Originally Posted by
Over The Fence
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It is a feature some members use, and some don't. If you don't want to use it or see no purpose, then feel free to simply not add any friends or avoid this feature altogether. You are correct in the assumption that it is entirely a social feature. So is your friends list on Facebook, Twitter, and whatever other social media you use. Some of the regulars here are fairly tight and have been for a long time.
One important note is that you can set your PM permissions to "friends only", and there are several veteran members who do use a friends list for this purpose.