Comments on: Facebook: That gaming buddy is not your friend

Players of a game on the social network are seeing their accounts suspended because of tactics Facebook considers to be a mockery of its "social utility" mantra.

[benjaminstraight]

Wow. The age of technology is apparent.

[markforstneger]

I find it interesting that Facebook (purportedly) rejected the characterization of "social networking site."

[Lerianis]

The fact is that internet sites are not meant to be 'real-life' sites. You specifically join social networking sites to meet and talk with people that you otherwise would not have talked with.

[walsh84]

That's a rather bold assumption to make Lerianis. Personally speaking, there is not a single person on my friends list (a mere 200 or so people) that I have not interacted with in "real-life". Unless I'm mistaken, Facebook has always marketed itself as a utility to stay connected with friends, family, etc. not develop new relationships. Maybe that's why I've never created a MySpace page?

I don't really have a problem with users developing new friends over Facebook, but when your sole purpose on the site becomes amassing the greatest number of friends, collecting the most cards, or getting the most vampire bites... maybe it's time to look in the mirror and thank Facebook for that nice little warning in your Inbox. Go outside and get a life.

[K1Kasper]

First - I am friends with the person this article is about. Feel free to check out our group here: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27117382793

Secondly - the problem is, she didn't get a "nice little warning" in her inbox. Her account was terminated with no warning, then she was given three different explanations for why her account was terminated. The first was the refresh rate thing, the second was that FB accused her of not using her real identity - and the third, after the offered identification, was that she doesn't have "real" friends on Facebook - which she DOES - including her own daughter.

[Chillymostcc]

"Facebook has always marketed itself as a utility to stay connected with friends, family, etc. not develop new relationships."
Really? Why do they have a link on my homepage "People you my know" Add them now. They show me people that are friends with other people I know. If they were my friends or family I don't think I need Facebook to tell me to add them.

I also don't need facebook to help me keep connected with "real life" friends and family. I have AT&T, personal email and the corner coffee shop for that.

[emilywish]

this discussion made me wonder: if facebook only wants you to be 'friends' with people you already know, why is there an option of calling someone 'facebook friends'? that is, there WAS such an option (i just checked, it's vanished. probably another casualty of the terrible 'new' facebook) - now i guess i'll have to remove my 'facebook friends' from my friends list, as apparently facebook has changed its mind about who i'm allowed to be friends with...

[MMcCubbing]

I know for myself and many of my friends Facebook is a place for existing connections to continue where they may have faltered before (due to schedules, distances, etc). In my opinion Facebook has always marketed itself as such. The "People you may know" feature help to prove that by suggesting people who are on Facebook that you may already know based off your current contacts and information. If it was meant for meeting new people they would offer a "People you may find interesting" feature instead, based off interests, age, work, etc.

Activities such as those listed above, in my opinion, are a perversion of such a site. However, it is impossible for Facebook to prove that people aren't actually friends - maybe they met while traveling abroad and have no other connection - and to suggest that it knows who we do and don't actually know is ridiculous.

If an app is causing too many problems to Facebook, couldn't they just remove it? Not that it is always the best option, but it is still there.

[idfubar]

PackRat is not the only application affected by the practice of "serial adding"; the world of MobWars is full of cheaters as well (none of which have been scrutinized AFAIK)...

[Andesine]

PackRat, Mousehunt, MobWars etc etc. If Facebook want to put an end to the practice of adding random people as friends then they'll have to remove all the apps where people can advance in the game by having large numbers of co-players. Given that a many of their members are purely there to play these apps, such a move would result in a huge number of dead accounts.

Given that the Facebook servers have been suffering under the load for some time, maybe reduction in members is Facebook's aim.