Facebook

[Nusc]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoying.facebook.updaters/index.html

I'll be treading in dangerous water here. I know it's generalizing but you know something's up when someone has 1000 'friends' on Facebook. Would you agree that those with 1000 or more 'friends' are narcissists? Assuming the lower limit for which they are not is about 600 +/- 100, do you think that 1000 is too low or too high?

I'm curious to know what you guys think.

[BlackArcher101]

Of course it's high, I'm sure if someone with 1000 friends went through their list and removed people that haven't communicated with in 30 days, it would be below 100.

[Nusc]

True. But would it be plausible to establish an estimation based on a user's 'friends' for which one is guaranteed to be a narcissist?

Is that even fair to make such judgement based solely on the number of 'friends' and not how they interact with them, ie. "The Self-Promoter" as described in the above link?

I'm only asking this because there are those who judge a person by the number of friends a person has Facebook.

The problem with this idea is that the number of 'friends' of any individual who uses Facebook frequently is expected to increase on average linearly with time.

I guess it's not without knowing how they interact with them.


Any thoughts?

[sexualbanana]

You just inspired me to look at my friend count and mine's at 680. Like you said, it's hard to judge someone by the number of friends they have without any knowledge of how they interact.

A lot of my friends are from a lot of different places in the United States, and though I don't talk to them all the time, it's nice to be able to see what they're up to all the time, and when I do travel to their area, it's easy for me to get in touch with them.

On the same note, you also get a lot of people who just add you after one chance encounter. That's weird. I noticed this was particularly common when Facebook first started in Canada (though I'm sure it was common in every market they first entered), that I was getting friend requests from everyone regardless of how long I've known them or when the last time I spoke to them. For the most part, it seems to have cooled down. I don't know whether it's because they've added everyone they could think of, or if people have just figured out that it's creepy and generally poor form to add someone you barely know to your friends list now.

[Ben]

Friends from past jobs is a big one. Same with Friends from school. When FB just came out it was a big thing to look up all your long lost classmates from way back when. I also have a lot of friends from all the traveling I've done, the single serving ones you spend a weekend with at a hostel and become best buds getting pissed at the local bar with. I have friends from beyond (probably 50), and friends of friends like when you go to a wedding and snap photos of all these random people and you're tagged in random photos.

It's easy to rack up into the 300-400 range. I went through my list a couple weeks ago, and only removed 4. The rest, I dont mind having on there, it's nice to reminisce every now and then when you're bored and see what they've been up to. That and I really just don't care. For shits and giggles I deactivated my account for a week, no one even said anything, so I'm not concerned, the important people just call.

[Supa Dexta]

I've got a buddy with like 3000.. Now granted if he ran into them on the street, he would likely know most of them. It's just his job and personality that has got him there. Are they true 'friends', of course not.. But its a great way to get word out on different things he may be up to.

[spikerS]

lol, i keep my friends list short, I think it is sitting at 136 now.

[flipstah]

Haha this post made me rethink my Friends list.

I actually cleared out 100 :rofl: It's majority of people I don't talk to at all since high school and the randoms.

[masoncgy]

Not sure if people who have massive friends lists on Facebook are all narcissists... definitely that would be true for some, but I don't think it can be applied with a broad brush...

I have a couple on my list that are well over 1,000 and they just happen to be very outgoing people who travel a lot, change their careers or move often, or have jobs that have them out in the public domain...

Some are just losers who add everyone they can think of...

Hard to say... I have 600, so I guess I'm only kind of lame?

[Hakkola]

I remember a study where your network of friends or people you care about can only be about 120 people, anything more than that and the people aren't really friends.

I have 330 friends on facebook, but most of them are acquaintences not friends.

I forget what the "law" or rule is, anyone know what I'm talking about? It's going to bother me until I figure it out.

Edit - Dunbar's Number - said to be around 150 "is a theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. These are relationships in which an individual knows who each person is, and how each person relates to every other person."

[Mibz]

I was up to about 400 with old classmates and randoms from parties. Shaved it down to about 150 one day. Dunno where I am now, but not much more than that.

I'm beginning to find out that my real friends tend to be the ones that don't play annoying games, download annoying apps or send me shitty annoying invites. Imagine that.

[LadyLuck]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta
I've got a buddy with like 3000.. Now granted if he ran into them on the street, he would likely know most of them. It's just his job and personality that has got him there. Are they true 'friends', of course not.. But its a great way to get word out on different things he may be up to.

haha, same here. My friend has 2600+ friends, she says its all about networking :rolleyes:

[scat19]

235

yay!

[Dumbass17]

2 :cry:
thank god my parents got facebook

jk

[Pollywog]

266 here, realistically could be at <30.

[bituerbo]

123 here.
HS/College friends, friends from other cities I've lived in, relatives from abroad. I clean it out on a pretty regular basis, if you're regularly sending me shitty app/game requests I'll remove you.

[nickyh]

Here's my facebook rant: (maybe I should add this to the Pet Peeve Megathread).

Just because my last name is (insert last name here) that does not mean that I want to be friends with everyone with the same last name.
I married and changed my last name to my husbands and now all his family who he's never even heard of are adding us to their facebook. WTF? I don't know you - I have nothing in common with you other than the same last name.

