BLOCKED: The Politics of Social Media Exposure and Ettiquite
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I have been online since the days of AOL/CompuServe/MSN.
I have only legit blocked three people since I have been on the internet: two people who frequent the tennis threads on GameFaqs back when Venus and Serena were first hitting the scene, and they insisted on calling them the Williams Brothers and some variation of simian. On top of all the other passive-aggressive racism concerning how they were ugly compared to their favorite skinny, white, blonde goddesses like Martina Hengis and Anna Kournikova, I could no longer endure (lol, tolerate) the overt stuff. BLOCKED.
Over a decade later, I return to GameFaqs to read the thread about the ongoing Major. Every now and then, I still see the "this user is on your ignore list" instead of a post, and I wonder if they have ever changed.
The only other person I've ever blocked is someone who you could consider an ex. We never consummated our relationship per se, but the feels have been there such that I ended up having an emotional affair. Skype conversations were had, photos were exchanged, and I began "shopping" for academic conferences nearby looking for an excuse to see her. Wife stumbled upon the emails and I was toast. A year later, the ex contacts me and is like "we can still be friends." I took that one to the Mrs and she nearly drop-kicked the monitor. BLOCKED.
After the stuff that went down between my dad, brother, and I, I am considering blocking/unfriending/whatever my bro on FB. I'm a transparent kind of guy who depends on writing as catharsis. I expected my dad to react the way that he did because he's predictable, but my brother is elusive, and burned me.
My brother, tho. Not some random person. This is the dude I grew up with. Family.
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I've never voluntarily unfriended anyone of FB. I once cleared out all the women on my FB when the emotional affair happened, and kept it that way until it was determined that I could have a healthy relationship with women who are not my wife. On the other hand, I have friends who talk about unfriending ppl all the time. They are those who were/are in academia as the Pew research indicates, they are quick to unfriend people who have stuff to say about Obama or say, the Alabama Supreme Court. My "progressive" friends are quick to silence opinions which dissent from their own, yet they are always championing the voice of the minority.
WUT.
On the other hand, my conservative friends are always posting the kind of stuff that gets on my progressive friends' nerves. And oftentimes, mine too. But unlike my progressive friends, they don't seem to care what other people think.
I like to keep my FB audience "balanced" like this because whenever something hot goes down, it's entertaining no matter what. Obama wins? Salt on one side, cheers on the other. Republicans win congressional majority? Salt on one side, cheers on the other. No matter who loses, I win.
What are some of your experiences with this in the realm of social media and interaction?
I have only legit blocked three people since I have been on the internet: two people who frequent the tennis threads on GameFaqs back when Venus and Serena were first hitting the scene, and they insisted on calling them the Williams Brothers and some variation of simian. On top of all the other passive-aggressive racism concerning how they were ugly compared to their favorite skinny, white, blonde goddesses like Martina Hengis and Anna Kournikova, I could no longer endure (lol, tolerate) the overt stuff. BLOCKED.
Over a decade later, I return to GameFaqs to read the thread about the ongoing Major. Every now and then, I still see the "this user is on your ignore list" instead of a post, and I wonder if they have ever changed.
The only other person I've ever blocked is someone who you could consider an ex. We never consummated our relationship per se, but the feels have been there such that I ended up having an emotional affair. Skype conversations were had, photos were exchanged, and I began "shopping" for academic conferences nearby looking for an excuse to see her. Wife stumbled upon the emails and I was toast. A year later, the ex contacts me and is like "we can still be friends." I took that one to the Mrs and she nearly drop-kicked the monitor. BLOCKED.
After the stuff that went down between my dad, brother, and I, I am considering blocking/unfriending/whatever my bro on FB. I'm a transparent kind of guy who depends on writing as catharsis. I expected my dad to react the way that he did because he's predictable, but my brother is elusive, and burned me.
My brother, tho. Not some random person. This is the dude I grew up with. Family.
------------------------------------------------
I've never voluntarily unfriended anyone of FB. I once cleared out all the women on my FB when the emotional affair happened, and kept it that way until it was determined that I could have a healthy relationship with women who are not my wife. On the other hand, I have friends who talk about unfriending ppl all the time. They are those who were/are in academia as the Pew research indicates, they are quick to unfriend people who have stuff to say about Obama or say, the Alabama Supreme Court. My "progressive" friends are quick to silence opinions which dissent from their own, yet they are always championing the voice of the minority.
WUT.
On the other hand, my conservative friends are always posting the kind of stuff that gets on my progressive friends' nerves. And oftentimes, mine too. But unlike my progressive friends, they don't seem to care what other people think.
I like to keep my FB audience "balanced" like this because whenever something hot goes down, it's entertaining no matter what. Obama wins? Salt on one side, cheers on the other. Republicans win congressional majority? Salt on one side, cheers on the other. No matter who loses, I win.
What are some of your experiences with this in the realm of social media and interaction?
There were these losers from 8chan who were taunting me for having not killed myself when I was going through suicidal depression. They knew me only because I defended the fact that trans women are women.
...I'm not exactly sure why I should not block those people? People get too defensive sometimes, but there's no reason why I need to not block rooshv "rape should be legal" for "balance" or whatever.
"Balance" between skull-fucking crazy on left and right isn't really balance. TERFs, racists, 8chan losers, commies, and all other insane people get blocked. I'm willing to listen to views on the far ends of the right (ffs, I have a fucking Friedman avi) or left as long as they're based on logical inference, expertise, and statistical evidence. I'm not going to listen to pathetic people who peddle dumb shit. Obama birthers and Sandy Hook truthers add nothing to my social media life.
...I'm not exactly sure why I should not block those people? People get too defensive sometimes, but there's no reason why I need to not block rooshv "rape should be legal" for "balance" or whatever.
"Balance" between skull-fucking crazy on left and right isn't really balance. TERFs, racists, 8chan losers, commies, and all other insane people get blocked. I'm willing to listen to views on the far ends of the right (ffs, I have a fucking Friedman avi) or left as long as they're based on logical inference, expertise, and statistical evidence. I'm not going to listen to pathetic people who peddle dumb shit. Obama birthers and Sandy Hook truthers add nothing to my social media life.
"Sandy Hook truthers" is new to me. Imma have to Google that one.
I have not seen a Birther on my feed in a few years. Tea Party folks are still present, though. They've been quiet lately.
I have not seen a Birther on my feed in a few years. Tea Party folks are still present, though. They've been quiet lately.
If you're on the fence about anyone, you can just unsubscribe from their posts so they don't show up in your feed. Then create a group of people on your friends list who you don't want to be able to see your posts, call it group X or whatever, and under the "who can see my posts?" option set it to "everybody except group X." This is Facebook's work around for not having to deal with unfriending Aunt Tilda while still having a life.
I've found that social media in general is the absolute worst place to have any kind of serious discussion on anything though. I just don't use it for that, enough other venues out there.
I've found that social media in general is the absolute worst place to have any kind of serious discussion on anything though. I just don't use it for that, enough other venues out there.
Thanks. I'll do that.
My bro doesn't even participate on FB. In fact, I have quite a few people on my friends list who lurk more than they participate. My wife deactivated her account (she calls it "FAKEbook"), and a mutual friend texted her congrats about her job because I mentioned it on my feed. My wife was like wtf, I was trying to avoid this person.
My bro doesn't even participate on FB. In fact, I have quite a few people on my friends list who lurk more than they participate. My wife deactivated her account (she calls it "FAKEbook"), and a mutual friend texted her congrats about her job because I mentioned it on my feed. My wife was like wtf, I was trying to avoid this person.