small talk about the weather, quote funny stories we heard on the news, show each other pictures of cute cats and babies…and there are salesmen constantly trying to crash the event.

Mind you, I don’t think this has anything to do with Facebook’s lack of success on the stock market…If Facebook was the kind of place I’d like it to be, its stock value would be even lower.