Mashup Facebook and Del.icio.us? A Call for Programmers.

I am fairly new to Facebook. I signed up about 2 months ago. I just never thought it was something that I would use. I have been on LinkedIn for several years, so I thought of it as more of a distraction than anything. But a project came up at work that required me to be the Facebook go-to person, and I couldn’t really be answering questions and solving problems unless I had some first-hand knowledge about it! And, of course, I was giving into peer pressure, as well. All of my friends kept telling me that is was addictive and fun and I really needed to get into this century and sign up already.

So now, I have about 60 friends (meager in the eyes of many of you Facebookers out there), and yes, it is fun. I admit it. But while I do like to check my account when I’m on my computer, I wouldn’t say I’m “addicted” yet. I don't have it on my mobile phone, and I don't run to my computer every chance I get.

The thing about Facebook that I find bizarre though, is the number of people that have sent me friend requests that I really wouldn’t consider to be friends. People that I either haven’t talked to in 15+ years, and that 15+ years ago, I wasn’t really that good of friends with anyway; or people that I have never had a conversation with. I have had several people from a previous employer that sent me a friend request, but that I have never had a conversation with. It’s weird, isn’t it? It's probably weirder that I feel guilty when I decline the request. Like I am going to hurt their feelings or something.

Are the number of friends you have a status symbol of your popularity? Is it a need for people to feel accepted if their friend count is over a certain number? I just don’t understand the people that send friend requests to anyone and everyone with whom they have ever been cc’ed on an email (think mass distribuion from the HR department of a major corporation)? These are people that I would not be able to identify in a line up, even if someone paid me.

When I signed up on Facebook, I didn’t even send friend requests to everyone in my personal contacts folder. Maybe it’s me, but while I am embracing technology it doesn’t mean that I want everyone I have ever met or been introduced to know what is going on in my daily life. The thing is, in my line of work (PR), I really need for people to have more access to me and to what is going on. In other professions, like sales, real estate, politics, and other public figures, Facebook is an awesome tool, to keep your name and your face in front of people you may not know, or may have only met once or twice. It can be reinforcement of facial recognition so people will remember who you are, even if you don’t necessarily remember them.

So where do I draw the line? Where do I start accepting “friend requests” from people I don’t really know? Maybe the answer is to send them to LinkedIn. I sort of wish there was a polite way to decline their “friend” invitation and refer them there instead. Or maybe there could be a "back door" acceptance that just moves them your LinkedIn account.

Here's an idea... Someone should come up with the "Not so much" friends of Facebook or maybe add a function of Facebook so you can tag your friends, like you tag your bookmarks on del.icio.us. That way, you could move all those people you really don't know, or maybe those people you sort of know, but don't really like, into specific folders so you get to choose what information you want to share with them. That way you can still keep in contact with them if the need should arise somewhere down the road. Now that site, I would not hesitate to sign up for!