Sorry if this is such a non-issue, but it really spoiled my mood seeing a notification, opening it, and it was that an user had declined a friend request I must’ve sent long ago.
Wouldn’t it be smoother to have a notification triggered only if a friend request is accepted, and not when it is declined?
Maybe just log it somewhere else hidden in your profile or your settings, so as to have somewhere the “history” of friend requests accepted and rejected, if one wants to check.
Do not send a friend request. It will not be declined. You will not get a notification.
It seems expected that you read the answer of a request you make. Be positive or not.
I never send requests nor accept them. Friend feature totally useless.
It gives you the opportunity to find easely someone without writing his name. And to know at times that he is online.
If I don’t remember a name, I assume that is for a reason.
I agree with others that Friends is already a near-useless feature. It would be better as a follow model. (See related discussion: Feature request: "fan/buddy/follow" list)
However, if we do have friends, I agree, no need to send a notification when it was declined. I don’t think any other social network does this.
If I consider some other online gaming sites instead of social network I do get declining answers there. Fact is you may be waiting for an answer, and the receiver is making the effort to decline. It should avoid a bit of spamming too, if you ask 100 times you may have to read the answers too.
Friend feature is useful, I know the real names of most of the people on my friend list, not so sure about the usernames.
But I don’t need notifications on declined requests either.
Notification of a declined request has some small value for discouraging repeated requests. If a person gets no response, they may think it was overlooked or accidentally dumped, and therefore send another request.
Also, it serves as documentation of harassment if someone starts spamming requests. I mean that not in the sense of a hard record (I doubt any exists), but in the sense that you can truthfully say, “I declined these X requests,” rather than “I ignored the request,” where the defense might be “I thought he didn’t see the request.”
IMHO the documentation, if any is needed, can be kept just server side. Besides, is it really worth it to make the few that care unhappy, just because a minority exists that may abuse the “send friend request” function? Then we would risk to learn towards the “assume the worst of everyone” playing field.
Edit to add: agree with the others who say this is never a feature of a social network; and as for a few other gaming sites I know of, the “follow” feature does not track rejection or one simply cannot interfere with another user deciding to “follow” you. I suppose others may vary.
I like the confirmation of decision one way or the other. I’d much rather know they declined the request for whatever reason rather than be left wondering if they didn’t see it or are just ignoring it or accidentally dismissed it not knowing what it was
Why do you so bother about it? What is the reason to send requests if the responses does not matter?
As much as you are entitled to not care about this one way or the other, which was already clear from your first post which felt more convivial and ironic, this last post seems more confrontational and I would appreciate it if people didn’t bash me for my post (or worldview). Thanks.
Sometimes it does the opposite, it tells you it’s been declined, so now it’s time to send another one.
While if you try to send it again before it’s been declined it won’t let you.
How many do you need to send before someone finally accepts it? 
You should ask the people that abuse the feature 
It’s happened in the past that one user or another will send friend requests to as many people as possible and then when declined send another to the same person over and over.
They only can send the request again, once they know it’s been declined, so notifying them helps them in that instance.
I suppose this behavior is totally wrong. All subsequent requests should be muted. To make a friendship after rejected request should be possible only on the incoming request.
that’s too harsh, sometimes mistakes happen and it gets declined on accident, or they decline it, but then change their mind. Human relationships are much more complex than a simple friend system should attempt to navigate
If you decline and change you mind you could send a counter request which should be auto accepted if the original is not withdrawn