Except that I've seen this and they DON'T friend back until I say okay. Which is silly. Also? There are better ways to express it.
I suppose the difference here is that I'm entrenched in fandom and apparently pretty popular.
But as a method of asking to be friended? It seems a little... superfluous and underhanded. It's all "Wee! Lookit me! *arnm wave* I'm over here! Read me!". Also that's literally not what they're asking. When they ask permission to friend you, they're asking to read stuff you've posted publicly in a more convenient manner. Which to me is something that shouldn't be asked. You want someone to read your LJ? That's another story completely.
I check out everyone who friends me eventually, curious and stuff. But someone asking me to friend them? Just comes across as... someone I'm not sure I want friended. At least in terms of a total stranger.
Read, point people at, absolutely. Reprint? I'll set fire to someone who reprints one of my non-friendslocked essays without permission, and my poetry? There's a reason each comes with its very own special threat.
That said, I agree with you - the ettiquet behind asking, "May I friend you?" Is pretty silly. I ask if it seems like a user hasn't made the leap that some things aren't private, but generally I assume people have a grip on how LJ works.
Alas, I'm often wrong, but that's not (for the most part) my lookout.
*shrugs*
I've seen a couple people on my flist get hurt by being quoted out of context when others transcribe their writing from one forum to another, but reprinting isn't friend related.
*shrugs*
And it's early, so I'm cursing my joints in the snowstorm, eating seventeen suppers, and trying to post cogently while playing with the cat. Must sleep. Stargate is the... danger. Episode 11 in a row now.
I usually leave a comment saying 'hey, I like your stuff, I'm adding you to my flist' kinda as a way of feedbacking... but I don't ask permission...I've already added them when I leave that comment... ;) I guess you're right that people are pretty much asking you to read their stuff without really 'asking
( ... )
I ask, but I'm not really asking permission, so much as letting them know. Also, when I joined LJ people asked me if they could friend me and so I thought it was perhaps an ettiquette thing. I know better these days. Anyhoo, I'm always curious as to why someone friends me, so I figure it's nice to say something, even if it's just "you're journal is so bad that it makes me laugh until I cry" (a comment I would be happy to receive btw!) Honestly I'm amazed when people friend me back, since my LJ is about as boring as a maths textbook and I figure people must be using it to put them to sleep at night through sheer boredom. *shrugs*
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I suppose the difference here is that I'm entrenched in fandom and apparently pretty popular.
But as a method of asking to be friended? It seems a little... superfluous and underhanded. It's all "Wee! Lookit me! *arnm wave* I'm over here! Read me!". Also that's literally not what they're asking. When they ask permission to friend you, they're asking to read stuff you've posted publicly in a more convenient manner. Which to me is something that shouldn't be asked. You want someone to read your LJ? That's another story completely.
I check out everyone who friends me eventually, curious and stuff. But someone asking me to friend them? Just comes across as... someone I'm not sure I want friended. At least in terms of a total stranger.
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Read, point people at, absolutely. Reprint? I'll set fire to someone who reprints one of my non-friendslocked essays without permission, and my poetry? There's a reason each comes with its very own special threat.
That said, I agree with you - the ettiquet behind asking, "May I friend you?" Is pretty silly. I ask if it seems like a user hasn't made the leap that some things aren't private, but generally I assume people have a grip on how LJ works.
Alas, I'm often wrong, but that's not (for the most part) my lookout.
*shrugs*
I've seen a couple people on my flist get hurt by being quoted out of context when others transcribe their writing from one forum to another, but reprinting isn't friend related.
*shrugs*
And it's early, so I'm cursing my joints in the snowstorm, eating seventeen suppers, and trying to post cogently while playing with the cat. Must sleep. Stargate is the... danger. Episode 11 in a row now.
*FUMP*
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I edited the post btw.
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