Technology

Facebook is like that gossipy, annoying friend we all love to hate. We go around saying to our friends, "I can't stand that girl!" And, yet, we call her several times a day to get the lowdown on everything. Seriously, we are all so schizophrenic about Facebook. The company has been wildly, explosively successful, and is about to go public. It will no doubt reap billions from its IPO. Yet, at the same time, the very people (you and me!) who made the company so successful proclaim to hate it.

In a new poll, half of all Americans -- who are no doubt glued to Facebook most of the day -- said they think the site is a "passing fad." Not so crazy. Remember MySpace? No? Well, that was Facebook before Facebook. And you never hear about it anymore, unless it's about how Justin Timberlake bought it. (How's that going, Justin?)

In another poll, only 4% of people said they use Facebook to purchase goods and services. And more than half of them said they don't trust Facebook. (Gee, I wonder why?)

Facebook has some new ideas about how to make money, but so far they sound pretty wacky. Like getting people to pay for increasing their chances of status updates being seen by more people. Honestly, do people want to kick in a buck so that everyone knows their cat peed on the sofa or their baby cried all night? I dunno. Maybe they do. But I doubt it.

Yet you don't see too many of us leaving Facebook. Whether we like it or not, the site is that friend who grates on your last nerve, but whom we need to keep as a friend if we want to know the latest info. Will that mean a successful stock? Only time will tell.

Do you think Facebook will fade away or is it here to stay?

Image via Scott Beale/Flickr