Take one female friend’s recent discovery regarding a guy she’d seen more than a few times.

Said guy doesn’t live where my friend lives. On the occasions that they’ve gotten together she’s either gone to or happened-to-be-in his area or he has traveled to hers.

They remain, for the most part, in occasionally regular contact. A week or two may go by in which they don’t speak, but then he’ll get back in Facebook touch with a message/text/not actual phone call.

A few weeks or so ago my friend discovered that this guy had made a trip to the place she lives but had not contacted her. Now, in fairness, she lives in a fairly big place where this guy has several other friends. My friend and this guy are by no means in a relationship. But, given their past contact and history, she was surprised he’d come all this way without at least letting her know.

On account of The ‘Book his trip was public information. An entire album of pictures were posted advertising the fun he’d had. He was not trying to hide the fact that he’d been in town.

“But I can’t be like ‘Hey, saw all your pictures from ________, thanks for letting me know you’d be in town’” my friend said, “That’s just creepy.”

See, cock tease.

It’s like we have all this information about people’s whereabouts and activities and breakups and hook ups but in dozens of circumstances it’s just fore play. We have to sit on it. And by “sit on it” I mean talk about it endlessly with everyone else who’s seeing the same thing but also can’t say anything about it until we arrive at a person with the appropriate access to directly address it with the people in question.

“Did you see those recent pictures of _______ and ________ together?! I thought they broke up. What’s the deal?”

I want to know if ________ and ________ and this guy who snubbed my friend are posting pictures and status messages full-well knowing exactly how people are reacting. We all know how it works. Dude knows how the Facebook works. So he was fully aware that my friend would know he was in town. And that once-couple could rattle off the list of people who saw those recent pictures and went, “wtf?!”

So do we technically have full liberty to just say something!?

Established Facebook etiquette says no. I cannot openly write the following wall post: “Hey ________. Cute pix of you and _______!! What’s the deal? Thought you guys broke up!” Just as my friend really shouldn’t openly (or even in message form) blast that guy.

So Facebook goes on allowing people to rub shit under our virtual noses. But if people make things online public knowledge, then shouldn’t the online public have cart blanche to comment? I’m made to feel like a creeper when I say, “Hey! Ireland and Scotland looked amazing! How was the trip?” to a mere acquaintance, but why were the pictures posted if not for me and 567 other people to see them?

Really makes you think about what you’re advertising and who can see it. That and how many “friends” you have that you’re technically not friends with.