I have realized over time that some Facebook members have an interesting perspective on the ways of Facebook. Some of these protocol issues have been brought home to me by comments made, often in private, by "friends".
On the page where you read all the comments, if someone posts more then 7 or 8 times a day, I usually delete them eventually. NOT because I don't think what they say is interesting. And, certainly NOT because I don't think of them as friends. But, the practical side of me says, if there are that many posts from that person, then I don't get to see all the other friends who post, as there are just so many down there to read. I just found out, again recently, that someone was offended because I "unfriended" them.
So, I guess the protocol should have been that I notified them prior to unfriending them to explain my actions. I've unfriended a lot of people. I mean lots. Some have been people who posted offensive, to me, posts on a continual basis. Or negative, political posts. IF I want to see that, I'll buy a newspaper or watch the stations on TV that cater to that sort of thing. I don't.
I also was informed that I'm supposed to "like" anything that a friend posts. Really? I have too much to do and I'm certainly not ignoring anyone. I certainly don't expect all my friends on Facebook to "like" what I post? Am I wrong?
The same thing with continual promotion of businesses. I realize it is a wonderful way to promote businesses but I don't read ads in the newspaper or watch them on TV, so why would I want to see that on a personal site such as Facebook? An occasional comment about some event or business affair is one thing, but, really, in my humble opinion, not daily.
This world of "social media", whatever that is supposed to mean, is a new world. If I'm wrong about any of the above, I certainly hope people will correct me or set me straight.
And, as much as I would hate to lose contact with nieces and nephews and other family members, if it gets too cumbersome, I'll be a former Facebook user.
By the way, did you see the 60 Minutes segment on the "marketing" companies who capture your every move on the internet, form a dossier on you and then sell that information? That was a sobering and informative segment. It gives one pause for reflection as to whether all this instantaneous information and contacting people is worth it, doesn't it?
Look forward to seeing your comments, I think.
15 comments:
I agree with you, Babs, for the most part, and for most of the same reasons. However I have not unfriended many people, except a few who are offensive or spend all their time trying to promote some political point of view. The occasional political comment is OK, but when "my" page is inundated with stuff I disagree strongly with, something has to give. And there always is the option of "hiding" someone's posts. That way they don't show up in your space and you haven't unfriended them. From time to time you can check on them if you like.
I also find FB a great way to keep up with friends and family all over the world. I would miss out on a lot if I suddenly closed my account.
Marc, I didn't know about "hiding". Very good to know. The political stuff drives me crazy.......literally.
How is the house coming along. I seem to spend my days in the gardens on a daily basis now trying to clean up the mess that the contractors made by throwing stuff into my garden - concrete, dead limbs etc. The gardener does some, but not a very motivated guy. He's good for sweeping and watering. That's about it! I was just up on a six foot wall and decided I AM certifiably crazy! ha.
I'm one of the few not on Facebook. The Edward Snowden revelations confirmed all my worst fears about how much my actions were being tracked on the internet, and FB is probably a goldmine for them. It was also a major mental leap for me to start my blog, but there I at least have the advantage of not fully disclosing my name, and being able to control all that's on my site.
But I do from time to time wonder if I'm missing out. But your comment on the politics is something of a relief. Certain people in my family only send me political junk e-mail, and it'd be rather weird to have to "unfriend" an immediate family member.
So I may now have a new reason to stay off of FB.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where the paranoia is as thick as the snow still in the back yard.
I unfriended two young women, one a beloved niece, just because they were prolific posters and I was tired of reading about their latest boyfriends and looking at their party pictures. I didn't know they would be informed of my actions. They never said anything. But, in any case, I also don't know how I could have told them in advance of my decision without hurting their feelings.
I agree with Gringosuelto. I'm not on Facebook or Twitter or any of that high tech stuff. I don't even have an i-phone, or whatever you call it. (One of my pet peeves is these people who constantly have their phone glued to their ear... be it in restaurants, walking down the street or in the car.) I have a cheap track-phone that is never turned on (I don't even know the phone number) that I only use for emergencie or to make long distance calls. I don't want to be constantly "connected". I'm connected enough with my land-line phone and e-mail! I guess it's amazing that this old dinosaur actually has a blog!
I also have a few friends who post way too often. You don't have to 'unfriend' them, just 'unfollow' them. By doing that, their many daily posts will be hidden from your home page and they will never know. There is no denying, though, that facebook buys information in order to place personalized ads on your page. I found an ad for garden supplies on my fb page about an hour after ordering seeds from an online source.
Kim the most important thing on your post, is your tagline. I can't believe you STILL have snow! Aargh.
Christine, they aren't informed when you unfriend them but I guess they figure it out when they don't get your posts any longer......
I unfriended a relative who used such foul language (he's young) and I wrote and told him how his language offended me. He didn't stop so I unfriended him!
Loulou, I have had the same thing happen. I looked at some Merrell sandals online. Now I have all kinds of ads down the side of my FB page! How do they do that? It's disturbing to say the least.
Bill, I"m with you. I don't have an Iphone or Ipad or any of those things. But, I do have family everywhere with little children, etc and it is nice to keep up with them through posted photos.
I also agree with you that no one needs to be "connected" all the time. I have a tiny cellphone but I keep forgetting to buy minutes for it, ha, on purpose. NOT being connected, most of the time is a blessing.........
Kim isn't the only one with snow. Here in Ohio, after a couple days of seasonable temperatures, winter has returned today. We could get up to 8 inches of snow, and the temperature is supposed to go down to the single digits tonight.
Bill, I bet you wish you were somewhere else, like Mexico?
Yes, I do. But in less than a month I will be back in D.F. But winter here better be over by then! ha ha
Barely get involved with FB - just try and keep up with my son and some relatives - other than that I am NOT a poster.
Well, Calypso, I'm glad you comment here as I always look forward to hearing from you.
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