Facebook and I are having a bit of a throw down lately. Each day, I feel more and more as if etiquette has gone out the window.
I realize that proper grammar, is like, SO 2000, but seriously? Use capital letters and punctuation once in awhile!
I’m referring to a cousin, who, each time I read his status updates, I want to drive the 12 hours to Nebraska just to smack him upside the head. A recent update:
ok back to my game and finding food then who knows today is gonna be boring
I don’t even know what to do with that sentence. He couldn’t be bothered to reach his right ring finger down on the keyboard and throw in a period somewhere? I know it’s too much to as for a cleverly placed dash or ellipse, but c’mon! A period is all I’m asking for!!!
This kid is 21 years old. He should know better. It makes me sad that kids today have this level of grammatical expertise. Because you know this isn’t just a cool thing to do on Facebook. I’d bet money this is how he turns in his term papers. I’ve never thought about unfriending a blood relative, but he’s got me seriously considering it.
If I’ve ignored you once, chances are I will continue to ignore you. TAKE. THE. HINT.
I am (well, WAS) friends with someone who used to work at my office and who, truth be told, I didn’t really know. Couldn’t even tell you what she looked like, don’t remember when she worked there, yada yada. But several other co-workers are friends, and I’m a friend whore, so I friended her when I received her request.
She’s an entrepreneur who is apparently using Facebook as a marketing medium. Fine. But when she repeatedly (and by repeatedly I mean EVERY. DAY.) invites me to become a “fan” of her “page” and I repeatedly (and by repeatedly I mean EVERY. DAY.) ignore the request, you’d think she’d take the hint.
Or not. So then I resorted to unfriending her. She’s the first person I’ve ever unfriended in all of my social networking history. We’re talking way back to MySpace days. But desperate times call for extreme Facebook action.
And guess what? The next day? She invited me to “fan” her “page”. AGAIN. At which point I began to get slightly creeped out. Why was she stalking me? Why was I so critical to her business that she NEEDED me to be a fan?!
It was then that a colleague reminded me that she’d recommended me as a freelancer for some writing the Facebook Crazy needed. At which point I felt bad and felt that maybe I should become a fan of her page and friend her again. But then I remembered that there’s a such thing as e-mail, and if she knows how to continually invite me to her page (a very impersonal communication), she can certainly send a personal e-mail.
So every day, I continue to hit “Ignore”. Perhaps I’m shooting myself in the foot denying potential business for myself. But if someone can’t remember common business etiquette, then they need more help than I can offer.
Babies. All. The. Time.
I have a best friend. She’s the one I go visit every Labor Day. She just had a baby. Don’t get me wrong, I get the whole “babies change everything” motto.
Best Friend just got on Facebook. I was totally geeked. Finally, we could keep in touch more than the occasional e-mail or visit. I could hear about her life, and sure, her baby’s, too.
It’s become apparent to me that the only reason she joined Facebook is to have an online Baby Book, because that’s the only thing she talks about. Aside from a brief status update relating to her latest Netflix, it’s babies 24/7.
I’m happy to see photos of the little muffin and coo and coddle just as much as the next Facebook-er. But I miss my friend. And this is just a daily reminder that she and I now lead completely different lives.
As the stories add up, it’s becoming apparent to me that I need to take some dramatic action. Maybe unfriend a few more people. Maybe hide their updates so I don’t receive every single alert about THE! CUTEST! BABY! IN! THE! WHOLE! WORLD!
And to the haters — I get that my Facebooking may in turn annoy people. My updates are largely uninteresting and I may be guilty of over-sharing on occasion. But, at least Iknow how to use proper punctuation and can take a hint when I’m not wanted. Just as I may unfriend you, you are more than welcome to unfriend me.
That’s equal opportunity Facebooking, y’all.