Friends' Lists

It seems like every time I go to a social networking site, whether it be Myspace, Facebook, Tagged, or Blackplanet, sooner or later, I encounter the same thing: people who decide to add me as a friend, and then proceed to ask that I accept their request. That’s not so bad, but what grinds my gears about it is that once you accept their request(s) and try to carry on conversation with them (you know, like a real friend should?), these people become strangely silent and unresponsive, annoying you royally and forcing you to begin purging your friends’ list(s) after only a few days’ time. What was the point of that?!

Exhibit A:



I encounter this on any given day upon signing in to Yahoo Messenger

Many times, their excuse is that they’re busy and caught up in something so they can’t talk that much at that time. Then why did you sign in to a website that is designed for talking to folks? Why do you sign in to messengers at all if you have no time to talk? I thought the point of these sites was to communicate with people you have deemed your friends? Is this what friendship has become?

Exhibit B:

I use this button a lot...it's not my fault, I swear! Unless trying to believe in folks is wrong, that is...

The definition of friend has to do with having shared mutual interests and having actual conversations from time to time. When I decide to add people to my lists, I expect for them to treat me as much of a friend as they would/should their friends in real life, not hit me up just to be indifferent about me. Shouldn’t people who hit other people up on these sites treat at least be friendly when you say hello? If you’re online just to be an online social hermit crab, it goes without saying that you’re some kind of nut that shouldn’t be allowed near the internet in any case!

My point is: if you don't want to talk to me, don't bother hitting me up; save space for somebody who wants to be there. We’re about to enter the year of 2009, and I don’t want or need people on my friend’s lists that aren’t about anything; having them excuse themselves from the lists and my life allows me to have room for folks who aren’t a complete waste of skin.I get so damn tired of firing people from my friends/instant messenger lists on an almost weekly basis. So I would say that this is actually a blessing in disguise.

To my future friends I'd like for you to: say thank all those losers who paved the way for you to come in; had it not been for them, they'd be no room for you! Although, I'm starting to sound like a retail store (or some NFL teams) having such a high turnover rate...