The Pitfalls of De-Friending

De-friending is an unfortunate reality for social networks. It happens for many reasons, but is always awkward. Here are some de-friending stories from Mashable (names have been changed to protect the embarrassed):

Social opportunists: Andrew got a friend request from Jane, who he didn’t know but was friends with many of his friends. Turns out, she just wanted them all to join her business networking group.
Don’t use my life against me: Doug fell behind a little on a project, to which a colleague responded by bringing up photos of his weekend rafting trips received via social network to shame him. So de-friended!
Best friend’s ex-girlfriend: Chris de-friended his best friend’s girlfriend after they broke up, but it got him roped into their post-breakup drama: “How can you say, ‘Let’s be friends’ and then ask Chris to de-friend me on Facebook?” the ex complained to Chris’ friend.