DISQUS

Entipy · 2 years ago

SO well-put, Carlo! I despise getting "friend" requests from people with whom I've never even exchanged a word! What? It's supposed to make me popular because I have 6,437 "friends" on MySpace? Whatever. You said it all quite well! Thank you!

jr · 2 years ago

I think there needs to be a new word.

You're right about "friend", and I think the majority of sites use it much as some sentry on watch calling out if your friend or foe. (Always made me wonder who responds "foe" to that, but that's beside the point.)

Likewise, I've got some folks I deal with on a fairly regular basis whom I've never met. I agree that I'm also a bit reluctant to call them "friends" but then, one is flying down from Alaska in a few weeks (I'm not the reason he's coming down, but I do plan on meeting up and buying him lunch).

Your WoW clan buddy definitely fits that category, but for a lot of folks, that category is about as far up socially as they progress. They don't have "friends" like we traditionally think of them and have no context to work in. To not agree that you are his "friend" means that you, like the guy the sentry is calling out to, must be a "foe" and he felt betrayed.

"Contact" while technically correct, always seemed a bit formal. Perhaps "webbie" might suffice, since nobody knows what the hell that is either.

--
your webbie
jr

Carlo Zottmann · 2 years ago

jr,

"I think there needs to be a new word."

You know what? I agree 100%. The landscape of human relationships is changing, especially when looking at an online environment, so why not use another word for this type of relation.

I don't think "webbie" is suited, mostly because I always think about online awards when hearing it.

I propose the use of "webster". I've checked "Wikipedia":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster, the original meaning of the word has somewhat "expired", so let's re-use it. :)

Sincerely yours,
your webster Carlo

ellybabes · 2 years ago

Why a new word? For years, if you weren't a friend, you were an acquaintance... Definition from dictionary.com:
1. Acquaintance, associate, companion, friend refer to a person with whom one is in contact. An acquaintance is someone recognized by sight or someone known, though not intimately: a casual acquaintance. An associate is a person who is often in one's company, usually because of some work, enterprise, or pursuit in common: a business associate. A companion is a person who shares one's activities, fate, or condition: a traveling companion; companion in despair. A friend is a person with whom one is on intimate terms and for whom one feels a warm affection: a trusted friend.

jr · 2 years ago

Sadly, for a number of folks "acquaintance" is a loaded word. Possibly from over use in one too many 80's romantic comedy movies. Possibly "associate" might work better since there's the more serious work baggage attached to that.

Dan Isaacs · 2 years ago

If you are friendly with one another on a regular basis, are you not friends? A friend is not limited to those people that would help you dispose of a body. I think you are raising the bar too high. If I enjoy someone's company, they enjoy mine, and we spend time together regularly, then they we are friends. Perhaps not best friends, or close friends, but friends.

I get what you're saying. In the particular context of social networking sites, contacts usually don't even meet my fairly loose labeling system. But I think you go a bit too far.

To be fair, I generally refer to these folks as "buddies", which may or may not jive with your classifications.

Udi · 2 years ago

I'm a strong believer in what you're saying. The word friend is Facebook's biggest limiting factor.

But as for twitter, I don't think it uses the word friend. They have followers and followees.

Carlo Zottmann · 2 years ago

@Elly: As JR said, "acquaintance" is rather loaded for most people. I am among those.

@Dan:

"If you are friendly with one another on a regular basis, are you not friends?"

No, I am not. By your definition, many of my coworkers would count as friends. I would "label" them as "buddies", mostly. (Again: this is not a sign of disrespect, as I still respect and like them.) As for "buddies" -- again, for _me_, that stands mostly for offline relationships, not online. Hmm.

@Udi: yes, they've changed that only a few days ago. When I wrote the post, I had forgotten about it. Good move, tho.

Thanks for the input, guys. I appreciate it.

Robert · 2 years ago

I was just about to post a comment regarding the new twitter nomenclature, but then I noticed Udi's comment. Hooray for reading before posting.

BTW, I just singed up for a twitter account (mostly so I could follow fredrin and megatokyo) I think I try to grab accounts on jaiku and pownce, too.

earlofthercs · 1 month ago

Being an aussie, I call everyone (even people I dont actually like that much at all) that I regularly have to deral with `mate' and the difference in closeness is implied by context and vocal inflection. Online it is trickier, but Im willing to accept everyone in the world as a mate I haven't met yet and sort it out from there. So, take it easy mate.