I have to apologize to all those Facebook users I’ve harassed. I often scorned my friends for their allegiance to the social network on the Internet. It’s unfortunate, but true, that I have to admit I’ve crossed a line that I said I wouldn’t cross. As a result, I am now a bona fide Facebook user.

But, let me plead my case. The real reason I joined should be attributed to my company doing a survey that shed some compelling arguments in favor of the social networking sites. The survey was filled with facts that would convince any anti-Facebook advocate to change their perception about the new craze. It uncovered some interesting facts about our Web readers when compared to those who are members of networks like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. And two out of three people who are registered readers and users of our newspaper sites also used Facebook, with a substantial amount of users being associated with Twitter, as well. It also indicated that both are expected to grow exponentially in the next few years.

We decided to establish Facebook and Twitter accounts in an effort to keep our communication lines open with these important readers. However, my dilemma began when I found out that in order to be an administrator for a business page on Facebook, you had to be a registered user, which I wasn’t. After much debate, I decided to move forward with the personal registration – after plenty of anguish, might I add.

And I have to admit, I’m glad I did it. Facebook is actually pretty cool. Since joining, I’ve found high school friends and others from all across the country whose paths I’ve crossed at some distant time in the past. If I had to do it all over again, I probably wouldn’t have exhausted so much effort in harassing folks for something I hadn’t even tried.

Every once in a while, you come to face the facts that you can’t always be right no matter how hard you try. I learned my lesson on Facebook, and perhaps next time I’m thinking about giving someone a hard time for doing something, I’ll make sure I have all the facts. And as for Facebook, I’ve actually become a fan of it.