What Is The Facebook Poke For?!

So I don't really understand what the Facebook poke is for. Facebook says it's a way to say hello to someone. Why can't you just go to someones wall and say hello?? And then what do you do once you have received a poke? Do you poke back? If so it could go on and on a long time.

Last time I actually poked someone in real life rather than the Facebook life they were not too pleased about it, I wouldn't exactly say it was a good substitute for saying hello.

For the past who knows how many months, probably like 6 months I have been in a poke war with someone. I will win. I will never lose. I think though it's more a question of who will die first more than anything.

I wish Facebook made it more clear what a poke means. Like a "Oi, I fancy you" or "I wanna marry you and have your kids" or "I wish you were dead and I could poke you with a stick". Makes more sense than a hello......