[watmough]

"People You May Know is based on a variety of factors, including mutual friends, work and education information, networks you’re part of, contacts you’ve imported and many other factors,” said the spokesperson by email. “Without additional information from the people involved, we’re not able to explain why one person was recommended as a friend to another."

Facebook is full of shit. Of course they are using locations, why else would I get suggestion to friend the guy that cuts my Mother in Law's yard - he stops by for a check from my wife.

[laksjd]

Isn't it more likely he has your mother in law's/your wife's/your phone number programmed into his phone and shared his contacts with Facebook?

It seems like that is the source of 99% of 'creepy' Facebook recommendations: Facebook doesn't realize that while 'has phone number' is a great indicator of 'knowing somebody' it has poor transitive properties.

[Domenic_S]

...because the gardener has MIL's number in his phonebook, you have your MIL's number in your phonebook, and MIL has both numbers in her phonebook. See the network?

[mgcross]

Yeah, I don't buy it either. I only use FB in a browser (Android) but have had multiple friend suggestions of people I do not know but have seen out at a bar or party a couple of days afterwards. They aren't in my contact list, pretty damn sure I'm not in their contacts either. I wasn't tagged and didn't check in, but probably did log in to FB at some point while at the location.