The advent of social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn has brought unrivaled connectivity between people of all ages, backgrounds and interests. But with these services comes the dreaded unwanted "friend" request -- an invitation from someone you wished had never entered your time zone, much less your circle of online companions. And you know there's no going back! Once you click "accept," they'll forever taunt you from the privacy of their desktop.
There are at least three kinds of these unwanted friends:
1. The Who-The-Hell-Is-This Friend: You've never met this person in your whole life. They may work at the same company or know someone who knows someone who used to know your roommate. But a complete lack of connection doesn't stop them from adding you to their burgeoning online network. The real annoyance is that they seem motivated by a desire to tell the world: "Look at me! I have more online friends than you!!" Really??! You must be awesome! Never mind that at least half of the "buddies" you so proudly display have absolutely no clue who you are.
2. The Annoying Pest: With messages like, "Saw you guys were going out tonight... have room for one more??? ;)" and invitations to join the "Yanni Sings for Peace" group, this person gradually wears down your will to live, much like Malaria or the Ebola virus. This is usually the type of person who ends up with a nickname like "That Guy."
3. The Spy: This person's sudden interest in your life gives you every reason to question their motives. Whether they're quietly judging you from afar, or reporting your alleged bad behavior back to your enemies for a good laugh, they're eager to exploit their friend status. It could be someone who is tight with an ex-girlfriend or a co-worker who's vying for your job. Either way, you know you're in their crosshairs.
Oh, but no matter which type of unwanted friend it happens to be, once you've let them into your circle of trust, they aren't going anywhere. It's simply too complicated to un-friend them, if that's even possible. That's why I think we all need to take very serious and proactive measures.
Upon receiving any friend request, you would be given the following options:
- ACCEPT
- NASTY-GRAM
In the event that one resorts to "nasty-gram," the unwanted friend will receive the following message, which leaves no doubt about your feelings:
Park Street Rambler has declined your request, as he finds you obnoxious and/or untrustworthy. Should you have any questions or concerns, please save them for someone who cares. This decision is final. Enjoy your day.
This new accept/reject policy is guaranteed to reduce unwelcome requests and ensure your circle of trust remains unbroken. Imagine! Such a clear message would allow for a world in which your friends are more likely to be your friends.
Without naming names, please let me know if you've had a similar experience. Comments are always welcome.
6 comments:
Kev, I'm not going to lie, its very easy to ignore a friend request and highly unlikely that anyone will ever confront you about it.
i once selected to "ignore" and inbound facebook request. the very next day, that same person sent me another friend request. awkward.
Sue, why do you have to be such a pragmatist and ruin my fun? Anyway, ignoring the request didn't seem to work in Mark's case.
I still have a Linked In invite from someone I could not stand in my inbox because I did not want him to see that I declined him. Also, you know, on Linked In, you cannot de-friend people, which I sort of think you should be able to do since professional relationships can fall apart.
right on kevin! Facebook has forced me to befriend people that I hadn't intention of ever knowing. Moreover, what I up with the poking feature. I feel violated everytime some stranger in Ohio pokes me.
No doubt, Scott. I'm equally frightened by all the poking.
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