Social Networking: Rock 'em, Sock 'em, Block 'em!

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A fellow on Google+ just shared an article with me about a woman having sex with a horse and a pig.  Not sure how he wound up in my circles; maybe his initial posts were a bit more on the subdued side, but he is no longer in my circles.

Do you spend considerable time removing undesirable people from your Twitter, Facebook, and/or Google+ accounts? Sigh. At least we can say thank goodness all the Britney Spears video Twitter accounts are a distant memory now.

The Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots conjured up in my head a few days ago, supplying inspiration for writing about social networks and blocking. Never had that toy, but I’ll apply it here to a process of sorts:

#1 Rock ‘em: Giving someone the opportunity to be included in your life by following, friending, or circling.

#2 Sock ‘em: Sometimes on Twitter I’ll comment to the person before blocking; call it fair warning if you like. “Put some clothes on girl” is one statement I’ve used. Not sure how I wound up following them in the first place! (Step is optional)

#3 Block ‘em: “His block is knocked off!” You didn’t make the grade and here’s why:  A distinct lack of in garment investment, violent and/or vulgar subject matter, avatar shows two people in a compromising position, or foul language.  I won’t block you for standing up for your opinion on pretty much any other subject; just don’t rant on a single subject. Don’t have to agree or disagree with what you say, but I’ll respect it and enjoy reading different viewpoints.

Now, your rules may differ from mine, and that’s okay.

And now it seems that some questionable folks are appearing on Google+ too. The clean, intelligent crispness of Google+ was destined to start deteriorating at some point.

A few weeks ago I was alerted about a guy who was ‘out on the prowl’ on Google+, only circling women while posting pure smut. He was my first block; at the time I hadn’t circled him, nor had he circled me. The intro on his profile reads (yes, in caps): I AM A BUSINESSMAN.I AM INTERESTED IN FRIENDSHIP WITH HOT PERSONS. And occupation? WE MANUFACTURE YARN. Yeah, tall tales! He also claims to be a “graduate in Science”. Uh huh.

This clown now has me in HIS circles, despite my blocking him. Now Google+, why would you even allow this?

Regarding three popular social platforms, here’s the scoop on blocking:
When you block someone on Twitter, you will no longer see any of their tweets; however, they can still see your tweets by searching on you. Tweets are PUBLIC.

Google+ appears to work in a similar way. While you can shut someone out and not see their posts, they can still see your posts if you’re posting publicly. Luckily, on Google+ unlike Twitter, YOU choose how widespread any given post should be, so if you’re posting to a limited audience, they won’t see it.

Facebook works a bit differently. If you block someone, you no longer exist on Facebook to them. Even if you’re posting publicly, you won’t be visible from the blocked profile. However, and apologies for creeping you out, they could create another profile and find you in searches. And again, if you’re posting publicly, they’ll be able to see it all.

In closing, to see the product that inspired this post click here.

Google+ Breakups; My "First"

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“Self-serving” …verbiage recently used to describe a prominent author (among other achievements). Let’s call him “Ned”. The phrase came from someone who is well schooled in the social media field and has a healthy following and reputation.
 

Specifically, the phrase was part of a declaration of why the poster of those words had come to the decision to “uncircle” Ned. I too had brought Ned into my circles; the respectful gesture was not returned but I didn’t mind; here was an opportunity to easily keep tabs on all the important things that he had to say and teach me. No longer was Ned lost in the Twitter clutter; he was now a part of small but growing group of my Google+ “adds”!
 

Well, I was in for a surprise. Every post was me here, me there, look at me. Non-stop. At first, it was entertaining….wow, a look at Ned’s life! Our “relationship” was fruitful albeit one-sided for those initial days on Google+. Then, the post from the SME caused me to evaluate the relationship.

My conclusion? Some sad truth: Ned seems to have missed some important points about social media. Wait a minute. He KNOWS much about Social Media, however, perhaps he no longer feels the need to follow the “rules”.
 

So here’s a quick refresher course in the unlikely event that Ned would bother to read something from a not-so-well-known but mighty force (uh, that would be me I guess).

• Social Media is not about you.

 
• Social means “allowing people to meet and interact with others in a friendly way.”

• If you treat social media as if it’s a one way street, it is not social.

 
•  Engaging is perhaps the closest word related to Social Media.

 
•  Posting 24 hours a day every five minutes can be exhausting for us on the receiving end.
 

You get the idea. And you probably figured out what my next action was. And yes, I certainly could filter via circles, however, I would like to offer the opportunity for others to be heard. There’s new people to meet who aren’t household names and lots of talent to learn from them AND acknowledge. No need to have to skirt around hurdles to discover all that creativity out in cyberspace.
 

For me, personally, Social Media is about sharing information and joy. And I’m thankful for the new relationships I’ve made because of Social Media. 
Here are a couple of simple guidelines I go by, no matter what social platform I’m on. You may or may not agree with me, and that’s perfectly okay.

• Respond to people. I’m a “people person” and I do care about you.

• Reach out and say hello. 
 
• If something is interesting, acknowledge that person via retweets, sharing, etc.
 
• It’s impossible to see everything, everywhere and much as I’d love to see what you have to  say all the time, please don’t expect me to be able to do so. If there’s something you REALLY want me to see, PM or DM me and alert me to it.
 
•  Be kind. No point in making negative or rude comments; it’s not engaging. Friendly debate; now that’s another story…
 
• No whining. Hello, we’re talking about public forums here. Deal with it on your own or with a few close friends.

• Social Media is not a chore; it’s a part of your lifestyle. So have fun. If something ISN’T fun, you shouldn’t be doing it. 
 
•  Be original and authentic. Display your own creativity instead of constantly borrowing someone elses (namely photos) from the internet. 
 
• The use of LOL does not promote conversation; use it sparingly or along with a comment.
 
• Respect people. Everyone deserves that.