Who Are Your Friends on Facebook~Ethic of Reciprocity

Facebook is a territory uncharted, I mean in a way to act, the proper way to behave.  Social etiquette on Facebook, uncharted completely.  Accepting friendship's from people you have never heard of, getting "poked" by a real friend is one thing but getting poked by someone random out there in cyberland, well a bit unnerving, no flat out creepy.

This Facebook notion began by friends wanting to connect with "real" friends, somehow it has spiraled out of control for some of us social butterflies.  Just last night some brother of a real friend of mine created a "group" on Facebook about Fabulous & 50 and then somehow signed every single person on his friends' list to it, I was one of them.  I don't want to be part of some ridiculous group that I have nothing in common with, first of all I am not in my 50's so what the heck do I care about people in their 50's thinking they are fabulous, the answer, I don't care or care to join.  The reason for this post and writing about this benign group, they signed me to it as a member without my permission, interest or consent.  This is where the etiquette comes in, would you want someone to sign you up to a group that you have nothing in common with without your consent?  I think not, this is the point.  How can Facebook set up the possibility of creating a group and signing up people you want to [just because they are your F/b friends & a captive audience] without their knowledge?  This makes no sense.  I can see inviting your F/b friends to join a group you belong to or for that matter created, but accessing them at will to create your group, not OK.  It takes time for a group to form and grow, you don't just say I am going to create a group & instantly you have one, at least it should not be this way on a social networking site.

My thoughts say to me, if you wouldn't do it in real life, don't do it online.  If you hesitate for a moment on F/b about whether or not to act in a particular way, then your gut should be trusted, again, don't do it. The old Golden Rule & a expectation from Heaven above: One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated.  Think first, act later.  Just because you are behind the screen of a computer dosen't mean you have some new found power to behave badly.  

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