It's all in your definitions. I define "friend" to be someone you know properly. You can't know 1,000 people. Sorry, but that just doesn't happen. Apart from on social networks of course, where 1,000 friends is nothing.

That's fine for you, and I tend to agree with you and refuse requests from people I don't really know, but it strikes me as the height of arrogance to define how others should use a social network based on your own preferences and preconceptions.

If you're using a social network to build an email list, or to amass as many people as possible for some purpose, that's probably what Facebook objected to. There are other ways to build email/contact lists.

I didn't say it was not the way they should use it, it just seems like this is probably the issue...

Yeah, people on social networks have an interesting definition of "friend". To me, a friend is someone who I interact with regularly. To users of social networks, it's anyone that you have perhaps maybe heard of or seen in the hallway. I used to use Facebook, and people I didn't know added me as a friend. I reciprocated ("yay, I have a new friend") but still never interacted with that person.

Now I don't bother with social networks. I have contacts that I keep in touch with regularly (mostly on IRC), and if I need a drinking buddy or a job I have no trouble finding it.