Facebook: What to Do when Strangers Request a Friend Add

Facebook can be a lot of fun, as well as a great way to keep up with friends, co-workers, and family. It can also be a source of misery, if you let it. In my two plus years of sharing my ridiculous jokes, links, and random thoughts with a status update, I've discovered that Facebook has as wide of a variety of loons and losers as Hollywood Boulevard after 9 p.m.

Making the mistake of accepting friend requests from strangers can be costly, not only in terms of money, but also emotional pain and embarrassment. Imagine adding a friend, only to learn the hard way that, they're one part of an immense "White Supremacist" club? Yup, it's happened to me, more times than I care to remember. How about those pointless political/religious debates? Want an easy way to avoid all of that time wasting hassle? Be picky about what friend add requests you accept.

Just because you enjoy the conveniences of online social networking, doesn't mean you must abandon all common sense. Be as guarded of your Facebook friends list, as you would be your offline associations. Here are a few tips to make the act of being intelligently finicky easy.

Facebook: What to do when strangers request a friend add Do they have a real name?
How many times has this happened? You log in to your account and see a friend add request with not only no picture, but a name like "Fhkfkrd Qudiddlfrp." You may very well have a spammer on your hands. This is not to say those folks who are simply from another nation are spammers. But a lot of spammer software generates phony names for bogus accounts, to harvest the email addresses of suckers like us. It doesn't take a lot of effort to avoid spammers. Decline them, and while you're there, report them to Facebook admin. You'll be doing us all a favor making the lives of criminals difficult.

Facebook: What to do when strangers request a friend add Check for mutual friends/likes.
If you have what seems to be a real, live person, it still doesn't mean they're a good match for you. Looking at their profile before deciding will often show any mutual interests you might have. Mutual friends, family, or at least mutual "likes" still won't necessarily keep you from encountering weirdos, but at least there may be a legitimate reason for their request. Still, if anything makes your feelers twitch about them, just decline the request.

Facebook: What to do when strangers request a friend add Ask them why they're requesting a friend add.
This tip is as easy as pie. Send them a message asking them why they're requesting a friend add from you. Those who don't answer at all just aren't worth the hassle. Those who do answer with something like "Oh, I just love your writing," could be a stalker, con artist, or other such nonsense. Paranoid? You bet I am. I'll add almost anyone who has a legitimate reason to be a Facebook friend. But those up to no good, or who need professional help, just aren't worth the time.

Sources:

Personal experience, unfortunately, and
Facebook.com