The word 'friend' on LiveJournal ...
... does not mean what it usually means in the real world. I am slowly learning how it differs from the dictionary meaning:
"A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations."
On LiveJournal, "friend" can have that meaning, but mostly it means:
"Complete stranger who has subscribed to the news feed of your journal, and who may or may not expect you to subscribe to the news feed of their journal"
- which I think is a serious corruption of the word "friend" by LiveJournal.
General Policy Statements To All
1) If you "friend" me on LiveJournal, do not expect a reciprocal friending from me for some time, if at all. I have enough real-life original-definition friends in my life to keep up with and interact socially/supportively with to start adding complete strangers to that group.
In other words, I've reached my Dunbar Number of social contacts.
2) If I "friend" you, I do not expect you to be my original-definition friend, I may just be interested in what you say and how you say it.