[jmyc]

I think this is a poor substitute for engagement/wedding/etc announcements in the newspaper. While he could, I suppose, buy ad space for an engagement announcement in a newspaper, they are submitted/printed for free (and put on the paper's website). Furthermore, it is seen by a wider audience than just your facebook friends (in fact it enters the public record), and you get a nice newspaper clipping. For example, my co-workers (whom I am not facebook friends with) brought in a clipping of my child's birth announcement and picture from the newspaper. I think it will be nice to show that to my child in later years. Would you show your child a screenshot of your facebook page? Print it out for a baby book?

(I realize that in his example he promoted a political joke, something that the newspaper wouldn't publish for free, and that it someone might want to supplement a newspaper announcement with a facebook thing.)