im english, and from own observations and much detailed research in to this aged old question, i have concluded that english people have the tendancy to smoke joints rather than smoke bongs and vice versa for americans, i think anyway.

i prefer to smoke joints,they're more chilled out, but bongs get you so much more stoned and are teh beasts to pull out at parties and pass about, a downpoint to a bong is that:
1)they can be quite throat devastating on a super hit
2) the hassle of setting them up and even more hassle for ice bongs
3) they use so much weed so quickly, but it pays off

in MY opinion joints make weed taste better, i dont really like the taste that comes through from a bong, i know u may think im crazy, but ahhhh fuk ya!joke, im sure there is others who may think this, i know a few people who would agree.

that is my comprehensive research on this issue, well not really just a lot of time taking in peoples opinions on this subject.