@lurker
This is the modern illness I believe (or not illness just training and social training asa result of capitalistic near-0 residue... or whatever no need give it name but what you said is it)
A few experiences similar to yours
- "who are you" questions
- closely followed by needing to know you name, flag, 'what you do' profession etc... as if life was a business AND as if it was some kind of safety measure having those details
- People think the last point is enough to 'know you'
- They don't realise friendship is a long haul thing and needs starting somewhere (in fact anywhere!) and then expect to have ups and downs in understanding AS PART OF FRIENDSHIP
- actually forget it the list is too long...

And for the follow there is good reasoning for NOT allowing follows from random people such as not allowing people to see all your friends and circles easily, the same as why people don't need to put real names and a level of protection is integrated there. For example I mostly have chat to people before either way but follow needs a bit of justification for more than one reason so I hope that answers that partially too that it work in many ways + and - and people do have to choose sometimes for gate or no gate or long term what they want / need.

Either way the respect for human life and the paranoia (that actually spreads badness itself trying to waste my energy for so long and still get not chat... is for me self-evident of people's lack of dedication to life and more over-defensive guard that brings everyone down in lack of participation, and at the same time I'm thankful strange as that is as people do bad work fast also.

Definitely not everyone has the same stance, view, virtues, abilities... even the greats around here! SCARED! BUSINESS FIRST AND AT THE END ANY EXCUSE ETC!