Finding out personal stuff through Social Networking pages?

What is with people announcing personal information via social networking pages like My Space or Facebook? I found out my brother has his first serious girlfriend by having it come up on my news feed whilst other friends have announced their engagement online instead of in the newspaper or via phone calls. Is this incredibly tacky or what? Surely the polite thing to do would be to tell family this sort of information in person?

1. It’s quicker than a newspaper.
2. It’s easier than making a few dozen phone calls.

Although I do agree, that family (assuming you’re close) should be told first in person.

California may ban employers from asking for Facebook passwords