Okay, it has been a while since I posted a note ranting about something that annoys me. Shocking, I know! Today’s rant was going to be about wonderful husbands who piss you off, but I am opting not to go that route at this point. Instead, I want to talk about Social Networking Etiquette.
If you know me, you know that I am a HUGE advocate for social networking, both for personal and professional purposes. When I’m not moving, I can almost always be found on either Facebook or Twitter (Tweetdeck). As a person, I find it very cool to interact and chat with others who may or may not share any common ground with me. Most of the news/current events I get are from Tweets. I don’t like to read the news or watch it on TV, but I probably need to know what is going on in the world, so I watch the tweets.
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My other favorite place to be is Facebook. I use this both personally (Family Tree connections) and for business. As a publisher and an author, it is crucial that people know me and what I write and publish. Facebook works for me. What doesn’t work for me is other authors who shake their groove thang on my stage. I do not go to other people’s pages and leave shameless snippets of promotion about my books. I just don’t do it. If I post to someone else’s wall it is either personal or something funny or awesome that I thought they would enjoy. I know for a fact that they would NOT enjoy me promoting Dark Shines My Love on their wall. It is much the same as you bringing your tuba playing son to my daughter’s ballet recital. Okay, your son may not play the tuba and I don’t have a daughter, but you see my point. Right?
So why would you friend me on Facebook and then start leaving links and excerpts for your book on my wall? Why? Do you want me to unfriend you? Do you do this to everyone? Leave a comment about something relative and add a link (one link) to your website, fine. I can live with that, even encourage it. But nothing more.
The other thing is groups. If I want to be a member of your group, I will seek it out and join. Do not take it upon yourself to add me to your group because you think I will enjoy it. I can promise you I won’t, and it will just make me post nasty comments about you. I know, not professional, but neither is assuming someone wants to do something without giving them a choice. Delete it, you say. Unjoin, you say. Why should I have to take that time out of my schedule to undo something I didn’t do in the first place?
I beg of you, please think things through before you do them online. It isn’t rocket science, it is just common courtesy.
So, now that I have ranted, tell me what you hate others to do on social networking sites.
Journey of the Heart 
I hate @ chains. You know: #FollowFriday @thisone @thatone @thatotherone @somemoreones @somebodyelse @whatshisname …. on and on. It doesn’t help to end with “great folks!” or “Wonderful Writers” or any other compliment. I have never followed anyone listed in such a chain, but I’ve often followed somebody individually recommended: #FF @SpecialPerson for insightful and amusing tweets.
Some people like the chains because they figure others grouped with themselves would be compatible. But that’s my rant. 🙂
Personally, I don’t like for people to promote their political views. I don’t mind a political joke or social commentary (to an extent), but if I want to know about politics, I’ll watch Stephen Colbert!
Funny you post this, Karen. The same thing happened to me on Facebook yesterday – I logged on to find 2 people thanking me for accepting their FB request with an uninvited post of their book on MY page. Bloody cheek. This is rude, rude, rude. Another social media pet peeve is twitter followers who only follow to have me follow back and then drop me right away. Following someone only to boost your numbers is pathetic – if you have no intention of networking, stay off the social media sites. Rant over.
Where did that pitiful kitten come from? Other than that, I agree with your post. I don’t want to be signed up for anything unless I chose it. I already have all I can handle. Common courtesy makes life more pleasant. I’d like to see more of it in all areas.
Games. I’m glad people like them, and have fun playing them, but I don’t. Isn’t there some way to turn off those stupid auto-posts every time you reach some goal in them or whatever? Could y’all use it, please?
That’s a major peeve with me, too. Do they have to sound like spam bots? Couldn’t they even take the time to find *something* intelligent to say about something I’ve actually posted about?