Why do people tag others in a picture when they're not physically in the picture?

It’s a convenient way to make sure that a particular person sees the photo right when you upload it, as opposed to posting it on their wall. I prefer to post it on their wall, personally, but I see many people doing this because it’s a bit quicker.

It’s a mystery. I even had a “friend” who posted an update on my wall as if it was me posting it. That got taken down real quick.

My sister took some photos of my daughter, which I just uploaded. I was considering tagging my sister so she would see her pics on my FB page. I was thinking people might look at my daughter’s pics and think it’s my sister, so I decided not to do it.

As @Fly said, it can be a convenient way to make sure that a specific person sees the photo. Also, you can say it was taken “with _____”, meaning that they’re tagged because they were there, not because they were necessarily in that picture.

I haven’t ever had anyone do that on Facebook. The only time I have ever been tagged in a photo that I am not in is when a friend of mine is having a little fun.

Once he posted a picture like this, of the crowd at Prince William’s wedding, and tagged a bunch of us throughout the crowd.

Or he might post a painting, like this work of Bellini’s, and tag us in it; make us each a character in the painting.

Just stupid fun when he’s bored, I guess.

Okay. Reminded me of an interesting experience when I worked retail. A little girl couldn’t “control” her bowels. Long story, short: she took a huge dump on the carpet at my job, on the carpet. Her guardian picked her up, mumbled an apology and fled. Anywho, I cleaned the BM, but it left a decent stain. Well, my coworker took a photo of the stain, the day after, and tagged me in the picture. I’m still not sure of how I feel about that.
But… in answering your question, I don’t know why, but it seems a bit juvenile.

I have a friend who likes a particular dj/music group, and that group tag every one of their “friends” in every picture they put out, meaning that it appears on my wall “FRIEND was tagged in MUSIC GROUP’s picture”. For them it’s a way of advertising and keeping their name out there. Damned annoying, but I just gloss over them now.

Interesting. I’ve only seen this done by my SO, and that was limited to two photos. He has a quirky sense of humor and only did this with people that he knows will get a laugh out of it…his family.

One of the photos was taken while we were in Rome. We passed by this shop that sold second-hand bric-a-brac and doll parts. Their window display was filled with old doll heads in the lower half. It was so creepy that I took a picture of it.

When he uploaded the photos to FB, he included this one and tagged his family members to different doll heads. They all posted funny responses about it, except for one niece who complained that she had been left out. Had it been my family that was tagged, it’s highly doubtful that they would have appreciated it.

I have only seen it done for photos of children. My daughter will tag me in a photo of her child so that I can see it and save it or pass it on if I want to.
Recently my son went to his prom. There was a group picture of the event taken by a parent and she tagged all the kids that she could, but wasn’t friends with very many of them. She was friends with their mothers. On the side of the picture, not on any person, she tagged the moms. That way the moms got to see the picture and share it if they wanted to, and also tag their own kids.
Everyone said that they appreciated it.

Have you ever said the words “I was there”, in reference to an event or an outing or a story being told?

It’s the same thing.

I think I read with the last update of Facebook (prior to Timeline) that you had to accept in some way for a photo to be on your wall, if someone tagged you in it. It doesn’t show up automatically for all to see unless you specifically accept that particular tagged photo.

Perhaps people just want to share something different from themselves. Aslo it’s funny I think.