[Air-l] A verb for using social networking sites

[richard.ling at telenor.com]

The idea of using friend as a verb reminds me of befriend (about 2
million hits in Google) befriending (1.59 million hits) and befriended
(2.69 million hits).

In other words, there is a well used traditional word that is already in
place. In addition, I am not sure that "to friend" or "to befriend"
really captures the essence of what is going on in these sites. 

Rich L. 


-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Jimmy Wales
Sent: 17. juni 2007 13:47
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: Re: [Air-l] A verb for using social networking sites

One part of what people do on social networking sites is friending  
people.  Anyway, I was wondering what people
are saying and so I did some unscientific online research. :)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=facebooking

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=friending

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=myspacing

"facebooking" has 26,400 google hits, "facebooked" 19,300
"friending" has  351,000 google hits, "friended" 331,000
"myspacing" has 121,000 google hits, "myspaced" 45,300

According to the Oxford American Dictionary, "friend" is an actual  
transitive verb, with
this example sentence:

"* add (someone) to a list of friends or contacts associated with a  
weblog or electronic list : I am friended by 29 people who I have not  
friended back."

neither "facebook" nor "myspace" appear at all in the OAD. (The  
version on my mac, I mean.)

--Jimbo




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