Cognitive processes toward the addition of friends on Facebook.

Or: Why I have stopped adding people I know as friends on Facebook.

  1. Hey, many updates in my ‘Live Feed’!
  2. Hey, that’s a funny comment on someone’s status message/picture/video/etc!
  3. Hey, that name/face sounds/looks familiar!
  4. Hey, it’s a person I know/used to know!
  5. Hey, let’s add that person as a friend!
  6. Hey, perhaps I should ‘Add a personal message’ to let the person know who I am in case she/he has forgotten me!
  7. Hey, perhaps I should let said person know how I found her/his profile in case she/he thinks I actively went to search for her/him!
  8. Hey… The message looks over-explained, over-apologetic and hence, extremely creepy.
  9. Hey, er… Delete.

I don’t add students either, though I approve friend requests from students. But that’s another story for another time.

The One that got away.

The One, in this case, being my 1000th Facebook friend.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was officially a rockstar for a while because I added my 1000th friend on Facebook earlier today.

lolcats funny cat pictures

However, I checked back eight hours later and discovered, to my chagrin, that I only have 999 friends now! Someone either de-friended me or de-activated their Facebook account! But which friend was it?

I used to be able to tell because I have secretly been using this application called Unfriend Finder that told me where all my missing friends went. Sadly, the application seems to have been put out of service, for reasons that also remain unknown.

So I guess we will never learn the truth about The One and where The One went. Unless, of course, I chance upon the profile of this person and am unable to view it. Then we will know.

In other news, someone earnestly pointed out that not all my friends are real friends, or even people I’ve met. But I figure they make up for the friends who don’t have Facebook accounts.

Also, for all my children i.e. students, you are welcome to add me on Facebook as a friend. But I will put you on Limited Profile until you graduate from school, not because I am a freak, but for professional reasons that I can explain if you ask me in person.

I currently do that for all the Saint Gabriel’s kids whom I taught earlier this year, and whom, BTW, I still remember and have not forgotten. Guys: please study hard and come to SAJC and we can hang out again.

P.S. for the sake of parity, you can put me on Limited Profile too, if you decide to add me 🙂 Alternatively, you can join my fan page.