When did that change?

When I entered Anderson University in 2006, Facebook had only been available at the school for a year.  Facebook was amazing.  I remember when I got my account, I went on and searched other people who were going to be in my class.   I had never met any of these people, but I sent them friend requests.

And it was normal.  There was even a place on facebook where you told how you knew them, and there was a choice called 'facebook friends.'

Now, with facebook available to anyone with a computer- there idea of friending someone you don't know has a different connotation.

When did that happen?  And why?  Was it that Facebook matured while we did?  Or maybe that when we, as college students, would wildly send out requests, it was because our intention was to actually meet them and form a relationship.

It isn't that its completely wrong to friend someone you don't know at all, but for me- I prefer to have some sort of connection with the person I am friending- whether it be that we are actually friends, or maybe I'm a fan of their writing or directing, or that it is useful for networking.

I don't feel like this change is a bad thing- it can lead to great things.  As previously mentioned- it can lead to networking and new friends.  I'm excited to see how else Facebook will evolve and mature!

[also- I tried finding pictures of the old facebook profile, the style from 2005/2006 area- before the newsfeed, notes, etc- couldn't find one! odd.]