Facebook friends

mike · #1 11th August 2012, 18:13

Hi,

I only opened the account a couple of years ago while at college and someone suggested it so we could discuss assignments. I don't use facebook a lot, but I do log on now and again.

Anyway someone has just sent a friend request. I don't even know who this lady is. Apparently a friend of someone I know. But why did she send it? was it because I only had 13 friends on my list?

I have accepted the request because it seemed a bit impolite not to, but I didn't really want to. The only people on my friend list are actual friends, and good friends at that. Now I have this person I don't even know and it bothers me.

What do other people do when they receive friend requests from strangers?

Progress · #2 11th August 2012, 18:25

It's normally said you should only accept people you know, but a friend of a friend, I don't know.
I would say if you didn't want to accept you shouldn't, don't worry about politeness. Maybe ask your friend about them and why they added you. Nothing wrong with deleting them if you want to.

Ocean Of Noise · #3 11th August 2012, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike

Anyway someone has just sent a friend request. I don't even know who this lady is. Apparently a friend of someone I know. But why did she send it?

Networking I suppose you could call it. Someone I know refers to these people as 'friend collectors'.

Recently I had a clean out of my facebook friends list for the first time, I've used FB since 2007. The folks that got the chop, we're mainly people I've never met or communicated with, and they've added me for reasons only known to them. As well as girls I've dated and now they politely ignore me, plus a couple of people I've well and truly fell out with (But that's a rarity).

As a rule now, FB is for family, friends, work colleague's, and old friends I've lost touch with. In other words, peeps that I know.

ItsNotAPorkChop · #4 11th August 2012, 19:37

Some people go around just adding anyone to boost their friend numbers... I just ignore requests from people I don't know/don't want...

mike · #5 12th August 2012, 07:05

I'll probably just wait awhile and the delete her, which I know I won't enjoy doing. I always find it difficult though when a request appears in case it is a nice person just being friendly.

Oh well....not the most difficult problem in the world, thanks for the replies.

ItsNotAPorkChop · #6 12th August 2012, 09:36

I think there are settings on there somewhere which you can make her unable to view anything of yours, I'm not sure how you do it though. That could be easier than deleting her altogether?

DarenA37 · #7 12th August 2012, 12:43

Everyone could be a potential friend if only you try and get to know them a little over time!

The only people I avoid and block are the ones asking for way too much information, but that only happens on myyearbook/meetme

Defiance · #8 12th August 2012, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike

What do other people do when they receive friend requests from strangers?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moomin

Ignore and block.

If it's a bloke and i dont know him (or barely know him) i'll ignore it.

if its a girl, i tend to have a ponder and consider it. but having said that, the only random girl who tried to add me i ignored her

Fiona · #9 12th August 2012, 19:16

Decline.

catlover · #10 13th August 2012, 23:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike

What do other people do when they receive friend requests from strangers?

I'd suggest neither declining nor accepting. Declining might hurt the person's feelings; accepting might expose your information to someone you don't know.

Keep in mind that a lot of friend requests are generated automatically by Facebook. So the person might not have actually issued the request.

mike · #11 14th August 2012, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover

I'd suggest neither declining nor accepting. Declining might hurt the person's feelings; accepting might expose your information to someone you don't know.

Keep in mind that a lot of friend requests are generated automatically by Facebook. So the person might not have actually issued the request.

I've already accepted. I didn't know Facebook automatically generated friend requests; that seems a bit underhanded.

QUOTE:
"If it's a bloke and i dont know him (or barely know him) i'll ignore it.
if its a girl, i tend to have a ponder and consider it. "

A bit like that myself, though it is the first time it has happened.

I will delete her in time.

Progress · #12 14th August 2012, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover

Keep in mind that a lot of friend requests are generated automatically by Facebook.

Are you sure you mean requests? I thought it was just suggestions.

catlover · #13 14th August 2012, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Progress

Are you sure you mean requests? I thought it was just suggestions.

My understanding (from others) is that when you open a new account on Facebook, it prompts you to issue friend requests to everyone on your various contact lists (e.g., yahoo e-mail).

Mr. Spaceman · #14 17th August 2012, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarenA37

Everyone could be a potential friend if only you try and get to know them a little over time!

The only people I avoid and block are the ones asking for way too much information, but that only happens on myyearbook/meetme

Yes I accept pretty much every freind request I get as long as they're not a blatant spammer. I've had a few from places like Argentina and Italy, I don't know why they sent them but I'm glad they did they turned out to be really nice people

I might never meet them and my interaction with them for the most part only consist of the odd photo comment or Happy Birthday, but still their presence on my friends list makes my life just a little nicer.