[phyrrus9]

I've received and accepted quite a few buddy requests over the years, but I don't see the point of It. It's not to say that It's completely futile.

There's no right or wrong, each to their own.

Buddy lists are quite useful for VERY large forums in which you basically end up with subcommunities either using groups, specific categories (if the forum's topics aren't limited to a single field), or buddy lists. Basically if its a place who's online list at any time is >500, then it's the only way you really keep track of your "friends"