As usual, if you get any benefit from reading this, go to http://www.rettsyndrome.org and donate what you can!
If you read my posts on any social networking site for a certain amount of time, you are sure to get my opinions on copy-and-paste status updates. I think I should explain, so I don't just sound like a dickhead. I may still, but not "just" a dickhead.
Most any time someone writes a message to copy and paste, they don't care about a cause. They want to see people re-posting the message that they originally wrote. It makes them feel special, I guess. Copying and pasting words that aren't even your own - "Even for one hour!" - Is rubbish.
A lot of times, it's in good fun - "send me a number I'll post something I think about you" or any number of lighthearted thingies, is NOT what I'm concerned with. CAP (copy and paste) messages don't help spread cancer awareness. Who is going to read facebook after all this time and HAS NOT been affected in some way? Will someone read and say "Wow! I didn't realize cancer was actually a problem!". It doesn't happen.
Conversely, some people want to share their own stories. For instance, I have a daughter with Rett Syndrome. It being a rare disease, sharing spreads awareness. This, however, is not a Copy and Paste situation. Facebook, as with most social sites, has a "Share" button, so that the original post is shared and attributed correctly.
We have ALL lost loved ones. Any of us with children know what it's like to love your kids with all your heart. Posting someone else's words is not only inflammatory - by implying your "true" friends will blindly copy and paste, but it's disingenuous. You love someone soooo much that died horribly from cancer, at war, you name it, and you can't even take the time to formulate your own thoughts about it before you go back to Farmville?
I've lost my mother to cancer, my grandmother to a stroke, my grandfather to smoking. I have very good friends I worry about daily because they are in the military. I have not reposted a single thought by anyone else about any of this, as something that really means something to me deserves thought. Real thought. My own, not someone else's. If I like someone else's words, there's some sort of button to indicate that.
Verify
If there is a sentence in a post with too much punctuation, claiming to inform me of something, I am immediately suspicious. Fortunately, if a message is spread through copying and pasting, it's easy enough, usually, to verify. The message is repeated with the exact same words by nature, so all you'd have to do is highlight a few words of the post, and paste it into a Google(or whatever engine you prefer) search. You'll see many of these are recycled.
Think
Remember Jesus? I do. I read the Bible. I can't say I'm a Christian, but a lot of these facebook sites shouldn't say they are either. A true test of faith is not clicking Like because a post says "If you're a true Christian click like! Let's see how many TRUE christians are on facebook!" If you've read the New Testament and are NOT offended, re-read.
You want to be a Christian? You want others to be, too? Be a better person. Be an example.
The same applies to the messages people copy and paste. They mean well when they do, but It's hard to take you seriously when from post to post you go from "Kill our black leader because he said the same stuff I said before he was elected!" to "I'm eating sushi" to a message that isn't even heartfelt, but copied, and pretty much calls everyone else a dink.
You want to do something to help cancer? Volunteer. Donate. Join a group. Put something IN. You have a kid with autism? Awareness is needed, but everyone who knows you on facebook probably knows something about autism. You want to help put awareness on facebook? Put up something unique. Something from the heart. Something that makes your story personal.
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Facebook is (gasp!) a social networking site. Be social. Network. Enjoy the friends you have. Make new ones. Share what you need to, read and learn about what your friends might be going through. If you just want to [CTRL+C], [CTRL+V] so you can act like you care and get back to asking people for imaginary nails, just go to the imaginary nails. It's OK.
No one will think less of you for enjoying your time.
Enjoy the internet. Don't think sharing someone else's concerns is a substitute for thinking for yourself, though. Don't think for a moment that a Copy and Paste does anything at all for you other than sharing words. If you miss someone you lost, keep them in your heart, and tell people about that person. If you have concerns about a disease, donate your time or money. If you love your kids - MAKE SURE THEY KNOW before your Facebook buddies.
I couldn't agree with this more. I copy & paste things that touch my heart or for a friend, who touches my heart. I DO.. post A lot, its my computer, they are my fav. quotes or funny posts, or something inspirational that helps me through my day. Most of my friends like them, one friend tells me that I'm taking up space on their wall...to that person, I say, Delete me !!!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you for reading. I should clarify something - sometimes, someone else's words are appropriate. Most everyone has a favorite quote, and sometimes the words for how we feel sometimes has already been said, and don't need improving on.
ReplyDeleteI mainly have contempt for people who believe anything they see on an online post, usually completely false, and repost because it's their new opinion.