Explanation of Contacts & Friends

[Dianyla]

How does the whole Contacts & Friends thing work?

Contacts - This is how permissions are assigned, someone is either on or off your Contacts list. People do not know if they are on or off your Contact list, it is an asymmetrical one-way arrangement.

Friends - This causes people to show up on your Profile as listed Friends. No special permissions are granted by having a mutual Friendship with someone. Friendship is a mutual two-way arrangement.


So, what happens when you...

...Add a Contact?
The other person does not receive any notification that they have been added to your Contacts list. They will now see any resources (Photo Album/Blog) that you have designated as Contacts Only/Private.

...Remove a Contact?
The other person does not receive any notification that they have been removed from your Contacts list. They will no longer be able to see any resources (Photo Album/Blog) that you have designated as Contacts Only/Private.

...Request Friendship?
The other person receives a "Friend Request" notification, which they can either Accept or Reject.

...Accept a Friend Request?
The requestor will see your status change from "Friendship Requested" on their Contacts list to "Friend" with the box checked. You will now both appear on eachother's Profile as Friends.

...Reject a Friend Request?
The requesting person will not hear anything back from their Friend Request. You will still show up with status of "Friendship Requested" on their Contacts list. The requesting person cannot "withdraw" their pending Friend Request without removing you from their contacts and adding you again.

...Reject a Friend Request, and then change my mind and decide to Befriend that person later?
If the pending Friend Request was never removed, you will now be Friends with the person. They will not get an active notification but they will see the "Friendship Requested" change to "Friend" with the checkbox. If the Friend Request was cancelled by the requestor removing and readding you to their Contact list, they will just get a brand new Friend Request from you.

...Break a Friendship?
The ex-friend will not be actively notified of this change, but if they look at their Contact list the "Friend" box will be unchecked. You will no longer appear as Friends on eachother's Profile.


Hope this helps! Feel free to ask more questions and I will update this initial post with new relevant information.

[Jennifer]

Thank you, Diane!

[Raederle]

Excellent explanation, with seemingly every permutation covered.

But what happens when one of my contacts and one of my friends begin a relationship? What if they start befriending others without my being aware of it? What if I suddenly see baby LHCers populating my friends list? Who bears the responsibility for birth control?

[Clare-Dragonfly]

Thanks for the detailed explanation! But I still have a silly, nitpicky little question What if you and another person mutually add each other as a Contact, but neither of you sends a friend request? Do you become Friends? The only difference I see between Contacts and Friends is mutuality, which is why I ask.

[Golden Mermaid]

Um, I have a question.

If you set your blog to private/contacts only, can your friends see it? Or do you have to add everyone to your contacts list?

[Ursula]

Thanks for the explanation!

It still seems very odd to me - and the various "friend requests" are jarring - from how it is described, I take it that one can expect dozens or more as things start to organize themselves around here? (Particularly if one makes one's blog "Contacts only"?)

[Clare-Dragonfly]

If you set your blog to private/contacts only, can your friends see it? Or do you have to add everyone to your contacts list?

If someone is your friend, she is also your contact. They aren't really separate things. (But if someone is your contact, she isn't necessarily your friend.)

[Sarahmoon]

So if I understand it right you don't get access to photo journals anymore after 100 posts and 60 days of activity?

Where can I restart my hair journal?

[snowbear]

So if I understand it right you don't get access to photo journals anymore after 100 posts and 60 days of activity?

Where can I restart my hair journal?

Hair journals are now "Blogs", located at the top of your screen.

[Dianyla]

But what happens when one of my contacts and one of my friends begin a relationship? What if they start befriending others without my being aware of it? What if I suddenly see baby LHCers populating my friends list? Who bears the responsibility for birth control?

Well, since trolleypup and I are both childfree by choice, I don't know if we'll ever know. We should check with Bill D. & the Countess... Heehee!

Thanks for the detailed explanation! But I still have a silly, nitpicky little question What if you and another person mutually add each other as a Contact, but neither of you sends a friend request? Do you become Friends? The only difference I see between Contacts and Friends is mutuality, which is why I ask.

People who both list eachother as contacts do not become friends. Unless they discuss it separately, they won't know that each is the other's contact. I suppose you could say that friends are consensually and consciously mutual.

So if I understand it right you don't get access to photo journals anymore after 100 posts and 60 days of activity?

Where can I restart my hair journal?

Photo albums and blogs defined as "Public" are available to 25+ post members. Photo albums and blogs defined as "Private/Contacts Only" are only available to the owner's Contacts. The 100-posts/60-days only applies to a few remaining areas like the Community Meets forum.

Click on the Blogs link to restart your hair journal.