Facebook in a crowd

Facebook in a crowd. Hal Neidzviecki invited his ~700 Facebook friends to meet him at a bar. (via 3qd)

"Fifteen people said they were attending, and 60 said maybe. A few hundred said not, and the rest just ignored the invitation altogether. I figured that about 20 people would show up."

The assumption proved to be a bit optimistic.

"I raised my glass in a solitary toast and promised myself I’d spend less time online. Then I took a gulp: the beer was delicious but bittersweet. Seven hundred friends, and I was drinking alone."

The article illustrates two points: The term "friend" in the context of online networks is greatly hyperbolic and "maybe" is one option too many. (You saw that one coming, didn't you?)