I' m not into joining things. Sure, I've got a season ticket for football and membership of a wine club, but I justify both those on the grounds they are essential to sustain life as we know it.

But, these days, everyone else I know, friends, family, colleagues, all seem to be enthusiastically enlisting.

They are all on Facebook. I'm not.

They are all registered with eBay. I'm not.

They are now deserting Facebook in droves to throw their lot in with Twitter. I haven't.

Just lately, though, a teeny-weeny bit of me, keeps quizzing the rest of my psyche whether I'm missing out because of this non-participation in social networking.

So far this little niggle isn't winning. I am not of a mind to stick loads of personal details on the web.

Much of this reluctance of mine can, I feel, be laid at the door of Friends Reunited.

Some years back I looked up one of my old schools and in a rash moment stuck my name down under what I estimated to be my leaving year.

As it subsequently turned out I think I might have miscalculated, as the names I recognise appear to be spread across a couple of school years.

No matter. I just input my name and occupation. Nothing else.

Even then, flicking through lists of people who slept and misbehaved in neighbouring school desks to me, I was alarmed at some of the personal stuff people were happy to declare.

This was long before the current climate where people have become much more daring and audacious with their internet confidences.

Anyway, I've left my sparse details untouched since the day I joined and have no inclination to add to them.

Even so, the site has a habit of prodding you sharply in the ribs on occasion. More than one occasion, actually.

Every so often you get a notification that there's a message for you from another Friends Reunited member.

I am always filled with a slight feeling of dread and the old adrenalin gets pumping as I take the plunge to discover who it is.

On the last couple of occasions, it's been long-lost chums of my brother and sister (neither of whom are members) seeking them out.

Though, currently lurking in the background are a couple of "would like to contact" messages for me. One is from someone in Shrewsbury who helped me misspend a significant chunk of my youth. Another is from a former head girl who I never spoke to in all my time at school. Honest.

I'm holding back on both of them.

The one and only time I decided to walk on the wild side, as it were, I ended up beginning a dialogue with an old classmate.

After his second, extraordinarily lengthy email missive arrived, detailing the trials and tribulations which had befallen him and the minutiae of a marriage breakdown, I realised it was a definite no-no and pulled the plug.

I have also received an inquiry from a total stranger, a female, enquiring if I was the "Tim Davey, journalist" who was on the same course as her in Sheffield.

No I was not. I've only ever been to Sheffield once. And that was to see Neil Young in concert.

So, worryingly, there's someone else out there with the same name as me who's also a journalist. I wonder if he's been contacted by the person who has been trying to get in touch with me from Shrewsbury?