It is evident that I am either vain or naive. In this case, it was naivety. I received a “friend request.” My policy is not to automatically accept FB friend requests when the name or face is unfamiliar. As always, I followed up with a private message asking about our connections or if we’ve met. By the way, some people have taken offense by this policy . . . but I digress.
The note began, “Sweetie”—was that a clue? He continued with a very heartfelt and lovely message. In his note he proceeded to tell me of his romantic dreams of getting to know me. He described his current work project along with timelines, and included his private IM contact information. All in all, he sounded like “a catch,” for some lucky woman.
Admittedly slightly flattered, I composed a brief note thanking him for the compliment, however, I was not interested in pursuing any romantic relationships, and I wished him well. As I retold my experience to my girlfriend, who is a social media expert, calmly and obviously holding back the burst of laughter, she said, “That is spam.”
“Really, the man of someone’s dreams is a spammer!” I exclaimed. After an outburst of laughter, I learned that I mustn’t allow my vanity to play a role in the online world.
