15 Nov 09 New branch of science: Facebook friend mathematics

I’m starting to have a problem on Facebook. My goal, to reach 1,000 friends by the end of the year, is becoming increasingly difficult. No matter how many new friends I add from various sources (parties, events, photography, jobs) I face constant attrition from other friends who un-friend me, remove their account on Facebook, or get their accounts locked. As it stands, I’ve been in the high 800’s for a couple months now.

Another problem I’ve recently hit my head against is trying to locate old friends–specifically, my exes–who have fallen off the map. There are still a bunch of people who went to Saints Peter & Paul Academy in Loretto that I cannot find, and there are many exes who I cannot find, either. While the problem with old, out-of-touch friends is that they are likely not on Facebook, the problem with exes is that information may be being directly blocked from my view.

Maybe in the future, when we can directly experience the information flow of the Internet, blocking someone will have a unique numbing sensation? I think that the act of blocking someone doesn’t bother me so much as the lack of information. I’m really not one to hold grudges–so eventually, after the dust settles from a breakup, I am keen to become friends again and carry on with life. Man is a social creature, and I don’t understand how some people need to excise individuals from their lives. Isn’t that painful? Isn’t it lamentable? I’ve really never done that and can’t fathom how I would go about removing someone completely from my life.

In the mean time, my goal of making 1,000 friends by the end of the year is becoming increasingly unlikely. But, maybe with starting a new job and all the holiday parties I hope to be attending, I’ll get very lucky and get those 139 people I need to hit 1,000 friends.

Tags: dating, Facebook mathematics, friends, searching