Facebook

[AppleTree]

I unfriended a few folks during the election season for the same reason -- hateful posts. A couple I just hid or unsubscribed from their feed for the time being. I have also been unfriended by a few folks, and it does kind of sting when you realize they've done it. There are probably a few I don't even realize have unfriended me.

One way to find out someone unfriended you is if you go their Timeline, and instead of saying "Friends" it says "Add Friend". Or if they show up in the right-hand column as "People you may know". But you can't please everyone, and some people friend others for the wrong reasons. I have accepted friend requests from people I don't even remember just b/c they went to the same high school or we used to work together years ago, and if they bug me or post ugly stuff, I don't have problems unfriending them as we were not really connected in the first place. I have also friended or accepted friend requests from people I've never even met in person but we share an interest and have interacted in a FB group, and they seemed like nice people. I've "virtually met" some really great folks that way, actually, who share a lot of the same interests.

It gets pretty complicated doesn't it? Yes, this was a person I wasn't close with to begin with, and really didn't know all that well. Still, it felt strange. I know I could have blocked her posts, but really, I thought "do I WANT to be associated with someone who posts that kind of stuff?"...and the answer was no.

Thanks for the info and advice Emily.

[OakLeaf]

I know I could have blocked her posts, but really, I thought "do I WANT to be associated with someone who posts that kind of stuff?"...and the answer was no.

Heh. I blocked someone for the same reasons recently - someone who'd blocked me some time ago with a florid statement about how he "never" posted anything about politics. Now, I do link to a lot of news, which I suppose might offend some people, but very little opinion ... while he mostly posts about his personal life, with occasional forays into truly hateful racist political opinion.

I thought about unfriending him. But being he's part of my riding group I'll still see him around if I recover enough to ride with the group at all. Just didn't see the point of unfriending.

[TrekDianna]

I unfriend people all the time. If I wouldn't spend any face to face time with them, I don't need to have them on FB either.

[jessmarimba]

There is one particular person I have unfriended about 5 times. Unfortunately, we have something like 60 friends in common, so whenever he sees my posts/comments/etc. on our mutual friends walls, he friend requests me again. Facebook probably keeps re-suggesting me to him as well, since we have so many friends in common. Initially I would accept, wait a few days, and then erase him again, but now I have left him permanently in "request" limbo. Most of the others I have unfriended simply disappear.

I also blocked most of my dad's posts. He gets outspoken and occasionally no sense of humor and it was just too much. Unfortunately, he sometimes asks if I saw XYZ on facebook (pics of house, etc.).

[BikeDutchess]

There is one particular person I have unfriended about 5 times. Unfortunately, we have something like 60 friends in common, so whenever he sees my posts/comments/etc. on our mutual friends walls, he friend requests me again. Facebook probably keeps re-suggesting me to him as well, since we have so many friends in common. Initially I would accept, wait a few days, and then erase him again, but now I have left him permanently in "request" limbo.

Why don't you just block this person permanently so he cannot contact you again? I've done that with some folks who tried to friend me repeatedly just because we have the same last name.

Blocking someone on Facebook

[Kiwi Stoker]

DH has just finished job hunting and LinkedIn seems to be the way to go career wise. Actually got contacted by recuritment companies from LinkedIn. Best to keep things very seperate. FB for friends and family and LinkedIn for business. And my personal rule- only post about nice stuff about what I have personally done and no opinions.

That way I don't cause any issues. Not worth it as I have aetheist and ultra Christian friends who are always posting about their beliefs.

[jessmarimba]

Eh. Mostly because I do run into the guy in person on occasion (the world we teach in is fairly small). And I don't particularly dislike him as a person, he's just sort of obnoxious and socially inept...especially in an arena where a lot of social clues are missing. I mostly don't want him posting on my stuff on facebook because he tends to start arguments with people who don't already know him without even trying. Similar to my Dad.

Why don't you just block this person permanently so he cannot contact you again? I've done that with some folks who tried to friend me repeatedly just because we have the same last name.

Blocking someone on Facebook

[Irulan]

the better option might be to restrict them.... they techinicall are still on your friend list but they don't see any of your stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgN0oDQq5S4 How-to

[Tri Girl]

I'm bad. I unfriend people all the time. About once a year I go through my friends list and if we haven't spoken directly on FB (messages) or we don't comment on each other's posts every now and then (showing that you do keep up with me and vice versa) then you're gone. Sometimes these people will refriend me later and I'll decline. If we're not into each other's lives I see no point. I also will not be friends of someone who is a friend of someone else. I don't need a large friend collection just to have one. I like to keep my "friends" around 150- and at least half of that is family.
Yeah, I did delete some people during the election season because of hateful or ignorant things they would post. I hid even more. 'Aint nobody got time for such drama!

[Trek420]

I've unfriended one person, someone I dated some time ago. It just felt awkward. I'm facebook friends with those I know IRL with two exceptions. Two are distant cousins and they are on the East Coast. We've never actually met but like to keep in touch. The other exception is from TE!

I don't use my real name on FB. I'm looking for full time work and too many HR people scour FB for oddities, political leanings, your drunk office party photos etc. I lean left, never drink and don't think of myself as odd unless having 7 bikes in the apartment is odd. Well it isn't here but this is TE.

Anyway you never know so I leave my name off.

During this election season there was one friend I kinda blocked. I changed settings so I would not see each and every blasted post of his. Funny thing is we agree on most things but as others have said it's just that he was so rabid. I don't vilify those I disagree with. I'm amused, puzzled, perplexed, interested in why we see things differently, would like to talk it out over coffee or pizza and beer but "they" (whoever "they" are at the moment) are not evil!

[PamNY]

Slightly off topic but I didn't want to start another thread -- here's an NYT article about people sharing Thanksgiving via various social media. Makes me tired just to think about it.