Tim O’Reiley gives some good concise (much-needed) advice on Social Networking invitation etiquette.
I remember when people first started using email, and there was a flurry of publications on “netiquette,” the etiquette of how to use email. Social networking is at that stage now. There’s been a lot written about the potential for future embarrassment from photos or videos published on Facebook or MySpace, but I am focused on a humber bit of social networking etiquette: the proper use of invitations.
The main bit of advice seems to be: ditch the default invite message and write something about why you should be connected. It’s not rocket science, but from my experience it did need to be said. He probably says it better though.