What is a buddy list and how do I use it?
clicking the little ‘buddy’ icon at the bottom of someone’s post adds them to your list, which you can see in your User CP. All it really does is tell you whether or not a buddy is online or offline since the Private Message feature is disabled.
Well, there’s always the vB FAQ (I know, it’s hidden inside that little button at the top of the page, easy to miss).
That should pretty much answer your question. For more information, see:
FAQ - guidelines for posting at the SDMB
And
Here.
Here.
Here.
Here.
And, for future reference, the Search function is your friend.