Many people on sites like this one have loads of friends on their friend list they barely ever talk to. What are the reasons? Are there practical advantages to this?

I do it in case any one needs to get a hold of me for something. In the past my friends were the ones I wanted to see when they were online

I don't understand it either. I don't like being part of a collection. My friends or buddies require some interaction along with having an offline life. I just think its a way to say "look at me Im popular" I personally like to hide my friends because they my friends not token.

Being a Mod puts you in a different category.

I've always been in my own category.

I don't really get into it... but to each their own, right? It's harmless...

Hummmm honestly those on my friends list I do actually talk to or they were here when I first joined this site and are no longer posting but reminds me why I did stay.

Now I do go through my list ever so often and those that are on my list that I never talk to either by e-mail or by forums gets deleted.....

I use to hate to turn down request but found out if you do not then they are just adding you to have the numbers. I'm not in a popularity contest at all if that was the case many of those I have busted on the forums would delete me for sure.......

But........a list is just that there are many I call my friends that are not on my friends list they don't have to be on a list to be called a friend...

I'm still curious about it though.

I guess everyone has their reasons. Some might want to feel popular because it boosts their ego or they may be new and looking to make as many friends as possible. Some don't like saying no. Some don't think much about the friends list (not important to them)

Who really knows???

Not my thing...collecting...deleted about 70 "friends" from my list just a couple months ago. Its funny because I didn't talk to 99% of them anymore but when I deleted them, they blew a fuse

I call that the "Myspace Mentality" and I got rid of my Myspace page for that very reason, at one time, I had over 1,000 "friends" on there.

Unless I've actually talked to someone- and like them- I don't add them to my friends' list. I deleted someone the other day when I realized adding them was a mistake.

I would have to say "no." After 30 days I usually consider them "phantoms" or "ghosts" and I start thinking about "cleaning house."

Just got two friends they don't talk to me anyway

meh,they can send a messege to me but after about the 2nd or 3rd time I just get sick of it

A few I've added & most were request that never contacted me later. I do have this one guy that every morning when I log on I have a nudge waiting for me. He's never emailed me & he's not on my friends list. I've started to look forward to the nudges & don't know why he hasn't made contact & I'm too stubborn to ask him why he nudges me every day & never attempts to talk to me! If I do want to contact someone I can easily find them & also see if they are online at that time so I can send a message.

Tis how I keep track of all my ho's.

I used to delete people and they'd just add me back or get upset.. I've stopped deleting but I still have trouble saying no to a request but I do sometimes...

I got a couple nasty emails and I'm thinking...whats the big deal...I don't even talk to them

That's what I was gonna say. People come and go, and inevitably when I haven't seen someone in a long time and think they're not coming back, they do and ask "why'd you delete me?" But I did just do some housecleaning. Watch--they'll all come back slowly but surely. Hey, maybe that's a GOOD thing...