Friends on Facebook...A Master's Thesis...Or Not...

Seriously, this could be a topic, right?? There are "unwritten rules" and right ways and wrong ways and stuff...

How many times can someone come up on your "You Might Know" list before you feel you HAVE to "friend" them? And what if they come up all the time and you ignore them until one night after one glass of wine too many you break down? Do you think they know you finally broke down or might they think you just noticed them? Do you think they are relieved that you broke down first? Or annoyed that you broke down while they hung tough? Maybe there should be a halfway point for FB friends...a list where you can send people if you want to accept them for appearances sake but you don't really need them.

And then there is the "ignore" button. You can click this...or you can really just ignore the person and the request sits there forever. That is sad. I know there are people out there I tried to friend and they never got back to me...of course it is their loss, right? But for the life of me I can't remember who they are...all the important people are on my list ;-). Oh, and if you ignore someone do they know that? I've never gotten a notification that I've been ignored (but really, who would ignore moi??) but maybe I've overlooked it.

But isn't it such an exciting day when you log in to Facebook and you see that you have a friend request? Sometimes I like to have a little fantasy before I click on it (I know, I know...but I am an old, married woman...give me a little leeway here...) about who might be on the other side of that request. Is it someone I have seen and not friended? Is it an old boyfriend? Is it some girlfriend from junior high that I parted with in an ugly way but now so much time has passed so we can catch up and be FB friends?? The excitement builds as I click....and then.....and then....c'mon, you know what happens, right? It turns out to be someone with a name you vaguely remember but apparently you knew them because you have 37 friends in common. So then you click on that to see if you know them from junior high, high school, college or the PTO. I'm still waiting for that old boyfriend friend request. But, I do have friends who did get their "old boyfriend" friend request...so I know it is worth the wait ;-).

Then how about the people you converse with regularly on FB that you otherwise would NEVER have sought out or stayed in touch with? And isn't it fun that some of those people turn out to be fun, funny, interesting and maybe even REAL friends? I think that is one of the best parts about Facebook. It expands one's horizons...opens up new venues....and yes, I know that sounds hokey; but it is true!

I love it when I am at work or any place really and someone says something to me that I have only put on Facebbook. It is like we are speaking in code, lol...It might take me aback for a second but then instantly the common bond of FB is recognized. I love that! Here's a test...come up to me in person and say, "Ploopie." The we can both laugh and others will think we are insane. I like it when others think I am insane, but that's another Note.

It is also fun to be in a room with a bunch of fellow Facebookers and something questionable happens and simultaneously 4 people yell, "Don't put that on Facebook!" Tee hee...makes me wanna write a note about it ;-). Although I do have to be careful since many "moms" from school are on my friend list...can't let them know too much, IYKWIM. Even my husband, who is not on FB, will occasionally say, "Please don't put that on your Facebook." Of course I have to respect that...although sometimes it does kill my buzz.

And here's a question I have...why have I gotten friend requests from a few people that I REALLY do not know? I click on the 1 mutual friend we have and it is someone obscure. Why did that person friend me? Are they desperate? Just trying to get as many friends as possible? Do they think I'm hot ;-)? And what do I do? Sometimes I accept their request, if I'm feeling generous (lol) or if I know the mutual person really well. Or sometimes I ignore them. But really I want to message them and be like, "WTF? Why do you want to be my friend?" But I don't...

So c'mon...what is your best Facebook friend story?