yes, I think it is just one of those features that comes with the newest version of vBulletin that Doc installed for us today
before there were "buddy lists"....now it is "friends" ....just a new way of "networking".....
see my kids teach me the cyber socializing lingo
I have been working so havent checked out all the cool new features yet, but I do love the new theme choices and am using the Spring one for now
AMN I am pretty sure you can now send out "group messages"
....... Yappy prolly knows more on that