InterNations or facebook ?

Where would you rather connect - if at all ?

One of my SoMe customers got a 'friend request' on facebook. No message, null.

Normally they're advised to ignore them completely though this time it stroke a chord with them (picture, same residence) so they asked me what to do.

I recommended them to send a standard verification message:

Hello xxx,

Many thanks for your 'friend request' and please bear with my poor name and picture memory when I'm asking you now . . .

Do we know each other ? If yes, where have we met and could you verify yourself as 'real' (eg. phone number) ?

Warm regards,
xxx

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A day later they received the following . . .

Hi xxx,

We met during the last Internations xxx-activity last Sunday. Since you're very careful with fb friend requests you will surely understand when I keep my phone number private.

Have a nice day
xxx

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Customer confirms request after they checked InterNations event and membership status (Albatros) and writes back:

Aah, thanks. Then why you rather connect here on fb than on InterNations ?

Cheers,
xxx

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Minutes later . . .

xxx, please stop that, I don't have time to justify myself, we met last Sunday, I found it was ok and will withdraw my contact request have a nice day xxx

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What say you and what would you do ?

What does this conversation say about our society and the online world ?

Let me know if you'd like to learn what I recommended my customer and what they did.