Buddy lists tend to get bloated. We all love to idly check away messages to see what people are up to, but this, my friends, is unproductive. If you're thinking it's time to scale down a buddy list, here is a sound, proven mathematical way of doing so. Count in the following factors:

"¢ -100 for every year it's been since you've talked
"¢ +3 for creative/interesting away messages
"¢ +3 for interesting links/news
"¢ +10 if you hooked up
"¢ +20 if you got your D wet
"¢ +100 if you did her roommate, too
"¢ -500 if you did her roommate, but she doesn't know about it
"¢ +500 if you think there is a chance of hooking up again or for the first time
"¢ -1000 if you dated but there's no chance you'll hook up again
"¢ +100 if you talk every day
"¢ +50 if you talk every week
"¢ +10 if you talk every month
"¢ +1 if you talk every year
"¢ -50 if you have a secret man-crush on a guy
"¢ -50 for depressing or lame away messages
"¢ -1000 for an alternate SN that hasn't used since the new one

As long as people are in the positives, they're safe. Anything lower than zero and they get removed.

So let's take a look at a typical member of your AIM buddy list. Let's call her Karen.

You wanted to hook up with Karen in high school (+500) but haven't talked to her in 2 years (-100 x 2) and occasionally she has depressing away messages about the war in Iraq or the death of her pet squid (-50). Karen totals 250, so she stays on.

Here is another person. Let's call him Curtis. You and Curtis lived in the same building freshman year. He puts up interesting away messages (+3) about how hungover he is or who he slept with, but you haven't talked in three years (-300). Curtis is gone.

Try and out and see how much dead weight you can lose and how much easier your life will be.