DO YOU MIND???

I am fairly new at this blogging thing and not sure about blogging etiquette (or if there is blogging etiquette?). I have two questions.

1. Is it okay to go blog surfing? I had no idea what a blog was this time last year. My sister introduced me to blogging. I was curious to know who else was out there blogging. So I went blog surfing. I clicked on one of her comments, which led me to the blog of one of her friends from high school. On this friend’s blog, I found friends that I went to high school with, so I clicked on them. I found SO many people that I know. It was amazing. I love getting caught up on what my friends from high school and other acquaintances are doing. I usually know the owner of the blog, but sometimes when I am blog surfing, I run across a blog that is just a good read. Back to my question. Is it okay that I am looking at people’s blogs that ONE, I haven’t seen or spoken to in a few years and TWO, people that I don’t even know?
2. Assuming that it IS okay to be looking at other blogs, can I add them to my blog friends? If you didn't want people looking at your blog, wouldn't you go private? I don’t want the owner of a blog that I read to come to my blog and see their name on my friends list and think to themselves “what the H, who is this crazy?” I would be flattered if someone I didn’t know was interested in my writing, but I could be in the minority on that.

Let me know what the proper etiquette is or if YOU MIND when someone is reading your blog that you haven't seen or spoken to in a few years or poeple that you don't know at all.