Why do people ignore friend requests?

I see a lot of peoples profiles that say, " I won't accept friend request without a message!" or " Let me know what we have in common and I might add you."

Honestly? this is a support website! Do people really think they are too good to add people? Or think to many people want to be their friend? Whats wrong with that?

Im sorry but I just don't understand. If someone wants to be my friend and needs me for support or wants some inspiration, I wont deny them. Its not like you have personal information on your profile that people could track you with like Facebook.

Can someone explain this to me?

I just want to know how you found me... a particular thread, friends in common etc.

I have accepted requests from people with no message but I much prefer to have a message so you know what common ground you have. I think it's polite & I always do it. It just makes supporting & motivating so much easier!!

My problem with friend requests is that people will request to be your friends. You add them and they never respond with reciprocal encouragment. What the point of requesting my friendship? To add another notch on their social media belt.I have more important things to do that to reading their feeds on my page. But no worries... The first time I notice such slight I put them on "hide" after about two weeks I then delete them all together. I deliberately go out of my way to respond to ever post that appears on my page. Why can't I expect the same treatment in return. It is not about thinking that one is better than someone else. It is simply about mutual respect and encouragement. If the person requesting my friendship can't understand this simple courtesy. They are too immature to be my friend anyway.

I'm still at the point where I'll accept all friend requests, message or no message, because maybe people just don't know what to write in an intro message. But I totally understand why people won't. Once you get to a certain amount of friends that you're happy with, you get a bit more selective.

I have some really cool people on my list who I have something in common with or can support / get support from but I also have a bunch of people who I have no contact with whatsoever. Personally I'd rather have a smaller list of people I actually interact with.

I prefer to get a message on a request so I at least know why the person wants to add me unless it's obvious e.g. they commented on the same forum thread or something. Maybe it's just me but I don't like to message someone to ask why they added me, I think that if someone sends a request, they should be the one to initiate a conversation. I dunno, I just feel awkward messaging someone I don't know and have no idea why they added me.

I've had requests from people who don't seem to have anything in common with me, haven't posted in the same thread etc. and no intro message so why do they want to be my friend? I have one who I deleted because she never commented on anything and seemed to disappear from the site for months. She sent me another request a few weeks later so I accepted thinking maybe she gave up and came back... still nothing. Weird!! Why do people add people they have no interest in interacting with? Are they just collecting friends? Are they just nosey?

I'm at the point in my friends list (60+) where I'm going to be a bit more selective who I add or keep on there, mainly because the newsfeed is getting longer and I'd hate to miss posts from people I interact with because it's clogged up with randoms who added me for no apparent reason. I used to feel bad for deleting people but really, if they don't interact then what's the point?

I don't think I'm better than anyone and will still add people even if they don't introduce themselves because MOST of the people who have added me are cool. And I don't get loads of requests anyway.

People who don't add without a message or ignore requests may have a different experience, they may get too many to add everyone, they may have accepted people who turned out to be jerks, I don't think it's anything to do with thinking they're better than anyone else. And really, is it too much trouble to send an intro message if they ask for one? It's not like you have to write a masterpiece, they just want to know how you found them and why you want to be friends.

I agree with lauriey, I get requests from people who eat well below 1000 cals which I dont agree with, I'm pretty sure they wont agree with me eating 2000 cals so why do they want to be my friend, or the ones that add me then never say a word!

At one point I did accept all friend requests, but I found it really hard to keep up with my news feed and actually talk to any of my friends, which is why I now dont accept most requests, not because I feel I'm too good for some people.
I would rather have a small number of friends in the same situation as me so we can actually talk and properly support each other, rather than 500 friends and only have time to say 'good job' once a week!!!!

Someone sent me a friend a request but with no message - I was confused. Who is this? Why have they added me? Where did they find my username? So I am ignoring the request - it just seems very odd to add someone as a friend without saying why, especially when there hasn't been any previous interaction.

I mean, they seem like a nice person, but i'm not really here for 'friends'. I'm here for myself, so I wouldn't exactly be supportive of this person if I 'friended' them, I would just be a name on their profile. So what's the point?

I add everyone. I remember what high school was like, I hated it, the more the merrier. I support them all.

Honestly, why should I have to be everyone's friend? I don't want every last person on this site to be my "friend." I keep friends that I interact with often and have common interests with.

If I want to interact with other people, I will use the forums.

This! Difference of opinion. You want to be friends with everyone, others don't. Not sure why it even matters, if you want to be friends with them and they aren't accepting friends, move along. You don't know them personally so why does it matter if you friends with "this screenname" and not "that one"?

Sometimes it seems like everyone with a lot of friends on here or FB (and don't tell me people who have 500 friends on FB know them all personally and interact with them regularly) think it makes them look popular. Like the kids in high school that asked complete strangers to sign their yearbook. Why?

I doubt people really will want to add someone who makes a thread complaining that people won't add them.

I have a friend who I told about MFP. She has joined for the logging of food and exercise as well as the forums. She doesn't want to get caught up with online friends because she feels she has Facebook for that.

I dont like everyone in RL and I dont like everyone on here. I dont like having hundreds of friends in RL and I dont like having hundreds on here. I dont really see the problem - I dont expect everyone to like me either - I do expect a bit of a chance and some manners but really a minimum.

Well you've had six pages of explanations, but not responded to any of them.

It is precisely that lack of interaction that is why so many people like to have a message with friend requests.

Love this.

A friend request with no message is like someone in real life walking up next to you during a conversation and not saying a word. It's weird.

The only thing that ever irritated me was one girl, made this huge long thread about her amazing results I added her and messages her about what an inspiring story she had and I wanted some tips on how she her back in such great shape... She accepted my request then when I was looking on her profile she had " if you can't comment daily on my status, food diary or weight loss I will delete you" so she wanted people to praise her and give her props on everything. Still she never answered my question and never responded to the other 200 people. She just wanted to be told how amazing she was. Yet had zero interest in being supportive .

Well you've had six pages of explanations, but not responded to any of them.

It is precisely that lack of interaction that is why so many people like to have a message with friend requests.

Excuse me but I put this post up last night and some people do like to sleep for work the next day. Dont get your panties in a wad. I will respond after i get off work. Im sorry princess

I like how you posted this,and then right underneath you were making comments about negitive people.