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[personal profile] gurdymonkey
The following is the result of two emails I received this morning from someone on behalf of someone who can't keep her panties on because I have not automatically friended her back.

You know what I really hate about LJ and the concept of internet "friends?"

People who "friend" me without identifying themselves. I will not automatically friend you back, especially if your user name gives me no clue as to whether I might already know you. You want to poke around in my journal, pray have the common courtesy to drop me an email and introduce yourself. To do so, you will have to actually read my profile and figure out how.

For my part, this is called being street smart. I get enough New Bestest Friends stalking me on my instant message service because I answered a question for them on a public forum once or via my website*.
(*Clue.)

For your part, O Reader, it demonstrates common courtesy and requires you to make an effort to prove that you are genuinely interested, especially in those cases when I have gone and looked at your profile and thought, "Who IS this? We have nothing in common. Why has this person friended me?"

Yes, I know, it sucks that LJ does not include a place to introduce oneself when one decides to "friend" someone. Use your imagination and think outside the box! Post something to your OWN journal with a subject line of "For person_I_just_friended" and introduce yourself. What a concept.  Or hey, post a comment to a public journal entry and introduce yourself there.

My journal, my rules.

Oh, and what part of the word "curmudgeon" did you not understand?


ADDENDUM: My thanks to those whose mamas raised them up right and have had the courtesy to say, "Hello, it's me!" I do appreciate it. (As of this writing, I am still waiting to hear from the person who felt the need to complain to someone who is a real friend in the non-internet sense that I had not friended her back, prompting this post in the first place. What's up with that?)

If your introduction tells me that you're interested in the things I post publicly anyway, (e.g., Japanese culture, costuming, medieval music or feeble attempts at humor I'm not afraid to keep to myself), you're welcome to tag along. Please don't be offended if I don't add you to my friend's list. The "friends only" posts are just that.

Date: 2007-10-21 04:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elmunadi.livejournal.com
It *would* be so much simpler if there was an option to "acquaint", "stalk", "vicariously follow the exploits of", or even "troll", rather than just "friend".

but, sadly, not to be.



Date: 2007-10-21 04:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gurdymonkey.livejournal.com
Oh, I LIKE "vicariously follow the exploits of."

Now, who are you, again?

Date: 2007-10-22 01:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elmunadi.livejournal.com
An excellent question - I've tossed a hopefully-not-too-rambling letter of introduction to you by email, but in this context, I'm probably best identified as a Caidan, friend of Sasha's, generally curmudgeonly sort with a career that precludes the level of participation in events that I used to have, and appreciator of the fine art of snarkiness. Given a former persona as Akagawa Yoshio back in the 70's & 80's, your commentary on the perils of doing Japanese *right* in the SCA context interests me. (And I appreciate good curmudge.) In short (ok, too late) - consider me to have set the "acquaint" flag.

- Husam (El Munadi)

Date: 2007-10-22 01:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gurdymonkey.livejournal.com
What is your name?

What is your quest?

What is your favorite color?

Date: 2007-10-22 01:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elmunadi.livejournal.com

1 - Arthur, King of the Britons

2 - I seek the Holy Grail

3 - Is that transmissive color, or reflective color?


Date: 2007-10-21 04:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gurdymonkey.livejournal.com
And why are we in this handbasket?
From: [identity profile] elmunadi.livejournal.com
I suspect that a large-ish percentage of people "out there" haven't the decency to ask (in some fashion, at least), rather than passively putting the burden on those being ... burdened.

Like you, I don't feel any onus to "friend" someone back if I have no idea who they are (in some context, at least). If they at least comment/ask/otherwise inform me they're there, I'll make the effort to respond (I may say *no thanks*, mind you, and when someone *doesn't* want to be on my list or vice versa, I respect their wishes).


From: [identity profile] gurdymonkey.livejournal.com
Awise Widers Of Wohan And Wide To Wuin And A Wed Sunset.....

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