I'm sure people will respond to this the way that reflects their personal experiences, but as long as the earlier relation was neutral to positive, great. Otherwise, "Danger, Will Robinson".

I like this. It's true. Actions speak louder than words.

Yeah I try to reach out as much as possible because I don't really get contacted like that, only by a select few, and I hate the thought of others feeling just as alone. One must be careful though because not all of those that try to "reach out" have good intentions, like recently had an old friend contact me out of nowhere for what ultimately ended up being a ploy for me to send money for drugs... I did wonder why I hadn't heard from them in years but I wonder no longer...

Absolutely. Some people just take others for granted, and then you don't hear from them anymore. I'll try to follow up a few times with people who don't respond, but after that I won't chase after them.

Sage advice.

Yes, we should always be pleased when friends are keen to keep in touch. Sometimes over the years we can become separated from people we’ve been close to and it is nice to hear from them again. Social networking has made it easier to get in touch and keep in touch.