either because of two things.
one because they honestly only saw that person as a friend and thought they were a great friend.
or two.
that the ex girlfriend still likes the guy and hopes that if they stay friends and see each other often then they still might have an opportunity to get back together(because she might still like him)
normally when your ex says they want to stay friends it means one of 2 things they think that there might be a chance in the future that they will be back in a relationship with that person or their just trying to be nice and don't want to hurt the others feelings but then again there is the one exception that they honestly want to stay friends cause the ex was a good friend and they feel that they had a good friendship or they could have a good friendship with this person
It could possibly mean that she doesn't have feelings for you anymore or at the moment, but still wants to keep a friendly relationship.
She may also want to be 'best friends' with you to prevent any awkwardness that may surface from people asking why you broke up and so on.
She's either left you or really does want to be your friend.
I could only guess why your ex-girlfriend wants to be friends with you; perhaps you are a good conversationalist, or perhaps she hopes some day to borrow money from you.
Hes saying he still likes you as a person but he needs space.
cunninglus
your ex may want to stay friends with you. might be wanting to repair the friendship that was once there.
Move on. If he does not want to talk to you then you can't be friends. An Ex is An Ex for a reason
Friends
because they feel guilty for hurting your feelings
Since hes your ex you should already know what he liked about you in the beginning of the relationship, 1st you have to make sure you stay friends with your ex, try to stay close to him, then once you and your ex are friends again, slowly start flirting again, it works sooo well... (I've made my ex want me back 5 times :] by using this) and if your ex gets jealous hang out with other guys as well when you and your ex start being friends (but don't hang out with other guys too much, he will start losing interest if you do that)
Just to stay in contact and make sure he knows what's going on with you
In some cases the ex likes you, but that does not mean they love you. To stay friends with one's ex is not a good idea and it is better to move on in life and start dating other people again. If the ex is suppose to be in your life then they will be.
f**k one of his friends
just tell your best friend that you really like him and see what she says about it.
he might want to stay friends, or more likely if he keeps contacting you he cant let go.
that is your call if you really want your ex back then stay off of the website. but if you want to try and move on stay on the website! hope that helps