Everyone makes fun of Facebook for being a perfect stalking tool, and while its funny to joke about - in retrospect it is. You can see where people have been in their photos, what they've been doing and how they feel in their statuses, and often what kind of person they are because of those ridiculous quizzes (assuming, of course, that you take those seriously). But who said this was a bad thing?
I'm definitely a bit of a ghost on facebook as far as social interactions through it is concerned. There's a tight-knit group who I chat with almost constantly online, but beyond that I'm more interested in the informal "I'll check your wall to see whats up" rather than talk to you. Which comes in handy. I do have people ask me, "Have you heard from so-and-so?" "Why yes, so-and-so's going to a concert tonight!" Have I spoken to this person recently? Not in months! But I still feel a sense of connection, like the friendship was never really lost, because I am still aware of you and what's going on with your life - which believe it or not I do find interesting.
I make it a point to read through my wall every day down until the last post I read from the day before (which often is mine, because I have a terrible tendency to post at 4 in the morning). I may not have the time nor interest to reply to everything I read, but I get to check up on people I care about.
Which brings me to my next point - I don't friend people unless I truly want to hear from them. And because I only want to hear from people who I am actually friends with (not just any random joe), my friend list is actually at a mere 71 people. (It was at 69, which I found hilarious, for a very long time).
However, this doesn't mean I friend everyone who I know personally. There are some people you can put up with in real life, but online there seems little purpose. If you update your status over 3 times a day, chances are I will unfriend you (although I've taken to merely banishing any posts from you from my port lately - it seems less harsh). Also, if I think how I present myself through facebook may be offensive to you in a way I know you will be constantly berating me for, I will not friend you. My online self is more brazen without the confrontation of a physical being standing me down. But sometimes I make an offhand comment without much thought - but I don't particularly wish to be lectured for voicing my opinion sometimes.
And that's what it boils down to. The internet is for voicing opinion (the social side of it).
This rant isn't really stemming from anything, I just thought it might be nice to explain why I don't have a million friends, and why I don't friend some of the people who request it. Just a rant, in the end.
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