How do experienced EB members handle this?

Between you and me,  we'll soon deeply redesign this feature. Sending contact requests with an empty profile is just a nonsense ... how can someone accept a contact request from someone who doesn't even introduce himself / herself ?

I look at the profile and posting history, if they have either one or both.
I accept all but the dodgy looking ones.
I think there's one outstanding at the moment - I was waiting to see how he posted, but he never did.

Update - I just dumped the request.
Of course, it helps if the sender is blonde, and sexy - more so if they're a lady.

Fred you crack me up.  I look at the history, the profile and then choose. IF they are from Canada  and looking to move to my country then I accept them regardless.  Almost always they will ask me a question or two. Then I encourage them to intro themselves etc.

Problem I think is that Switzerland is viewed as the ultimate land of milk and honey for many from third-world countries.

Almost 90% are male and they do not even bother to check my profile.  If they did I get 89% less requests. 

Like the others already mentioned,  profile and activity are leading in my decision to accept or not.

planner wrote:

Fred you crack me up.  I look at the history, the profile and then choose. IF they are from Canada  and looking to move to my country then I accept them regardless.  Almost always they will ask me a question or two. Then I encourage them to intro themselves etc.

So it means you don't expect me if I ask you to be my friend  ?

I check history and profile and then decide.  I have and innate fear of so much social media and try to limit my exposure.  Hence don't really do face book, don't respond to many requests and don't even post my picture on boards I am active on.


Bob K

El_Jost wrote:

Problem I think is that Switzerland is viewed as the ultimate land of milk and honey for many from third-world countries.

Surely that's the UK - the benefits system there is free cash for the lazy.
You have to see local authorities from the inside to realise what I know is correct.

A sort of friends invitation, paid for in cash by the inviting party. It's madness.

I agree with planner's method which I choose to do. If they are from NZ or Oz and are seeking information I will reply.

mas fred wrote:

Update - I just dumped the request.
Of course, it helps if the sender is blonde, and sexy - more so if they're a lady.

You mean grumpy, old, grey-haired, male twits need not apply? 

El_Jost wrote:

mas fred wrote:

Update - I just dumped the request.
Of course, it helps if the sender is blonde, and sexy - more so if they're a lady.

You mean grumpy, old, grey-haired, male twits need not apply? 

Sort of depends. if they aren't spammers, and don't want sex, it'll be fine.
Blonde ladies don't have to follow the second rule.

mas fred wrote:

El_Jost wrote:

Problem I think is that Switzerland is viewed as the ultimate land of milk and honey for many from third-world countries.

Surely that's the UK - the benefits system there is free cash for the lazy.
You have to see local authorities from the inside to realise what I know is correct.

A sort of friends invitation, paid for in cash by the inviting party. It's madness.

Yes, that describes the UK to a tee.
Let's put it this way. UK is the ultimate soft touch.

But a lot of people seeking a better life are attracted to Switzerland.
Since Switzerland is not quite such a soft touch as the UK - a recent referendum is FORCING the Swiss government against its will to toughen up immigration by using quotas - other methods are sought.
They are among others...
- Getting refuge status
- Coming here as a tourist and as quick as possible climbing into a Swiss lady's underwear
- Making a steady relationship to a Swiss male visiting the far eastern flesh pots with a view to marriage.

That said there are many well-paid foreigners from all round the world in the Basel region working for the big chemi / pharma companies. But virtually all of them leave when their time is up since they can easily find jobs wherever they want.

i check the profile

well that its true and correct.

I always respond to contact requests (not just on EB) by asking the sender where he/she knows me from and why he/she wants to be connnected to me. Most don't even bother to reply, but if they do, I consider accepting the request.

I also opened (with Julien's approval) a fake account of a pretty girl ("AsianGirl") and posted a few naive questions. Over a few weeks, I received a few (maybe four or five - one of them even from an EB team member!) dubious PMs and contact requests by men (who, except them EB team member, I then pissed off by replying that not all Asian girls are whores and they should reconsider the way they treat the other sex).

^
Nice.

PS - sorry about that PM - I lied, it's only 10 inches.

I never accept any because I don't get what the point of the list is.

ECS wrote:

I never accept any because I don't get what the point of the list is.

In fact, although I accept most, I have no clue why I do so or what use the list is.

Yes, I have had requests and two have communicated with me right after I "accepted".  Others requested me to add them to my "contact" but then I never hear form them so I delete them. These types I have no idea why exactly they request to be added in the first place. It's silly...

I accept all until they give me a reason to delete them.  It doesn't hurt me at all and it makes new people feel welcomed.

Jumping into an established site that has people who have been members for years can be difficult.  Some sites are not at all friendly to new people and it can be overwhelming when all the older members are friendly with their friends but keep new people at bay.  Being accepted by older members, even with something that is kind of pointless, can make it all a little less daunting sometimes.

mas fred wrote:

PS - sorry about that PM - I lied, it's only 10 inches.

You mean centimeters.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

mas fred wrote:

PS - sorry about that PM - I lied, it's only 10 inches.

You mean centimeters.

If it gets down to millimeters we will have to call him the Queen of EB. 

El_Jost wrote:

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

mas fred wrote:

PS - sorry about that PM - I lied, it's only 10 inches.

You mean centimeters.

If it gets down to millimeters we will have to call him the Queen of EB. 

In British English, if you call a man 'a queen', he's the sort of chap that bats for the other team, usually has a high voice and perhaps likes to wear dresses.

It's 12 inches but I don't use it as a rule....

I accept and reply to them and if needed guide them.............

mas fred wrote:

In British English, if you call a man 'a queen', he's the sort of chap that bats for the other team, usually has a high voice and perhaps likes to wear dresses.

We already know what you like to do on weekends.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

mas fred wrote:

In British English, if you call a man 'a queen', he's the sort of chap that bats for the other team, usually has a high voice and perhaps likes to wear dresses.

We already know what you like to do on weekends.

Oops, I thought I'd managed to keep it a secret.

As Benjamin Franklin said, "Secrets are like fish.  If they wake up early after three days, you have to throw out the bath water."  Or something like that.

Hmmm! Somebody's seriously mixing metaphors. 

Ben was a raging alcoholic.