why do I feel so bad about ignoring a facebook friend request?

[hatwoman]

...from someone I barely knew at university and can't imagine ever coming across as an adult? knowing my luck I'll bump into her next week or something. but I so never really knew her in the first place that I had to think really hard about who she was. why is my english politeness so deeply ingrained that I am consumed with concern about seeming rude?

I have this too. I got a friend request from someone and it took me two days to dredge up who she was; a perfectly nice girl who I went to school with briefly when we were 12. I don't think we were friends particularly.
Do I accept or ignore? Argh.

on the other hand I am consumed with vanity. if I accept her proper friends will think I am sadly determined to accumulate as many friends as possible. I wish there was a way of making clear that she asked me (how playground is that )

I'd reply saying she had the wrong hatwoman

nice idea but we have a friend in common and it says on his profile that he knows me through university....and I have a pretty uncommon name. and moved in quite small circles. it won't wash.

I guess I could claim not to remember her...

it's awful, isn't it? I actually ended up closing my facebook account yesterday because I was getting friend requests from people who made my school life a misery.
It just wasn't worth the hassle....

i had someone contact me out of the blue like this, and wasn't sure whether to add her. I am really glad I did, as she is a lovely girl in need of some support right now, and I hate to think how awful she would have felt if I refused her.

geekgirl

You could just reject their friend requests, geekgirl.

press the ignore button and get on with the business of reaquainting yourself with people you did like. if she is just sending out friend requests to everyone she's ever known then surely she won't really care that much?! i got a request from the one person from school i can actually remember with complete revulsion (he stalked me in a crap 14yr old stylie, which was confusing and scary). revenge is a dish best served cold as they say - press ignore, do it! do it!