My love/hate relationship with socail networking sites. Who the heck is Joe and why is he poking me?

I avoided them all through my freshman year of college. The idea seemed dumb to me. If I want to talk to my friends, I'll call them on the phone thank you. Also, MySpace and Facebook were just too fadish for me to jump on the band wagon. However, last year I cracked. I got Facebook first. I added some of my old friends from high school, and few of my new friends from Messiah. I didn't get many comments or anything, but it was nice for asking people when they'd be around during the weekend and stuff like that.

Then, my friends added some more peer pressure to the situation, wanting me to get MySpace. I resisted, but then folded, and got one of those too. I only added my friends from home at first, and it was a lot like the situation with Facebook. But then the trouble began. Odd people I did not know started trying to add me as a friend on MySpace. People sent me vulgar messages asking me if I wanted "a special friend" Honestly, I have no clue where they'd ever get the idea that I was into that sort of thing, when my profile is about the most innocent thing ever. I rarely go there anymore. MySpace is a tool I use simply to keep in touch with my non-college friends who don't have a facebook. It also keeps me connected with many of my CTF buddies as well.

Facebook is an annoyance because of the large amount of people who feel the need to add me as a friend after only meeting me once, but I couldn't get rid of it, due to easy way it provides me with information on people. I love it. I can keep up to date with everything my sister and cousins are up to. But then I think about it... if I can use this to find out all sorts of stuff about others, then they can do the same to me. Eep! So that revelation freaked me out a little bit. But, I reasoned that at least the only people who can access my Facebook, and people in one of my networks. But, knowing how i keep tabs on my sister, and tend to wind up repeating somethings to other people, I think twice about what I post on my own Facebook, because i wouldn't be surprised if she's doing the same. What has freaked me out though, is that suddenly I'm getting "poked" on Facebook by people I do not know. I've never met them, the name is not recognized, they are neither current students of my school, or residents of my home county. Why are they poking me? Is Facebook becoming more like MySpace? Don't even get me started on all those blasted applications you can add. They're annoying and drive me nuts! Like all the flashing and glittery things that annoy my eyes on MySpace. First that, and now the random, unknown men "poking" me? I'm a nice and friendly person and all, but that's just annoying. Why poke me? Why not just send a message saying hello? I'd be a little more receptive to that.