By that theory - I should search out all the people with my maiden name and send friend requests to them as well.


I have maybe 30 friends on Facebook but only because I have a real connection with them and care to see how their lives progress.

[Beerking]

Wow, I try to keep mine around the 100, otherwise I loose track and most I could not care for. I like to know what is going on with around 150 people or so that I care about, maybe not always talk too, but those who had a bigger influence on my life.

And then I always get those who have the 800+ friend counts who never talked to me in Univer/High school trying to add me to increase their count...fuck them, I IGNORE!

[scat19]

Originally posted by nickyh

I married and changed my last name to my husbands


You let us know your a female. Bad thing to do on beyond.

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp307/mozuch/Smilies/leghumper.gif

[911fever]

I have 450 or so, I delete any annoying people on a regular basis. True friends on my list should be around 150-200 mark

[Nusc]

Originally posted by Hakkola
I remember a study where your network of friends or people you care about can only be about 120 people, anything more than that and the people aren't really friends.

I have 330 friends on facebook, but most of them are acquaintences not friends.

I forget what the &quot;law&quot; or rule is, anyone know what I'm talking about? It's going to bother me until I figure it out.

Edit - Dunbar's Number - said to be around 150 &quot;is a theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. These are relationships in which an individual knows who each person is, and how each person relates to every other person.&quot;

Interesting post.


Originally posted by masoncgy
Not sure if people who have massive friends lists on Facebook are all narcissists... definitely that would be true for some, but I don't think it can be applied with a broad brush...


I have a couple on my list that are well over 1,000 and they just happen to be very outgoing people who travel a lot, change their careers or move often, or have jobs that have them out in the public domain...



Yeah.


Originally posted by masoncgy


Some are just losers who add everyone they can think of...

Hard to say... I have 600, so I guess I'm only kind of lame?



In case you misunderstood it was only aimed at those with 1000 'friends'. 600 was initially thought to be the approximate maximum to be excluded from that title. But it's all relative and wrong - it's just that 1000 is a bit high, 'hot shit' so to speak.

[Isaiah]

Age has a lot to do with it. If you're in your 30's and just got a facebook account, you'll likely have a lot less 'friends' than a 20 year old 2nd year college kid who hopped aboard the day it launched.

[masoncgy]

Originally posted by Nusc
In case you misunderstood it was only aimed at those with 1000 'friends'. 600 was initially thought to be the approximate maximum to be excluded from that title. But it's all relative and wrong - it's just that 1000 is a bit high, 'hot shit' so to speak.

Nah, I got it. I just felt like poking fun at myself for having 600 and being a notch lower than 'total lamer'... ;)

[Nusc]

It's funny because I don't add acquaintances and meeting them in person is a bit awkward knowing that they know that I have not added them on Facebook when they know I'm on it. I disabled the 'Add Friend' button.

Would you guys ever add your boss?

[spike98]

Originally posted by Nusc
It's funny because I don't add acquaintances and meeting them in person is a bit awkward knowing that they know that I have not added them on Facebook when they know I'm on it. I disabled the 'Add Friend' button.

Would you guys ever add your boss?

If you get awkward in situations like this i suggest deleting facebook all together and go out more.

To answer the question, yes i have had my previous boss on my facebook and would add my current boss if he wasnt a bagillionaire and has better things to do that sit on facebook :bigpimp:

[shakalaka]

I have about 300, most of them I dont talk to but know about one way or other. There are probably few absolute randoms, been thinking of spending some time and getting rid of them.

[msommers]

I really don't understand the concept of deleting people. If you don't want anything to do with them, don't add or accept them! I have just over 500, and I can say with a straight face there isn't one person on there that would make me feel weird or awkward to strike up a conversation with. I definitely don't talk to them ALL, all the time but it's nice to chit chat every once in awhile.

[Nusc]

Originally posted by spike98


If you get awkward in situations like this i suggest deleting facebook all together and go out more.



It's a defense mechanism to prevent unwanted acquaintences from adding you so you don't have to delete them afterwards once you've added them. Either way it's cold.

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by Nusc
It's funny because I don't add acquaintances and meeting them in person is a bit awkward knowing that they know that I have not added them on Facebook when they know I'm on it. I disabled the 'Add Friend' button.

Would you guys ever add your boss?

I've had my old staff add me of Facebook, that prompted me to create a work account that was a lot more clean.

[Canmorite]

I keep adding people, and when I become bored I delete them...

[FiveFreshFish]

I've got 37 friends. Profile is hidden.

[eglove]

i have 83 people, profile is hidden as well. nothing goes to the newsfeed too

[sexualbanana]

the funny part is when you run into people you haven't talked to in a long time because you're actually kind of caught up on everything they've done in the meantime because of facebook.

[shakalaka]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
I've got 37 friends. Profile is hidden.

Hahah I read this and then I read your user title 'Trust no One'. I see you apply this theory really seriously huh. lol

[Nusc]

Originally posted by shakalaka


Hahah I read this and then I read your user title 'Trust no One'. I see you apply this theory really seriously huh. lol

Likewise, I don't even let my friends see my friends list.
I also disabled my wall.