Lets me see what my friends are asking or answering...it also helps if they are being trolled....;)

Yes, I do know in a way, but will you be so kind as to explain all the nice things that it can do for me, I know you can keep track of questions and answers, what else is in it for me?

After a period of time you get to know some people. Other times you may enjoy someones style of questions of their sense of humor. Every once in a while I just like their name or avatar enough to add them.

I can follow your questions and answers!

friends ? what friends ?

yeah, I'm a little confused, who are you and why did you want to be on my 'friends q&a' list?

To network I guess.

As far as I can tell, it lets me know when my friend answers or asks a question, or comments on an answer. I'm sure she gets the same service for when I do anything. I don't know what else it does aside of showing everyone else how "popular" you are.

i have no friends

I usually add people if they often answer/ask questions I am interested in or ask as it is a quicker way of finding their questions and answers.

The concept of a "friend" varies from people to people. Some like to keep their circle of friends small and intimate, others are much more open in that regard and have lots of friends or acquaintances. When talking about AB: To me a "friend" here is a person that I find I have interacted and have a certain affinity with. -Some of them might be on the "Friends" list, but that's not indispensible in order for me to think highly of some users here-. I feel it's very important that such person has a good attitude, has helped me regularly or I have seen them trying to help others. They also strive to contribute to the site positively. Of course there are people on that list that I interact more frequently with, share similar ways of thinking, etc. so they have become closer friends of mine. To me it's a similar phenomenon that if we were talking about friendships in "real life".

It's a good way to get notice of their answers and their questions so you can respond to them. I always look at "friends Q&A" and answer those of interest to me. Sometimes 'friends' are inactive for a time so you may need more because of that fact. I have several I haven't seen anything of for quite some time.

Very, very good questions. There are several purposes. Here are mine: My Friends list is populated with people who have somewhat similar interests. Specifically, people whom I have had at least SOME meaningful conversation with. The conversation part is important to me. I'm not interested in adding people who won't even talk to me beyond simple phrases like "Thanks!" or "You're welcome." Because I populate my Friends list with people like that, I have a ready resource of questions, answers, and comments which they have recently posted and these are more likely to be on topics I find interesting myself. This makes Answerbag more interesting to me and therefore more fun. In terms of making progress from one level to the next, my Friends list is also useful, as people who like to interact more tent to be a little more likely to help people progress by giving points. You can visit my profile and see my criteria for my Friends list. It's real simple, but if you don't meet it then you'll sit on my waiting list for weeks or months until either you meet the conditions and I add you or I tire of trying to draw you out and deny your request. When I request to be added to someone's Friend's list, I apply the same criteria for them that I do for mine. If I have never had a conversation with them on some comment string here, then what's the point? Also, I'll check their profile to see if they have anything they desire from people who request as well. If they have it posted that they do not accept people on their Friend's list at all, then I respect that and don't bother to ask. Some people don't care who asks...they aren't interested in adding people to their Friends list at all. And still others will add whomever asks without caring who they are at all. Knowing a person personally is not a pre-requisite to being on someone's Friends list. (Well, I suppose if can be if that's what you want.) AB isn't about a dating service, where you are here to meet people on the internet in the hopes of hooking up in the real world. It's a social question and answer forum that's also supposed to be fun. The Friend's list is a tool for you to use however you choose and for whatever reasons you have.

Fine, I'll add one, and let you know...;) If I start experiencing any side effects; fainting spells, bloating, or the runs...he'll have to go.

When you ask a question, your friends get it and they answer. Also lots of friends means lot's of questions asked. To have someone to talk to.