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Social Media are not essential facilities. Those who claim that Facebook is a "social utility" or "social commons" must admit that such sites are not essential to survival, economic success, or online life. Unlike water and electricity, life can go on without social networking services.

I don't see fb as a broadcast platform the way the author does ... it is a broadcast platform, but what I see in fb is an attempt to be a whole other Internet of sorts.  An Internet that is constructed by much more passive users that live within the space itself.  All the links, articles, and now comments are being ingested at an amazing rate as they add more users.  How long until fb becomes one of the top search engines?  That is what I mean by "a whole other Internet."  I wonder if that makes any sense whatsoever?

I think he's on to something. I think the integration of Facebook with multiple services has made people rethink how it's being used. Do people want all of their information made available to all of their associates? Some will say yes, but many others not. Even college kids who grew up with this technology are not willing to give it total control, much as kids growing up watching TV are very skeptical of TV ads. Facebook may be ubiquitous, but it may lose it's personal character and become just another utility like the phone or e-mail.