On your point re: privacy erosion, I think this is more a function of people simply becoming more comfortable with the web. We are seeing this in the macro-population, and we are seeing it with lawyers as well. Many consultants have made the Web big and scary and over time lawyers are realizing that it doesn’t need to be. Time and knowledge will alter all of our perceptions of the Web.

Nice post. I started using Facebook very early, when it was available only to a handful of colleges across the country. It was funny to watch as whatever privacy or limitations to growth the site began with were stripped away one by one. When the news feed was introduced, for example, users revolted and vowed to stop using Facebook unless the feature was discontinued. Of course, that never happened. The same happened when Facebook became available to high schools and (gasp!) parents.

Now, it seems that Facebook users are generally acquiescent to the site’s growth, knowing that it just can’t be controlled. Like you, I want Facebook to succeed and have no doubt that it will. But the important question is: how much is too much? While there are many social media sites, none comes even close to being as useful or ubiquitous as Facebook. And although the drawbacks to it becoming “central nervous system for all things social on the Web” aren’t yet clear, I can’t help but be worried about a company growing so large.

Thanks for the insights!