SIKE!
If you fell for this you should seriously be ashamed of yourself! And if you are one of the thousands of people who posted this on your status, you should be taken out behind the water shed and spanked with a fish.
FACEBOOK JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER MONTH FOR BRONZE MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MORNING YOU WILL BE PROMPTED FOR PAYMENT INFO...IT IS OFFICIAL IT WAS EVEN ON THE NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES
Of course as time goes by the viral status about charging to use Facebook will change, but the concept is still the same -- Facebook declaring that they're going to start charging it's members. Sometimes a date may be given, i.e. "July 1st". Generally this rumor (or hoax if you want to call it that) is designed to get gullible people to click "Like" on a Facebook Fan page of theirs, or go to some website link they have which may throw surveys at you which will make them money, or "Like-Jack" you (causing you to "Like" some page of theirs without you being aware of it", amongst other unsavory things.
From now on if you see any of your friends or family members post this (or a similar) status, just send them the link to this page, and let's put an end to this rumor once and for all. Here's why:
When you go to login to Facebook, right there, smack dab on the login page it says: "It's Free and Always Will Be."
If that's not enough to convince anyone, take a look at this article on the Washington Post written by Mark Zuckerberg himself (the creator of Facebook) where is states:
"We will always keep Facebook a free service for everyone."
Facebook is supported by ads, which has already made it the billion dollar powerhouse that it has become, it has no need to milk charges out of it's users. Then there's always the discussion about the money they make from sharing your personal information with other websites and advertising agencies, but that's left for another discussion here on GeekDrop.
Here's another related thread that dispels the rumor -- fb shutting down on March 15 2011