The word "unfriend" becomes Oxford word of the year 2009. According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of "unfriend", as a verb, is "to remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook."
Internet has blurred the line between acquaintances and friends. In the old days, the two are quite distinguishable. For acquaintances, dealings are limited to customary smiling and greeting. Regarding friends, depending on the depth of trust and intimacy, exchange of personal stuff should be involved. Since the invention of internet, communication barriers around the world have virtually been demolished, except those communist states which information would still be filtered. From Icq to Facebook, the types of information could be exchanged have been greatly expanded, from text to photos, videos etc. Thus, no matter acquaintances or friends, everybody could see and be seen conveniently via Facebook and thus, your acquaintances could get access to your data in the friend-level.
Somehow, it would be quite strange to know that some introverts could have 100+ friends in the Facebook. Are you kidding? These friends, their friendship could be confirmed easily. By clicking a button for invitation, and a mere confirmation from the other party, done. One day, out of no matter reason, you don't feel like keeping his icon in your account, this person could be "unfriend" in the same manner. The eyesore is deleted, right?
That's no difference with ostrich in the sand. Once your information has been internet-accessible, anyone could copy anything without your prior consent. So, the villain you may though have unfriended, he could have already got your stuff, say nude photos, which could never be recalled.
After all, nowadays, friends are too fickle to be unfriended.
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