Why do some people post everything to everyone on Facebook?

I have more than a few friends who post everything they write (and the accompanying photos) to every person on their friends list, even if the posts are about people that most of us on their friends list don’t even know.

Let’s say I have a friend, we’ll call her Mary. Mary (and John and Beth and Doug) post things about their in-laws, their old college friends, their spouse’s co-workers, their children’s school friends, and their old childhood friend’s kid’s weddings. I don’t know any of these people and I’m pretty sure that most of Mary’s (and the others who do this) friends don’t either, unless they’re in one of these particular groups.

Do they really think that everybody on their “friends” list wants to see and hear about all of these other people that are unrelated to them, not by blood, nor circumstance?

Do they simply not know how to use that cute little gear button that gives everyone on Facebook the option of limiting the audience to people who might appreciate seeing all of these other people? It only takes a second or two to click it and pick an appropriately appreciative audience.

I don’t have tons of friends on Facebook, mostly just relatives (who thankfully don’t seem to participate in this activity) but there are about 5 who do this regularly and daily, and although I do want to see what they personally are up to, I don’t like to have to wade through endless posts and pictures of people I’ve never met, never heard of, and most likely will never know.

I don’t want to be rude and tell them to knock it off, nor do I want to block the posts and pictures of them and the people that we have in common (and yes, unless they’re living in a cloud, they do know who we have in common) so I don’t want to unfriend them either.

I have this awful feeling that the people who post everything to everyone, are also posting everything publicly and the folks in the pictures probably don’t even know that.

Any suggestions for improving this situation without hurting their feelings or blocking everything they post?