Colleen in NS Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 The other day I opened my Facebook site, and saw on my "friend suggestions" a name I didn't immediately recognize. When I clicked on it, we had no common Facebook friends or groups - so why does that happen? Second of all, I then recognized the name, as a person who used to post here on the boards and who lives an hour or so from me (we had corresponded via e-mail a few years ago, so I remembered the last name)!! Then, today, I found the FB site again, found that dh had forgotten again to sign out of his account, and I happened to notice one of his "friend suggestions" names was the former board name of someone else here on the boards, so I clicked on that, and saw that that person has another boardie on the friends list, so I'm pretty sure it was a WTM boardie here. How in the world do these connections happen on FB, when there is NOTHING in common - no groups, no friends, no proximity, etc.? Dh thought it had something to do with the e-mail I use for WTM is the same e-mail we use for FB, but I don't quite get it. Does that ever happen to anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avila Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Yes, and it is spooky. I had someone come up who has no FB friends in common with me but who I went to a co-op with several years back. I know her, but I have no clue how Facebook KNEW that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Sometimes when that happens it's because I'd e-mailed them in the past. When you allow FB to search your e-mails records to see who you know has a FB account (this is a window that pops up when you first created your FB page), I think it's keeps track of that. Or checks it perioically. Or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Sometimes when that happens it's because I'd e-mailed them in the past. When you allow FB to search your e-mails records to see who you know has a FB account (this is a window that pops up when you first created your FB page), I think it's keeps track of that. Or checks it perioically. Or something. Oh THAT would make sense then - I HAVE e-mailed with these two people in the past! And dh said he does use that e-mail for his FB account, which would make sense now. How WEIRD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Did I come up? We've emailed each other. Now I'm wondering if I'm one of the names that came up. Lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I think it also looks at tags in your profile description - I get other homeschoolers in my general area that I know in passing but do not have friends in common with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I've gotten a few people who seem to be completely random, but it turns out they are in the same city. 'Cause, you know, there are only 3 of us here in the sticks and apparently we're all supposed to know each other. :lol: The ways it makes connections are unfathomable. Clearly they have people working their databases who think of things in very different ways from the rest of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Did I come up? We've emailed each other. Now I'm wondering if I'm one of the names that came up. Lori If you came up on mine, I'd have recognized you. If you came up on dh's, we're outta luck. :lol: The ways it makes connections are unfathomable. Clearly they have people working their databases who think of things in very different ways from the rest of us. Yeah, that's why it's so weird! I think it also looks at tags in your profile description - I get other homeschoolers in my general area that I know in passing but do not have friends in common with. I thought of that, for the person who is near me, but I don't know if she has homeschooling in her profile. As for the other person, she's thousands of miles away from me - it HAS to be the e-mail connection. I had forgotten that I had e-mailed with her a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Facebook is starting to really creep me out. I got a bunch of "people you may know" the other day, and I've never granted that e-mail permission! The wildest part was some guy I used to know and his girlfriend (wife?) too. I DEFINITELY have never e-mailed her. Don't even know the address. FB is the flipping Borg. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdeno Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I know people who have had people who had abused them request a spouse as a friend. Blech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I recently watched a video on youtube that really explained the "privacy" policy of FB. When you sign on to FB, you are really giving them permission to access any and all aspects of your "computer life." There is no activity in which you have ever participated in on the computer that they do not actively seek to find info. on. That means they catalog who you have ever emailed, who has emailed you, who you have chatted with on boards like this, if you have ever purchased plane tickets, made hotel accomodations, everything really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Facebook is starting to really creep me out. I got a bunch of "people you may know" the other day, and I've never granted that e-mail permission! The wildest part was some guy I used to know and his girlfriend (wife?) too. I DEFINITELY have never e-mailed her. Don't even know the address. I've notice a couple people I know who have been suggested but are not in my address book. I think it's because I'm in theirs. You can set up your account to block this kind of stuff by limiting "who can find you in FaceBook" on your Settings --> Privacy --> Search page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I'm not even on Facebook and I've received 10 emails to my regular email account from people's Facebook accounts requesting me to join. Do they just type in my email address to Facebook? Then, I received an email with all 10 of their requests bundled together stating that I still haven't joined!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 I'm not even on Facebook and I've received 10 emails to my regular email account from people's Facebook accounts requesting me to join. Do they just type in my email address to Facebook? Then, I received an email with all 10 of their requests bundled together stating that I still haven't joined!! When someone joins, and I guess at other times also if they wanted to, they can send out a blanket request to all of the contacts in their email contact lists. That's probably what is happening. Someone whom you have corresponded with via email at some time in the past has sent out a blanket request to the persons in their email contacts list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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