Since its inception, Facebook has been used to connect friends, political allies and organizations. And it's also being used for charitable causes, as exhibited in Silicon Valley, where Second Harvest Food Bank employed its network to raise over $10,000 for the area's hungry. (Too bad this guy doesn't live there.)

For every good deed done on Facebook, however, there seems to be one that's more calamitous. Just ask Bozeman, Montana, copper Cody Anderson, who resigned this week because of his Facebook commentary, which claimed police officers such as himself had the right to arrest people for being "stupid" and boasted about "messing with people."

Those remarks came into play in a lawsuit filed by a Bozeman resident who says he was falsely arrested. His lawsuit cites Anderson's "stupid" comment as proof that the police department doesn't respect the city's citizens. Thus, Anderson's career has come to an end.

The Facebook giveth and the Facebook taketh away. Respect it. Fear it. For it has the power to take you down.

The event in question, a forum being put on by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, will bring all the big gubernatorial candidates, including Gavin Newsom, a conversation on the state's many, many problems and how to fix them. Sadly for those who support the right-wing Whitman, she's going to be too busy at Fortune Magazine's "Most Powerful Women" Summit.

Sure, she helped John McCain last year, he's helping her and she knows how to be a flip-flopping demagogue, but that doesn't mean she's ready for the big leagues. She's already missed at least one event: a debate at the Sacramento Press Club. And she hasn't yet sent her RSVP for an October debate. Her flack insists she will participate in some debates down the line and stressed that she's holding "Meet Meg" events around the state, like one where she spoke at Yahoo's offices.

Good grief, these media mavens mulling public office sure are messy. Yes, we're talking about you, Carly Fiorina.

Although, seriously, if Meg Whitman wants to blend into the state's political scene, she needs to stop trying to separate herself from the pack. People trust politicians who can play the game. And that means playing with others. But, what do we know? We're just computer geeks — a group that has no place in politics whatsoever, right?

We at the Consumerist are happy to welcome Vallywag to the fold. The Consumerist will tell you how the Silicon Valley elite are screwing you out of your money—and Valleywag will tell you how they're spending it.

Go check out Valleywag, we're saying.