What's with people who 'friend' you on Facebook, but don't talk?

I've had this scenario happen a couple of times... A friend of a friend would request to be put on my Friends list. I'm easily flattered, so I succumb and agree. Don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.... right?? But when I send private messages, they never respond. Does this happen to other people as well? What do you think their angle is? Thanks.

their angle- want to see/know more about you without actually talking to you lol.

I add old friends and never send messages simply to catch up randomly on how they look and what they have been up to. I never not respond to a message unless its an uncomfortable one from someone I was 'involved' with.Only had a couple of those though

Honestly, facebook is like the stock market. You want to own stock in cool people, and if you have a lot of friends, you then become a cool person.

Better explained here:

One of the angles I've noticed is plain "trolling" in my definition , that means someone who has no real particular interest in you other than figure you out , spy on you . At my last job , there were a few older women who would always talk about me , I understood their dislike because we had nothing in common , very different spiritual beliefs , ideologies and on the other hand am very guarded about my private life and hard to get to know etc.. So when these women started sending me friend requests ..I honestly felt they were "fishing/trolling" Other people may just crave more interaction as sad as that sounds ..people have this strange attachment to facebook , as though an unrecognized post= no one cares about you.
I personally find facebook as a legal liability ..and a bore ..so many people want to tell me what they eat , what time they go to bed ..and even what time they take a crap (although that does seem to amuse me) I don't post much because of privacy issues ...one of my college profeesors was threatened to be fired over a picture of her in a bathing suit on vacation (a full bathing suit , not even a bikini)

Remember that facebook is a liability....be careful who you let in!

I asked my daughter about that. It is like having a thread flagged and starred on ATS, but with facebook, it is your ego...

You don't PM everyone that flag and star your threads, now, do you?...

Maybe Facebook Friends are the Beanie babies of the 21st Century?

Many of you might have seen this, but it's one of my favorite vignettes from a UK show called the IT crowd.

Lots of people look for other people who play Facebook games. They want to add you so you can help them or help each other play the game. There is a new social gaming craze on Facebook. Farmville, Cityville, Mafia Wars, all those Zynga games...etc. If you don't change the privacy settings then friends of friends can see which games you play and some posts made by your games may be public posts.

reply to post by spacedoubt


Friendface is awesome!

I'm on it now!!!

FRIENDFACE!

FRIENDFACE!!


FRIEND!!!


FACE!!!!

reply to post by MarkJS


I know a person who was having a competition to see who had the most friends with another....

I am not on FB but last time I checked hers was up over 3000 friends.

it is a stupid peer thing, a popularity contest.

Originally posted by MarkJS
I've had this scenario happen a couple of times... A friend of a friend would request to be put on my Friends list. I'm easily flattered, so I succumb and agree. Don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.... right?? But when I send private messages, they never respond. Does this happen to other people as well? What do you think their angle is? Thanks.

edit on 27/11/2011 by MarkJS because: (no reason given)

So....
You come here for communication (for your friend)?

Originally posted by Aliensun

Originally posted by MarkJS
I've had this scenario happen a couple of times... A friend of a friend would request to be put on my Friends list. I'm easily flattered, so I succumb and agree. Don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.... right?? But when I send private messages, they never respond. Does this happen to other people as well? What do you think their angle is? Thanks.

edit on 27/11/2011 by MarkJS because: (no reason given)

So....
You come here for communication (for your friend)?

Sure.... There is a lot of wise people here... and I read ATS much more than FB... Much more interesting. There seems to be a crack in the edifice where people can 'friend' each other on FB, but then never talk... as in privately- person to person. It seems unnatural and superficial, but maybe that's just me.

What's your take on the phenomena described in the OP?

Thank you for your insights. I figured out the friend thing... a popularity contest and whatnot. I'm kind of looking for why people will 'friend' someone, but never talk personally to that person. It does not seem to reflect real life... but maybe it does?

Are there any more reasons?

Definitely the game angle as someone else posted, haven't been on FB in ages, but when I was, my friends sent me messages that their friends wanted to add me for some games. So no interaction with them.
On occasion, I've added old high school friends that do not talk, just want to keep up with reunions and such.

a reply to: MarkJS

I am not sure why people do it, but it is very annoying. I know it's been since 2011 since you posted this post but I am very interested in knowing myself. Nosey people, dead people is what I call them. Then it don't stops there! They follow you on Instagram, and Twitter if you have one and for what? to do the same thing. I can't stand it. So I have removed everyone and I post to myself as notes and reminders of things but that is all I use it for. I miss them but I will go through withdraw then to add them back and suffer all over again.

a reply to: MarkJS


I do it just to find out when you set your profile location to a vacation site and then break into your house so I can lounge naked on your couch drinking your booze.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Yeah, I don't go on vacation. But thanks for the question. It helped me find an answered.

a reply to: MarkJS

Facebook is very dangerous and collects a LOT of information on
millions of people.I quit about 3 years ago and encourage others
to do as well.
This friend of a friend is probably just keeping an eye on you
for reasons you may never know or want.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

And look for "supplies" for your lair.

originally posted by: awomanoftruth
Yeah, I don't go on vacation. But thanks for the question. It helped me find an answered.

I didn't ask you a question.

Since the first Op post was made... I developed a policy for Friend Requests....

If I get Friend Requests.... I tell them on Messenger that I'm no longer accepting Friend Requests... but if they would like to speak to me... to contact me on FB Messenger, where I will happily respond.