Is A Large Friend List On Facebook Necessary And Safe?

This is a guest post by Deanna Proach.

In the social realm as in the business realm people seem to think more is best. While that concept works well and not so well in the real world, it is an illusion of reality on Facebook. A huge friend-list on Facebook provides people with a means to boast about their alleged popularity. However, is it necessary and even safe to have lots of people on your friend list, including those you don't even know?

I regret that I fell into that 'more is better' attitude when it comes to Facebook. As a result, I've accepted people who I don't even know. There has even been a few people who have known me for several years--but are not friends of mine--on my friend list. They are the nosy-type who only read my wall and browse my profile to know what is going in my life. Not because they genuinely care about me but because they want something to gossip about. I've since taken those people off my friend list.

It has made me realize that, sadly, Facebook is a haven for malicious gossip. The more people you have on your friend list, the more vulnerable you become to gossipers and stalkers. While you shouldn't ignore everyone who wants to connect with you over Facebook, you should be cautious about who you accept onto your friend list.

1. Browse through the person's profile. Sometimes people don't reveal much on Facebook, but others are quite liberal with their security settings. Regardless, there is always enough information there to know a little about them. The first thing you will see is their profile picture. As the saying goes, 'a picture says a thousand words'. If that person's photo raises your inner red flag, follow your intuition. Don't accept their request.

2. It's a privilege to be listed on your friend list. Treat your Facebook profile like you're the coordinator of your own social club. Any person who wants to be on your friend list must meet certain qualifications: they must either be a close friend, an acquaintance or a person with the same goals and interests. If you so much suspect that someone on your friend list is saying nasty things behind your back, that person has lost his or her privilege and should be removed from your friend list. There is also no reason for you to keep people on your friend list who you have no desire to keep in contact with.

It's not necessarily a bad thing to have a lot of people on your friend list and if you follow these two steps, you can be perfectly safe. That said, even if you trust the people on your friend list, you should be careful what you write on your wall and you should never ever post personal information--your full address and date of birth--on your profile. Facebook's privacy settings are easy to hack into. The last thing you want is someone to hack into your account and steal your identity.

About the author:

Deanna Proach is the author of Day of Revenge (Inkwater Press), a historical fiction set in revolutionary France. She also writes for discounts.ca, a website that specializes in all kinds of coupons.

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