Parents certainly have a special sense of humor (they need it!), but it seems to me that sharing these experiences via Internet IN WRITING and using pictures crosses an important line of privacy. I don't see anything wrong with sharing silly pet photos (although the animal rights people might get on my case for that!), but my point is that babies aren't just "cute," they're also defenseless human beings and citizens who are protected by law.

But let me put the question up for discussion: Am I overreacting by going on about "privacy rights," or do children deserve at least a minimum of respect?

Oversharing is annoying on both sides. I have a "friend" on FB from high school who is a nice enough person, but posts 100 time a day about her housework, how housework is woman's work and about the Bible. I am an atheist who does no housework and would probably shoot my husband if he suggested that housework was my job. But, I could easily unfreind her. I don't because I don't know why I can't skim over her posts without being offended. Its not like she is affecting my life. its not that hard.

Anyway, civility requires people to try to respectful when posting something so that it does not offend (poop is only funny to some people), and those who are offended have a duty of civility, too. Not everyone needs to know how much you hate something. Not everyone needs you to set up a webiste or a blog about how much you HATE other people or other things. Just hate it privately and move on. We have really lost a lot of civility in our culture and its sad.

while i'm no proponent of over-advertising a kids' personal life, i do think it's beyond ironic that those who complain loudest about 'self-absorbed' parents are so self-absorbed that they only want to hear about, see, listen to and discuss things that relate to themselves and their interests. how totally navel-gazing. no irony there.

so please, why don't you guys, for once, just STFU?

I'm a bisexual stay-at-home-dad of a two-year old and I think the site is funny and that the parents need to check themselves. Online and everywhere.

I also hate that word "breeder." It's as offensive as "faggot," and if I used that word on this site in a derogatory way I'd catch a boatload of shit.

Could be those fucking retards who think their pets are people. All of those people should be boiled.

I can honestly say that the experience of parenting is something you want to share with your friends. And as a new parent (my daughter is 15 mos old) I can also remember a time not so long ago when I didn't have kids and I really didn't care to hear about other people's kids.

The reality is this: if you don't like it, you can turn off status updates from certain friends and applications. Problem solved. But some cynical hipster types like to rip on dorky parents who get all excited about their toddler taking a dump or worry themselves to death over their new baby's dark green doo-doo. A good portion of these hipster d-bags will go on to have kids themselves one day and become exactly the sort of cornballs they made fun of for years . . . and some will not. I recognize that some people can not procreate, and others still choose not to, but I feel sorry for them. Having a child and spending time with your own offspring is infinitely more rewarding than all the time I've ever spend with all of my friends combined and rolled up into a big ball.

If my friends are not interested in hearing about my parental exploits, well maybe it is time to part ways. I'm getting a little tired of American Idol and OMG I AM SO HUNGOVER status updates coming from people in their god-damned 30's anyways.

The true irony is that all of this is no different than anything else anyone posts on Facebook. FB is virtually 100% useless information that virtually no one actually cares about, yet nearly everyone continues to post their particular brand of uselessness. I don’t see how parents posting pictures of their kids is any more or less annoying than some college kid in Athens, GA posting his spring break pictures. It’s all useless nonsense.

But, it’s all voluntary useless nonsense. No one is forcing you to post it and no one is forcing you to look at it.

From my perspective, I cannot understand why anyone would post anything on FB. By posting on FB you are essentially allowing strangers into your life and are denigrating your constitutional rights. I find it (sadly) humorous that those who complain about the government usurping their rights will gladly give them away.

not everyone needs to know every little last detail about your mewling puking brat

I use FB mostly to play scrabble...but the oversharing and concern with your child's bodily functions is something I can shamefacedly relate to.

When I was in my early 20s, I overheard two neighborhood Moms talking about potty training with an intensity and fascination that I just did not get and so said, disdainfully, to my twin sister (who had a baby already) that I would never ever talk about my kids and their bathroom habits, etc. She snorted and said, "Wanna bet!?" So, I bet her $100 dollars.

Flash forward 2 years: I have my own precious wee bundle who stopped pooping at age 2 weeks. I was breastfeeding and didn't know that some breastfed babies can go DAYS without pooping. I was hysterical with worry. Called my Mom, my sisters, my friends to discuss this endlessly. Then...I froze....hung up the phone...and sat down and sent my sister a check in the mail :-).

Because, there are a lot of different blogs, sites, etc that rant about one thing or another.

What's the point exactly? That you have somehow validated your own life by making other people out to be idiots? You're not doing something worthwhile no matter how much you try to justify it and eventually people will burn out on reading your clever little witticisms about this that or the other thing.

Why are you even on Facebook if you don't want to hear about stuff like this? Why are you even friends with people with children? People with kids do stuff like this. Before the Internet came along it was the guy with the pack of photos stuck in his wallet.

If you don't want to deal with or see the stupidity of humanity then just stop being friends with people, because stupidity is inevitable.