I agree that you just never know where a good connection will come from, but I also think there’s more to making a connection than just adding a name to your friend list (or database).

There’s this thing about the concept of networking, at least in person, where I’ve found that people will view someone with a business that’s antithetical to their interests as someone who’s not worthy of their time. I talk to everyone and treat everyone the same; you just never know where a good connection will come from.

When I “friend” an actual friend on FB, someone I talk to in the course of life anyway, I rarely include a message. When I “friend” someone else (which is rare–I’m more reactive than proactive there), I comment on a specific reason why we should be in one another’s line of sight. I get a lot out of reading the status messages of so-called friends who are savvy and whose re-tweeted Twitter/FB status updates contain useful links; I don’t always need to have a more intermingled “relationship” with a FB friend than the opportunity to read what they’re up to on my mini-feed.

But you’re right; it’s a waste of time and effort for someone to friend us as if we were collectible baseball cards. It’s quality, not quantity, that wins out. And the person who “didn’t have time to network” but wanted to sell to you? Obviously, that person has no clue about how and why people do business with one another. Feh.