Question - Friendship Requests

[warren]

I notice that I have a couple of friendship requests. Exactly what is my obligation should I except a request? Am I obligated to back up their every opinion? Lend them money? Send gifts for birthdays, weddings, graduations, new cars, the acquisition of an expensive pipe, births, etc.? Would these new friends being staying at my house when traveling to Alaska? Do I have to feed them? Watch their gold fish when they go on vacation?
Just what are my obligations? I'm new at this social media stuff when it comes to "friending" someone. I don't do twitter, face book or the like. So, someone clue me in please. My wife says that I am anti-social. I prefer the term asocial though I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to all when first meeting. Friends are one thing to me and acquaintances another.
Again the wife is on the laptop "googling" "nut houses."

 

[kcghost]

You are under no obligation to accept or respond to unsolicited friendship requests. I've been on this site for several years and have only responded to two friendship requests. Since I know those two fellows it makes since.
I will tell you this is that if you go to the trouble to reject the friendship requests those same people will be back at you in a few weeks with another request. To some people how many "friends" you have is a way of keeping score.

 

[piperl12]

Hey Warren,
As a fellow asocial my understanding or interpretation of forum rules is the first person for whom you accept the request from you must buy them a birth year Dunhill pipe in the shape of their choice, a pound of penzance and an Elk hunt using your place as a base of operations. My friend request has been sent! Great to meet u my new best buddy! :wink:

 

[warren]

Piperl12: I got moose in the yard and we can fly-in for deer, but no elk in Alaska. A friz sow and 2 cubs in the neighborhood the other day. Black bear are around most all the time in summer. But, no elk. Sorry I can't meet the obligation.
kcghost: Keeping score? What's the prize?
Thanks for the responses. I'm a member of a woodworking board and this is the first I'd heard of "friending" on a board. I thought that was for My Space and the like.

 

[piperl12]

Your forgiven Warren just drop the dunnie and the penzance in the post and we'll call it even. Seriously though not sure the purpose of friending. A few of my friends became facebook friends but I haven't much time for that stuff. Four boys, a wife, multiple hunting seasons, fishing a contracting business don't leave me much time. I listed in order of importance in case your wondering lol.

 

[warren]

I like your priorities. You'll probably never be rich monetarily, but you'll be a wealthy man none the less.
By the way the note should be griz not friz. The friz is an entirely different animal not seen in Alaska. At least not in my memory.

 

[mso489]

I just stay away from social media, Facebook, Linked In, and other similar, smaller version. I find them manipulative in the way

they drum up membership and "friends" for their members. They give the impression that someone is waiting to have you

"friend" them, etc. More, it is simply hugely time consuming. They make Forums look like nothing by comparison, in terms of

time spent. You are expected to pass around a lot of self-reporting on your life, music, habits, blah-blah, to many people you

barely know or don't know at all, and keep up this pretense vigorously, in hopes of generating contacts and affection from lots

of strangers. This just does not appeal to me. There are parallels to this chat group, but social media take it to a whole higher

level. This seems relatively un-intrusive. Linked In does not.

 

[papipeguy]

I'm just guessing here but I think in the early days of the Forum "friending" was a way to get to know people better. I've had a few and accepted with no furhter consequence. No harm no foul, right? I think at this point it is a bit arcane as folks here seem to form bonds on their own.

 

[taerin]

When I first joined Kevin and all the mods immediately sent me friend requests, I was wondering what was going on until I figured it out, then I was just nervous, trying to figure out in my head if they were trying to be friendly, or if it was a way to keep track of everything I do. I figure it's just the welcome wagon you get over here upon joining, I normally accept any request as we are all pipe people here, so in my opinion, I'm friends with everyone here, although you won't see me trying to friend everyone, boy that would be time consuming!
I limit Facebook to only people I communicate with on a regular basis, or that I either know or have known in real life. People that just make friends to keep score are just silly.

 

[piperl12]

@warren your right I'll never be wealthy but as soon as the kids are gone my needs will be few lol my wife is also low maintenance. I'm really disappointed that there will be no Friz hunting this year. I was trying to find them in the hunting regs and assumed they utilized some new camoflage :wink:

@mso i would warn against an advertising career in social media lol made me want to cancel my fB account.

 

[cigrmaster]

I have always accepted a request for friendship, I have never sent one as I do not have the slightest idea how to but I think it is just being polite if someone takes the time to send me one. It takes all of a second to click accept and if it makes the person feel good, then who am I to deny them pleasure.
In regards to obligations, every one knows that if you request one from me, then you are obligated to send me a tin of tobacco per month, failure to do so means Guido shows up at your door to collect.

 

[jkenp]

Not to worry about Guido, folks. It one of his nicknames for the cute little girl pictured in his avatar. Send the tobacco to me and I'll make sure he gets it. What are friends for, right?