Facebook

[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.).

[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!

[Irulan]

I don't see anything bad about unfriending people. It's your FB account; do what you want with it.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[lph]

Yeah, I've unfriended a few people, like colleagues who have left that I didn't really know that well in the first place and have no contact with any more, but mostly I either don't accept friend requests or I keep people in a restricted group. This can be wives of my dh's friends, people that I like well enough and don't want to offend, but that I don't feel close enough to have them commenting on my random daily musings. Or old friends ditto. Or the ones who never post anything interesting of their own, but only use Facebook to promote commercial sites that their friends maintain. I figure that I can keep as friends anyone I like in person, but I only make content available to the ones who are likely to give some kind of response I would like to see.