To Friend or Not To Friend

This is my Facebook profile for University of Chicago students and users of my web site.

I welcome new Facebook friends, but I also want you to know what you might be getting yourself into.

As my friend there, we'd be connected and you'd have an opportunity to network with my other friends there. You and they might have some things in common. OTOH, you might feel stressed, harassed, threatened, etc., by interactions with them.

All my networks and all my friends there can see that profile, but only my friends there can see my friend list and my wall there. Other friends of mine there might be able to see your profile. And other Facebook friends of yours might be able to see me on your friend list. Seeing your profile and seeing me on your friend list might or might not depend on your own privacy settings.

Anyone could be a user of my web site, so my friend list and my wall there could potentially be seen by University of Chicago faculty and staff, your friends and family, your present and future employers, and even the police. Any of them might infer that you have mental health issues or read what you write on my wall there. They might tell others, too. And that could lead to prejudice against you.

Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, [email protected]

Created: May 5, 2008
Revised: March 3, 2009
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/facebook/friends.html
Copyright 2008 Robert Hsiung.