Help with Understanding how Facebook Works please.

[ladybirder]

I joined Facebook 1-2 years ago ostensibly to look up an old friend but immediately backed out again when I was bombarded with people wanting to be my friend. A quick look at the names showed they were people I knew, lots in my gmail address book, or friends of people in my address book. I suspended my account and have never been back again since.
My question is, did Facebook have access to my email address book on my computer? If not how did it know all these people were friends, relations, or friends of friends? I don't use Facebook and don't understand it so please be gentle with me.
I have been discussing this with a friend and we can't agree on the definitive answer so any help from someone who really knows these things would be very useful. Thanks.

[ummmm]

There is an option where it asks if you want it to search your contacts. Maybe you clicked that.

[cathfromsaron]

there is another button, called introduce people to ...

maybe someone click for people to contact you?

that IS the purpose of FB after all!

[ummmm]

It's not hard to ignore requests either.

[ladybirder]

Ummmm There is an option where it asks if you want it to search your contacts

So if I inadvertently ticked that, then Facebook can look into my contact book Ummmm?

[cathfromsaron]

i use FB to store and share significant pics and news with friends! my gandson lives here so his mum can look in when she wants!

i find i can easily click no when i stranger 'friend' requests me! i know quite a few people who have been bullied, and indeed i have unfriended my 2 first cousins because of their language! i also never accept gaming requests!

i hope my small list of friends and acquaintances are genuine people, instead of having 600+ unknown folk, like some!

maybe you would enjoy getting what you want out of FB if you actually managed to contact that old friend?

cath x

[cathfromsaron]

your email address book can be called up and sent messages, yes! but you would defo know if that were happening!

cath x

[murraymints]

i have ONLY people I know..really to share photos with overseas friends..

[ummmm]

I'm not sure how it works Lady. I'm guessing it can go through your contacts and match them with the same email addresses on FB.

[Gizmonster]

Isn't there a feature called "friend finder" where it searches for friends by looking through your email address book etc?
What's possibly happened is that people in your address book have been using this feature and your address has been imported into their friend list and you've been sent a friend request. It's nothing you've done, it's your friends in your address book who are guilty ....... I think lol :)

[ladybirder]

Thanks everybody. I never wanted to join Facebook it was a last ditch attempt to find a lost friend when all other avenues had been explored. I had to join in order to have a look and did the minimum allowed to gain access. I can't imagine for one minute that I would have knowingly given permission for FB to nose around my contacts.
Gizmonster, what you have said is interesting. If I'm understanding you right, you are saying a member who has ticked the correct box is agreeing that anybody who is in their contact list is sent a friends request when/if they join FB? So if I'm in their contact list I get a friends request. That would make sense GM because surely it would be illegal for FB to be accessing private info without your permission. Thanks.

[boxtops]

You really need to review your privacy levels, I have ticked only the box which says I can only be seen by people who I choose (or something along those lines).

[ladybirder]

Boxy, as I said, I used it once (for about 4/5 minutes), 1-2 years ago. I have no intention of using it again so I won't be reviewing my privacy levels thanks.

[hc4361]

Your email contacts already on FaceBook has given FaceBook permission to access their own contact lists and email addresses, putting you in the Facebook system so that you were flagged up with all those contacts as soon as you joined.

For that very reason my FaceBook id is totally fake.

[sunny-dave]

Found you hc4362 ;)

[hc4361]

I don't think I explained that very well.

FaceBook hasn't accessed your contact list and email account.
You have been flagged up in your contacts email accounts because they have allowed FB access.

[hc4361]

Not me, sunny-dave, must be an imposter.

[ladybirder]

Thanks hc. I think you've just confirmed what GizMonster said. Perhaps I might go back in and 'unjoin' - if I can remember my password after all this time.