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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think that 'People You May Know' function could ruin Facebook.

195 replies

takemeuptheeiffeltower · 13/04/2015 17:02

We all like Facebook because it helps us keep in touch with people, especially if they live far away,.
But if we're honest, whilst we are keeping in touch most of us also like to have an annonymous nose around to see who's doing what! Wink It's part of the fun.
Anyway, it's human nature to be inquisitive nosey
But if people can see that you have searched for them Shock and vice versa, then I can see people leaving FB in droves.

Have FB gone too far this time?

OP posts:
imonkey · 13/04/2015 17:26

I thought that if you search for someone and click on their profile then you come up in their 'people you may know'

londonrach · 13/04/2015 17:29

One thing i really hate is the fact trip advisor tries to link you every time to your fb account. I hate that and that fact others are now trying to do that....

Coconutty · 13/04/2015 17:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Justusemyname · 13/04/2015 17:31

People know if you have searched for them. Not sure how it shows itself but it does.

londonrach · 13/04/2015 17:32

Really ive been stalking the dax page for weeks but refuse to like it or comment...

Schmoozer · 13/04/2015 17:32

I agree with you OP,
The friends suggestions ARE people we have looked up, but not friend requested, totally freaked me out !!

Onetwothreeoops · 13/04/2015 17:39

But what you are all saying is that the people appearing on your "people you may know list" are people you have searched for and contacts from your devices. This is not the same as YOU appearing on the "people you may know" lists of YOUR contacts and people you have stalked.

That doesn't happen does it, or does it?

diddl · 13/04/2015 17:41

If people you have looked at show up to you as people you may know that's Ok. But do you show up to them as people that they may know?
If not then you can carry on snooping!

Original poster
takemeuptheeiffeltower · 13/04/2015 17:43

Somebody should test it out. Tell somebody at work (a non-FB friend and somebody who is not a friend of a friend) hell even a stranger on a bus. Shock Say you are going to look them up, then ask them to keep checking their suggested friends list to see if your name pops up.
We need to know Smile

OP posts:
ShouldIworryornothelp · 13/04/2015 17:44

It happens

My colleagues who I've not looked up or have contacts for in an device turned up on my friends you may know list.

IneedAdinosaurNickname · 13/04/2015 17:44

If my "people you may know" is people who have stalked me looked at my page, then I am being searched by various people (mainly men) in various non UK countries - lots in Africa. I find this very hard to believe Confused

Hassled · 13/04/2015 17:44

An ex-colleague popped up on "people I may know". We have no mutual FB friends (I checked), I don't know her mobile number or email address. She was just someone I vaguely worked with for 6 months or so. I hadn't at that stage told FB my employer (so her ex-employer). The only explanation I have yet to come up with is that she at some stage had a nosey at my profile.

muminhants · 13/04/2015 17:46

*You absolutely definitely do appear in people you may know if you have checked someone out.

I thought that if you search for someone and click on their profile then you come up in their 'people you may know'*

How do you know? Where is this stated?

I'm sure it's the other way round. If you search for people they come in YOUR "people you may know". But you don't appear in theirs.

If that is the case I'll have to stop being nosy. That said, people are getting much better at locking down their profiles now so being nosy is rather boring. I've got friends who even hide their friends list from friends so you can only see the mutual ones.

Justusemyname · 13/04/2015 17:55

I know it because I searched for them, found and then the next time I wanted to look again they were no longer visible. I assume they blocked me. No mutual friends, no contact details, etc.

SwedishEdith · 13/04/2015 17:56

But you might be checking to fb at the same location and like the same pages - it's just too difficult to rule out the options for connections to test it, I think.

maddening · 13/04/2015 18:01

There are a few people who have passed away that keep coming up in mine - particularly one lady I used to sit next to at work, we have loads of mutual friends and she passed away a couple of years ago and she keeps coming up on the people I might know suggestions. Another chap who worked where I do and sadly did shortly after I started keeps popping up too.

noblegiraffe · 13/04/2015 18:07

I just looked at my people you might know list. Most have mutual friends but at the top of the list are a few random people with no mutual friends and I've no idea who they are. However, one of them has a friend who isn't a mutual friend, but I know is a friend of DH.

So Facebook has got some weird algorithms it uses. Most of the time it throws up nonsense but occasionally it gets lucky. And then people don't go 'gosh, Facebook got it right this time, I do know them!' they go 'omg that person must have searched for me'. Which is a tad arrogant, I feel.

DontOpenDeadInside · 13/04/2015 18:08

I have my own little business. A prospective customer text me asking for a quote. Signed off with her 1st name. Next time I logged into fb, she was one of the "people you may know" Not sure i want potential customers nosing at my fb! (Though tbf its locked down)

samithesausage · 13/04/2015 18:10

I found out my partner was cheating on me via "people you may know". Her profile pic with him being all lovey dovey with her. I went a bit ragey to say the least!

CaTsMaMmA · 13/04/2015 18:13

I have never had any of my stalkees pop up as "people I may know"

Plenty of random folk, random cousins, friends of work mates have been suggested, but not once has fb suggested anyone I have stalked.

Really if you don't know how it works and spread rumours, then maybe you shouldn't be allowed to sign up.

crassula · 13/04/2015 18:21

I think that if people search for you, then they may turn up on your people you may know. I'm pretty sure that's one of the things that can put people on your list (though not if you search them - unless, as you turn up on their list, they click on your profile).

It can't be the only thing, though. Like someone upthread, I have loads of random people on my list, no way am I connected to them by email, any app at all - I don't know them by name, I have no friends in common, and they're from all over the world. I don't think all these people have been searching for me?

SnakePlisskensMum · 13/04/2015 18:21

Yep, ex husband popped up in there the other day, no mutual friends, no phone number in my phone, no links anywhere else such as LinkedIn etc, I haven't stalked him at all but up he pops like a bad penny so I can only assume he's looked me up! They do use this as a way of matching you together, just google it!

Fcukfifa · 13/04/2015 18:22

Why don't the people who have two accounts log into one and search for the other account and then see if they pop up on it?

CheeseBored · 13/04/2015 18:22

Why does one stalkee in particular never appear in my 'people you may know 'feed then?

Original poster
takemeuptheeiffeltower · 13/04/2015 18:23

snakepliss,
Too many people have noticed it, for it to be rumours.

One person wondering? Well then yes, they're being paranoid. But LOTS of people noticing? Then mabye there's some truth in it.

OP posts: