Social Leeches

[Melkai]

An interesting phenomena instigated by the rise of instant access communications and social networking tools. Social leeching occurs when a person utilises a website such as facebook in order to make contact not with friends but with friends of those friends, without however having any prior contact with these people. I wish to learn what people think of such behaviour, is it harmless networking or something more sinister?

 

[crimson5pheonix]

that sounds annoying

 

[Anarchemitis]

I don't use Facebook or MySpace. Youtube is enough for me.

 

[tratorix]

Seems pretty harmless to me. Friend of mine used to do this a fair amount, I personally don't see anything that weird about it. Usually it's just people trying to make new friends.

 

[the monopoly guy]

I find social etworking to pointless itself and social leeches being no more an issue then real leeches without the medical value.

 

[Melkai]

I think that is a key aspect right there, using social networking to hook up with your friend's friends. Is it acceptable to do so without your friends permission, or alternatively is permission needed at all. Accepting that no-one owns their friends to the exclusion of all others is it right to attempt to prevent others from contacting them in order to attempt to hook up?

 

[Zombie_King]

Facebook and MySpace are the devils tools. I don't like meeting other people. It's strange and akward. But as for the topic: I see nothing wrong with meeting friends of a friend. If you're dating someone and wanna meet their friends for non-intelligence reasons (not to discover any secrets, just to get acquainted) then it's fine. But definitely not to hook up with the friends.

 

[stompy]

I don't use Facebook or MySpace. Youtube is enough for me.

I just stay away from those types of sites. Seems to me they hold within their confines the most depraved of humanity.

As for meeting up with your friend's friends, why not? Maybe you'll meet someone who you have a common interest with, and you'll make a new friend.

 

[The Potato Lord]

They essentially made that update with x-box live now you can see who your friend's freind's are!

I find it a bit pointless, because odds are if you talk and hang out with a friend you will exentually meet thier other friends.

Also,If you only have to know the person's account/name to see these lists or talk to those people it just seems like an easy way for pedophiles to find children aroiund the same age more easily, which I find highly creepy, and unusual for some one to set that system up...

Also,also, I don't use social-networking sites, I tend to meet enough lonely people on mmos already.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

FFXI FTW!!

 

[Spinwhiz]

I would go with creepy. I wouldn't want random people contacting me that I have never met. That is what going OUTSIDE your house is for.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

I think that is a key aspect right there, using social networking to hook up with your friend's friends. Is it acceptable to do so without your friends permission, or alternatively is permission needed at all. Accepting that no-one owns their friends to the exclusion of all others is it right to attempt to prevent others from contacting them in order to attempt to hook up?

i think it's wrong if you're dating someone and you try and hit on their friends to pick them up. i think if a friend wants to hook up with another one of your friends, go for it. if it makes the both of them happy then, i'm glad i could get you two to meet, just invite me to the wedding and possibly name a kid after me. i just remind them i'm not on either one's side and don't drag me into a fight or both will regret it.

i don't feel it very nice to tell my friends what they can and can't do. if they want to go thru my friends list on facebook, go for it, i don't care. i'm not going to police you and if someone tells me to "hey this person is bugging me" i simply tell them "put them on ignore i'm not their parent"

it's kinda funny how some ppl don't realize you can deny a request AND you can ignore people, for some reason they don't like putting people on ignore, this was even back in the irc days

 

[roo18]

Ouch. I suppose I'm a social leech...

It's not as bad as it sounds though. Our friends have friends who we will occasionally meet, or even just hear of, and I, being the mute I am around meeting new people in real life, add them on MySpace.

I get to know them there so it's not as awkward if I really see them.

The thing is it gets a bit stupid when people add thousands of people just for the sake of it. I hate the really smug profile descriptions and the laughable bulletin arguments along with the mind numbing unoriginality.

I don't think I actually like MySpace, I'm just used to it.

 

[Gooble]

Doesn't sound bad to me...just a good way of meeting new people who you will probably like

 

[Anarchemitis]

I just stay away from those types of sites. Seems to me they hold within their confines the most depraved of humanity.

Exactly.

 

[Zemalac]

Extremely sinister. Possibly something controlled by the Illuminati.

Seriously though, it would depend on the purpose it was used for. Stalking: creepy. Talking with like-minded people: not so creepy.

 

[Haliwali]

I just stay away from those types of sites. Seems to me they hold within their confines the most depraved of humanity.

Exactly.

Outside? But there are bad things out there... Like mutants and zombies... and the sun hurts...
As for social networking, I only use it to keep in touch with people I otherwise couldn't.

 

[werepossum]

I've never been on any of those sites, but if someone contacted me because a third party mentioned me, I'd find that creepy. If I were a teenager or a woman I think I'd find it even more creepy.

 

[Conqueror Kenny]

I don't use Facebook or MySpace. Youtube is enough for me.

Me too. I have a general rule: No pictures of me anywhere, not even for my own mother.

 

[Larenxis]

I have the troubling thing of being memorable, so someone will befriend me, I'll ask who they are and they'll be like "I handed you that coat hanger at that party that one time" and I'll feel kind of awkward.