What decent and more secure alternatives are there to Facebook?

[Pete]

Your question isn't as 'really silly' as the first answerer claims. After-all you are effectively paying Facebook's bills for them by merely being a member on the site and freely giving over all those bits of user data to them and their advertisers. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some respect for that!

To answer your question though, I recommend http://www.folkdirect.com which I found recently in an article in Huffington Post. And more specifically, responding to your criteria:

- open and honest privacy policy
---> http://alturl.com/6ufa - looks straightforward and sensible

- no time-wasting third-party applications
---> they have none unless you count a Facebook 'Like' button LOL

- additional features (such as live group chat and blogging)
---> all the usual things like comment walls, events, messaging are there and also live chat for all members (and private) and also an extensive blog section

- customer service who respond within a reasonable time-frame
---> they have a ticketed support site. I've not had to use it, but it looks like a pretty efficient system

- free to join and free to use
---> yes it's free