Okay, this entry is more an honest question than substantive blog post. I log into any of the gazillion social networks I follow and I see a varying percentage of people I can say I truly know. Let’s go through some of the networks I list on my Contact page:
- LiveJournal: I’ve actually met 100% of my LiveJournal friends.
- Facebook: around 98%.
- Flickr: exactly 31%.
- Twitter: probably around 5%.
- Pownce: maybe 1%.
So here’s my question. Practically speaking, should these numbers should be 100%? The folks that I follow on these sites that I don’t know personally run the gamut from completely unknown (for instance, Pownce user Cornelius Toole), to great people I interact with semi-regularly (e.g., Eric or Heidi), to the ‘web celebrities’ such as Kevin and Leo. But the thing is, my chances of coincidentally bumping into these folks are slim– shouldn’t I be focusing most of my limited time and attention on the people I’ll encounter in class, the store, or the neighborhood?
I am curious to hear why you think it’s a good idea to follow or not follow internet contacts, whether they’re interesting, friends of friends, or whatever. I can see arguments from both sides, but I’m interested to hear what people think. Is there a “real friend ratio” heuristic that you use? Do you follow back anyone that follows you? I’m curious.
Forward this post around, too, so it can get some extra exposure. I want this to be as global a question as possible.
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