Is there a polite way to decline Facebook friend requests from CO-WORKERS?

[surferchick2]

I'd just ignore. There are even real friends of mine I wouldn't want as a facebook friend. If it's beyond a few mindless updates, hey howzits, or sending little cyber gifts, it's too hard to pick and choose who reads the info. I can do the same with a phone call, email or text. I see people who accept everyone and anyone as if they want to collect a hoard of "friends" to look popular, then they post personal stuff for the world to see. I guess they don't mind being an open facebook, but not me. I'd rather pretend like I didn't see it, than telling them they didn't make the cut. lol.

 

[queenvictoria2]

Yet another reason not to have a facebook account. The privacy settings mean nothing, there are ways to get around them. If you are going to have any kind of facebook/myspace/internet ANYTHING be sure and have only content on there that you are comfortable with being public. There is no such thing as "privacy" on the internet. Trust me.

I agree.
I have people sending me requests because they know me and found me as a friend on my niece's page ush:
I was wondering what to do about them also, so far I have just ignored them, but then I never really go on Facebook much anyway

 

[ShimmaPuff]

The most polite is to set up a character specifically for that purpose, and add them on that one, and keep your personal one personal

 

[exotikittenx]

i just ignore it. if they bring it up later i just say that i dont really use it often because im not as familiar with it (which is true!!). then i tell them they can just email me if they need me because its the best way to get in contact with me.

I think this is great advice.

 

[ShelleyBaby]

I wish this obsession with social-networking would pass. Apart from this site which I rarely post on, I don't use any. Like someone else said, privacy settings mean nothing and if you really want to keep your life private, then maybe you should keep it off the internet.
I'd deny them and just tell them straight, otherwise they may try adding you again and again.

 

[chunkymonkey]

If it comes down to it and there's no way to get around ignoring them, you could just add them and create a special "work" list in your privacy settings. That way all your co-workers would be restricted from seeing anything you prefer to keep private but you'd have added them to appease them.

That's what I would do. I wouldn't ignore them but would restrict my settings to only non-personal stuff. A bunch of my co-workers are starting to show up on Facebook but so far I've only had requests from people I'm close with. I don't have anything overly personal on my FB anyway.

 

[redney]

I'd be upfront about it and email or call them and let them know you'd prefer to keep your Facebook relationships to a few friends and you're not using it for professional networking.

Then if you have a professional LinkedIn profile, let them know you'd prefer to network through this account instead.

I think most people would understand, especially if they're over the age of 30.

 

[bisousx]

You could always limit their viewing to a "limited profile".

 

[Chanel Belle]

Once my superior (whom I work closely with) added me and I couldn't refuse because we were at the office and facing our computers. She was so excited to see my Facebook page & asked me to approve immediately. I swear I felt like I was being blackmailed or something.

I couldn't exactly ignore or tell her I don't want to add her because I'll sound uptight/distrustful and kill our office friendship.

At the end of the day, I blocked her from seeing my photos, wall and many other things.

 

[KC1984]

Probably not but I tend not to have collegues as friends on facebook.
I would even go as far as to block them so they can't even see your profile on there.
My hubby has not long discovered facebook & made the mistake of adding his employees, it's not too bad on his part as his account is very basic & there is nothing incriminating on there, but as for his staff......lets just say when their on sick leave they still mange to get to the pub......with a camera????

 

[IntlSet]

Thanks so much for the advice, ladies.

I am friends with these co-workers, and it's likely that I will continue to move in similar circles... so I just accepted their friend request and gave them limited access to my profile. Thanks again for the advice, I never would've thought to do that if you gals hadn't mentioned it.

 

[Dawn]

I would just ignore it. If they say something, then just tell them you only have family and close friends on it. There's some people that really don't want many friends, they just want a small circle of people on their Facebook. I think most people would understand that.

i agree!

 

[Dawn]

My hubby has not long discovered facebook & made the mistake of adding his employees, it's not too bad on his part as his account is very basic & there is nothing incriminating on there, but as for his staff......lets just say when their on sick leave they still mange to get to the pub......with a camera????

Yikes!
that's just STUPID!

 

[hellooholly]

I've finally decided to add a bunch of current coworkers to Facebook - I created a group for them where I've shut down almost everything personal, including access to photo albums, notes and the wall, so any time I approve someone I put them automatically into this reduced access list.

just go through the whole list in the privacy settings bit and uncheck almost everything.
don't forget -
- status updates, that's the one people get in trouble most often for.
- comments you leave on other people's walls/albums.
- personal info
- friends

and when you add new photos, don't forget to set the option "who can view" to friends - custom - exclude these groups...

but i agree, if there's info that will mean life or death, i wouldn't put it anywhere on the net no matter how supposedly secure.

 

[LegacyGirl]

I leave people forever in limbo. I just ignore the request but I don't deny it. It just forever shows as pending