Have you ever sent a real life close friend a friend request on a social networking site only to never have them acknowledge you in any way?

I’m usually that other person. For me, it’s nothing personal. I just don’t like social networking.

If you already know that you’re close friends in real life, does an online confirmation really matter?

Yes. Frequently. It doesn’t bother me.

I’m the other person. I don’t use it. I rarely check the email address tied to it. If you want to do something in real life, call or email me.

Yes, it happens. Makes me feel like they are jerks, or have something against me. It’s no biggie really. People change, and act different. They could have changed from when they knew you, or them not accepting the request is like…. dissing you almost, I feel… But it’s not their fault or yours, it just is what it is. If someone doesn’t accept a request I delete it myself.

@Nimis – Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I guess that’s the way you roll. My mom is on my facebook, and I would never delete her ever on there, even though she’s my mom and I’m with her in real life, a lot.

I have another friend who is my best friend in real life, but would never delete her from my social networking sites either. I love her to death. It’s not about confirmation cause you already should have that in a relationship, but I see no reason to hide from the people u are closest too.

If you’re a “real life close friend”, then you can call them and say “oh btw, how come….?”. A “real life close friend” would not be offended or embarrassed by such a question, and you wouldn’t be left wondering what the reason was.

(Conversely, if you don’t feel comfortable actually calling this person and having an actual conversation, I submit that you are not, in reality, “real life close friends”)

I have had it happen to me and I have done it to other people. It’s nothing (usually) personal.
I am a very private person and I don’t feel the need to have everyone that I have ever met be privy to my pictures and the things that I might put on face book, or things others might put there concerning me.

I’m like @Nimis and @LuckyGuy I’m that other person. There are several people on my friend request list that I’ve know for years, and think highly of, but I have friended only very close friends and family. (on the other hand I might contact the person somehow and say ‘hi!’ and note that I hardly friend anyone at all, no offense intended)

Keep in mind people approach social networks differently, some want as many hundreds of ‘friends’ as possible, some keep it close to the vest. Bottom Line: don’t take it personally.

Ever see the south park episode on this?

At this moment, I have 15 friend requests that I have ignored. I just don’t use facebook very often. A couple of them are from my childhood, but I haven’t talked to them in 35 years so I have no wish to reconnect with them now.

I am also the other person. I check in once a day because I am continually astonished at what other people think the world will be fascinated by, and how often they need to re-affirm that.

I just discovered that several of my close friends, including my brother, were not “fans” of my music page on facebook. I’m sure I invited them all when I first made it, which means they all un-liked it. WTF?? Not the same thing, but it sure didn’t settle well to see that.

I block all games and horoscopes, and several other things that people have on their pages that I don’t have the time or inclination to read. If someone was posting what they ate everyday or where they shopped or their music choices I would probably block that too.

It could be this person knows you have a large network of friends and some of your friends may be people she/he doesn’t want reading anything she/he writes.
Some people like to keep the list small. I only have a few really close relatives and really close friends. Only once have I sent out an invite. I also don’t respond to everyone wanting to add me.
Some are just gossipers and I avoid them on social networks because they can easily turn their attention to me if I ever told them something.
Besides, I find it amusing that people who rarely associate with me in real life, suddenly wants me on a friends list.
Most of the time when I see someone with a large list, I feel they just want to feel special for having so many people listed as friends.
I have no desire for that. I have a social account only to keep in touch of family members and friends who are far away. But not really for daily chatting. Just to be able to catch up once in a while.

@partyrock I didn’t confirm my husband for years and he’s definitely the closest person to me. I don’t hide anything from him.
It actually became a running joke in our house that we weren’t really married because we hadn’t confirmed our Facebook status.

Plus confirming someone is not the same thing as deleting someone.

Friends yes, “really close” friends, no.