Facebook etiquette: How to break up with your FarmVille friends

The Facebook age has ushered in a new era of managing digital relationships. We've learned how to use social networks to connect with old friends, to stay in touch with current friends and how to make a clean break from former friends. There's easily enough material there for a few new entries on the Emily Post Etipedia.

Etiquette for friends you play Facebook games with, however, has yet to go under the same microscope. Yeah, we know you got annoyed when we posted all of those FarmVille links on your Wall, but that was a few years ago (get over it already!). But the real question is -- when you stop playing a social game, how do you break it to your fellow players? Most people just stop showing up and leave it up to everyone else to figure it out. Today, one of my now-former FarmVille friends just demonstrated how to do it right:

So the next time you decide to quit a social game, do Emily Post proud. Think about those that you're about to leave behind and do them the courtesy of dropping them a line.

When you stop playing a game that you've been playing with other people, do you let them know? What about other people you play games with? Sound off in the comments. Add comment.