I'm delighted - it will be great to see her. But I'm wondering why she didn't just phone me. I've switched on my computer, and I'm waiting for that little icon to pop up on my screen telling me her message has arrived. Then I will respond. It might take three or four messages before we get our arrangements straight; a bit like a conversation, really. And it might take an hour or so, depending on how quickly we reply.

But this, it seems, is the new best way to keep in touch. Being such a Facebook Newbie, I'm going with the flow. And at least the arrangements will all be there in writing for me, lest I forget them between now and tomorrow evening.

It seems a bit of a palaver, really, but it occurs to me that maybe making arrangements by text, e-mail or Facebook is in fact more polite than phoning. A phone call demands immediate attention. A phone call might have interrupted something important (I was putting the washing on). A text, e-mail or message can be answered when it suits me.

As with all new technological thingies, I came late to Facebook. Friends and colleagues had been badgering me for months to join, but I couldn't see the point. Having been a supremely unsuccessful member of Twitter, Bebo and MySpace, I was reluctant to add another burden. But earlier this month I caved in. Paul e-mailed to thank me for a present I'd sent his new baby. "Any photos?" I asked. "Oops, sorry - forgot you're not on Facebook," he replied. So I signed up.

But having joined, I am left feeling uneasy. I'm not entirely sure what it's for. In a fortnight I have acquired 90 friends - far more than I have in real life. Some of them are real friends, but looking at some of the others, I begin to wonder. I've not spoken to D since we were in the same "Six" at Brownies, yet I can now count her amongst my 90. Having not thought about her for 30 years, I now know she's working for a barrister in London, which pub she watched the rugby in at the weekend, and how much her son's driving lessons cost. But what should I do with that information?

I'm not picking on D, she's just an example of some of the folk I have "collected" in the past weeks. Short of spending my days looking at their photos and seeing which groups they are fans of (currently I support "Aberdeen Butteries Rock" and "Can this sausage roll get more fans than Cheryl Cole"), I'm not sure what to do with Facebook. If I was more switched on I'm sure I could be using it to sell "Brand Nicky Marr", and to inform 90 potential clients that I am available for hire to present fashion shows, conferences, awards ceremonies and dinners. But until I get my act together on that front, I'm a Facebook voyeur.

Facebook can devour hours of my day. Wedding photos, holiday snaps, and the personal details of old friends, and their friends, are all waiting to be trawled through. It's perfect fodder for the nosey. So until I get my marketing act together, I'll continue to snoop. Oh, and arrange to meet friends on a Friday night.

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