You've got a choice, when you join Facebook, to send out an invitation to everyone in your address book -- or not.

Unfortunately, most Facebook newbies haven't had a chance yet to figure out that you DON'T HAVE TO. Just click "Skip" or "Ignore", whichever it is, and nobody gets invited until you choose to invite them.

I, fortunately, was "warned" by the experience of a couple real friends who inadvertently turned Facebook loose in their address book and gave the broadcast friend request a miss.

Linn