Have any of you Friendster users received messages from strangers asking you to add them as a friend?

I have.

Just recently, I changed the pictures in both my accounts. What I didn't know was that if you changed your photo or updated your profile, your picture automatically goes up into the gallery and that's where people find other people to "cn u b my fren?"

Now, I know I should be flattered. To date, my first account has a total of 37 messages and 3 friend requests. My second account has a total of 20 friend requests and 1 message. But c'mon, people! Friendster is used to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances you haven't seen in a long time. Unlike in the US where it is used to meet people and eventually date them, in this country, mostly everybody does not do that. One annoying thing is that 95% of the people who sent me a message ask me, "cn u b my fren?" Goodness! You're not sending me an SMS message so lay off the short cuts! Even worse, some try to act cool and all that, hoping you'd succumb to their charms. It's almost insulting because they think you'd easily hook up with them just because they're trying to impress you with their slang.

So, please, allow me to have some fun... words enclosed in ( ) are my comments

Guy 1: hi! i just want to be ur more than a friend i like u... (ooh, please tell me this is a case of love at first sight- or click!) can i get your landlyn number if you dont mind. rok on! (hahaha! rok on?!? that's a first!)

Guy 2: can we be friend? (with an 'S', you idiot! with an 'S'!)

Guy 3: pang supermodel ang tingin! (flattery is not gonna get you anywhere!) add me ha! (may kailangan ka pala!)

Guy 4: Hi, musta ka, bf mo b yong ksma... selos ako kc (Hindeeeee!!! He's my brother! We're kissing siblings!)
Later on, he messages me again: Hi, im rey, 27 yrs old, fm pasay, military pilot, puede b kitang makilala binibini. Open my add: email address, para makita mo ang picture mo. cp# cellphone number (God! You're freaking me out. Your name says Francis but you tell me you're Rey. It says you're 29, but you say you're 27. And how can I open your email address? I don't have your password! But why would I even bother?! I'm so tempted to tell him that my dad is an honorary member of PMA! That ought to stop him!)

Guy 5: A gud day to u... can i add you up... m jst impress with your cool face eh... (Ah talaga? I'm impress with your cool face too! Cutie ka eh! Kaso barok ka. Wag na nga lang!)

Guy 6: Friends? (Uhh, nag- away ba tayo?)

Guy 7: Can I add you as a frnd? ur so cute cat... (I know!)

Guy 8: can i be your frens by the way im ________ and can u add me to your frenster? (No 'S' in friends, you idiot! No 'S'!)

Guy 9: Would you mind? (Mind what?) I'll wait. (Oooh, we've got a martyr in the house! Or are you vying for the title "The Next Rapunzel"? I see you've grown the hair already! Waiting will make it even longer!)

Guy 10: Can we be friends? (Finally, somebody who got it right! Sorry, as much as I like to because you're the first one who asked me with all letters and punctuation marks complete in the sentence and with proper grammar, no less, I'm already handling two accounts, filled with people who I actually know!)

Guy 11: hi! i noticed u in the gallery thats why i wannaask u if u cud be one of my prend? can i get ur email add? can I also add you on my freind's list?thaks (*cat bangs head on the table*) -- message from borgee/ bhong (oooh, schizophrenic, are we? or do you use 'borgee' to impress the ladies?)

Guy 12: hi cat! matt here.. working for ayala... u work in makati? wana meet up? =) grab a beer or something? wat do u do exactly? reply ayt? =) (Wow! You don't waste time, do you? First of all, I dont like beer. Secondly, if you're interested, you'd read my profile. Read what it says under profession, then you'll know what I do and even where and for whom I work for! Third, obviously I have a boyfriend and I'm very much in love with him as you can see in the pictures so I'm not the type of girl who'll just meet up with a stranger to 'grab a beer or something!' Lastly, what do you think of me? Cheap?! If you're like that to all the girls you send messages to, no wonder you've had just one friend since June 2004!)

Guy 13: Hi der...? Sory for disturbing hope...? can u be my fren. (Whaat?! Disturbing hope?!)

Guy 14: Cutie mo pala! Add me up.. Gwapo ko noh? Hehe! (Lacking in self- esteem?)

Guy 15: hi.swety.wud u be my fren f 8s ok. w/u.by da way dis my email add____ (Ugh! I stopped reading after the word 'swety.' And the jumbled letters forming a sentence gave me a headache. I mean, didn't you get one too?)

Another girl asked me to add her and her boyfriend up, meaning she gave me 2 separate addresses. I'm like "What? Are you looking for a third to complete your threesome?"

Another guy said he works in a casting agency and if I or any of my friends wanted to be a model or actress to give him a call and that casting for the movie "Ganglord" is not yet over so I could still go if I want. Oooh, just what I wanted! To be the next flat chested,"hindi- siya- porn!- art- siya- and- may- moral- lesson- yung- story!" porn star!

Only one guy seemed polite among the bunch. He introduced himself (just the name, no historical data or possible match ups with me based on feng shui) and asked me if it was okay to add me up, to reply if I was interested and if I'm not, to just ignore the message and he was sorry for disturbing me. He even said thanks. Very nice, mister! Your mother did a good job raising you.

As much as I wanted to give my sarcastic replies, I didn't. Because I knew that the reply with the most impact is my silence.