Do I know you?

A close friend once told me that sharing intimate details about her life had caused others to feel they knew her better than they really did. These individuals also used this knowledge about her as licence to offer commentary and unsolicited advice about her life choices. Sadly I was probably guilty of treating her this way until very recently as well.
Yesterday something happened which caused me to experience the above on the most amplified scale. Someone from my childhood posted two statuses, minutes apart expressing the deepest despair and what I felt was a cry for help. I knew from previous FB posts of this same individual that they had been through some really painful stuff that I hope nobody ever experiences and consequently felt very much alone in the world and both helpless and hopeless. I wouldn't have any connection to this childhood acquaintance except for FB, I wouldn't have any knowledge about these very intimate details of this person's life except for FB. Never-the-less, a cry for help is a cry for help. I knew I couldn't do very much half way across the world, but I wrote what I felt were words of encouragement under the status, tried to let this person know that they are worthwhile. When this was rebuffed, I tried private messaging the person to let them know that I was there to listen. They answered with a single sentence of one of the very sad and painful things that occurred in their life recently. I went on and wrote a paragraph of encouragement, some words of which I debated writing. I can't say I deeply regret any of what I wrote, but I then had the humbling experience. That is when I was put in my place. This individual politely reminded me that we don't really know each other anymore.
Facebook and other social media that has emerged in the last decade gives us access into the lives of people who may never have stayed connected with and often people who we never met. We can share the most intimate details of lives verbally and visually with the entire world in an instant. And we can offer support, advice and sometimes less pleasant interactions with people we may have not stayed in contact with or don't even know. But the question is, should we? Something to ponder.