Despite its many flaws Facebook is still an essential website
for most people. Everybody uses it in different ways, but Facebook’s
raison d’etre (reason for existence) is for friends and family to keep
in touch with each other online. And it manages this exquisitely.
Unfortunately, Facebook has no power over who you choose to befriend on the site, or what those friends post on their wall. I say “unfortunately” because a lot of people post nonsense on Facebook. Nonsense that really should get them unfriended, by you, immediately. Do your friends do these things? It might be time.
The Facebook Like has become a simple shorthand for registering approval of something without needing to take the time out to comment or explain any further. It’s a genius idea, and one which Google has since replicated with the +1 on Google+.
However, it’s open to abuse, with people openly asking for Likes for statuses, pages, or even sweeping statements they assume everyone on their friends’ list will agree with. Don’t be taken in by this, and don’t click the Like button just because someone asked you to do so. Just unfriend them instead.
I like reading intelligent and well thought out status updates from my friends on Facebook. These can often spark lengthy and informative conversations that I, they, and a host of other people get involved in. Unfortunately, not everyone seems capable of writing a few sentences out for themselves.
Their Facebook feed instead consists of nothing but automated status updates. Perhaps telling the world the location they’re currently in, what games they have just played, songs they have just listened to, or TV shows they have just watched. I don’t care about that stuff, Mr. Roboto, so why are you telling me?!
Ignorance is never good, but it’s somehow even more galling than usual when it’s the main thrust of a Facebook status update. If someone posts something on Facebook then they should insure they know what they’re talking about before they do so. Otherwise their ignorance will be discovered and ridiculed. By me, or pedants like me.
Having a strong opinion about something is what social networks are all about, but basing that opinion on one version of events or a biased source, especially when you’re hurting half the people on your friends list with it, is only going to rile people up and lead to an unpleasant unfriending. Unless, of course, everyone else on your friends’ list is ignorant too. In which case, keep on keeping on.
The Web is an amazing resource for news, whether it’s short updates on breaking stories or in-depth reporting on serious issues. Unfortunately not every piece of news you see online is legitimate, either because it originated on one of the many spoof news websites or because it’s someone’s idea of a joke.
The vast majority of us (I’m sure) make sure to check the validity of a news story before spreading it around social networks. But that minority that remains seems more than willing to post any old rubbish to Facebook, whether it has any basis in fact or not. Which isn’t good for the reputation of the Internet as a source for real news.
Flouncing has been around as long as the Internet has, with chatrooms and forums being the early tools in the flouncer’s arsenal. Now, it’s Facebook, with attention seekers the world over able to make a dramatic exit only to return a few hours (or at most, days) later.
There is nothing wrong with leaving Facebook for good, declaring that you’ve had enough of the bickering and BS and are deleting your account. But don’t tell everyone you’re leaving the site only to come back after a few people persuaded you to do so. That’s flouncing, it’s childish, and it deserves an immediate unfriending.
Enjoying the occasional rant in life isn’t all that bad, especially if it’s a focused rant about something you’re interested in. But ranting all day every day, and on Facebook in particular, is behavior not becoming of an adult, no matter how immature that adult may be.
When every status update is a rant then that person has lost all sense of reality and is just pumping bile out into the ether. And who is on the receiving end of that stream of vitriol? Why, friends and family of course. Unfriend this ranter and don’t feel guilty about it for even a second.
Many people like taking photos, considering themselves to be competent amateurs. The emergence of smartphones has aided this revolution, as everyone with a smartphone now also has a capable camera in their pockets just begging to be used. But that doesn’t mean it should be used. For everything. All of the time.
It also doesn’t mean those photos, and I mean each and every one of them, should be posted online. Parents who post endless photos of their genetic offspring, foodies who post endless photos of the meals that will end up looking a lot less appetizing after digestion, vain nobodies who post endless selfies complete with duck face expressions. Enough already.
Unfortunately, Facebook has no power over who you choose to befriend on the site, or what those friends post on their wall. I say “unfortunately” because a lot of people post nonsense on Facebook. Nonsense that really should get them unfriended, by you, immediately. Do your friends do these things? It might be time.
Like This Or The Puppy Gets It
The Facebook Like has become a simple shorthand for registering approval of something without needing to take the time out to comment or explain any further. It’s a genius idea, and one which Google has since replicated with the +1 on Google+.
However, it’s open to abuse, with people openly asking for Likes for statuses, pages, or even sweeping statements they assume everyone on their friends’ list will agree with. Don’t be taken in by this, and don’t click the Like button just because someone asked you to do so. Just unfriend them instead.
Annoying Automaton
I like reading intelligent and well thought out status updates from my friends on Facebook. These can often spark lengthy and informative conversations that I, they, and a host of other people get involved in. Unfortunately, not everyone seems capable of writing a few sentences out for themselves.
Their Facebook feed instead consists of nothing but automated status updates. Perhaps telling the world the location they’re currently in, what games they have just played, songs they have just listened to, or TV shows they have just watched. I don’t care about that stuff, Mr. Roboto, so why are you telling me?!
Ignorance Isn’t Bliss
Ignorance is never good, but it’s somehow even more galling than usual when it’s the main thrust of a Facebook status update. If someone posts something on Facebook then they should insure they know what they’re talking about before they do so. Otherwise their ignorance will be discovered and ridiculed. By me, or pedants like me.
Having a strong opinion about something is what social networks are all about, but basing that opinion on one version of events or a biased source, especially when you’re hurting half the people on your friends list with it, is only going to rile people up and lead to an unpleasant unfriending. Unless, of course, everyone else on your friends’ list is ignorant too. In which case, keep on keeping on.
This Is Real, I Swear
The Web is an amazing resource for news, whether it’s short updates on breaking stories or in-depth reporting on serious issues. Unfortunately not every piece of news you see online is legitimate, either because it originated on one of the many spoof news websites or because it’s someone’s idea of a joke.
The vast majority of us (I’m sure) make sure to check the validity of a news story before spreading it around social networks. But that minority that remains seems more than willing to post any old rubbish to Facebook, whether it has any basis in fact or not. Which isn’t good for the reputation of the Internet as a source for real news.
Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home
Flouncing has been around as long as the Internet has, with chatrooms and forums being the early tools in the flouncer’s arsenal. Now, it’s Facebook, with attention seekers the world over able to make a dramatic exit only to return a few hours (or at most, days) later.
There is nothing wrong with leaving Facebook for good, declaring that you’ve had enough of the bickering and BS and are deleting your account. But don’t tell everyone you’re leaving the site only to come back after a few people persuaded you to do so. That’s flouncing, it’s childish, and it deserves an immediate unfriending.
I Rant So You Don’t Have To
Enjoying the occasional rant in life isn’t all that bad, especially if it’s a focused rant about something you’re interested in. But ranting all day every day, and on Facebook in particular, is behavior not becoming of an adult, no matter how immature that adult may be.
When every status update is a rant then that person has lost all sense of reality and is just pumping bile out into the ether. And who is on the receiving end of that stream of vitriol? Why, friends and family of course. Unfriend this ranter and don’t feel guilty about it for even a second.
Have Camera, Will Use It
Many people like taking photos, considering themselves to be competent amateurs. The emergence of smartphones has aided this revolution, as everyone with a smartphone now also has a capable camera in their pockets just begging to be used. But that doesn’t mean it should be used. For everything. All of the time.
It also doesn’t mean those photos, and I mean each and every one of them, should be posted online. Parents who post endless photos of their genetic offspring, foodies who post endless photos of the meals that will end up looking a lot less appetizing after digestion, vain nobodies who post endless selfies complete with duck face expressions. Enough already.