Facebook Turnoffs.. My two cents

This post has spent a lot of time in the depths of my saved drafts in Blogspot. After being urged by someone to post, I'm finally putting up my 2 cents.

Lately I've been spending less time on everybody's "favorite"(easier to say in trend, but leave) social networking site, Facebook(FB). Its not like i don't log in. Its just limited. I need my dose of connectivity. Nowadays when I open FB and check out the news feed there are a lot of things that get my attention. Some in a good way, others not so. The other ones, of course, are the ones I'm talking about here. I might be cliched to say about how people should and should not post on FB. But there are a few trends that really put me off on FB these days.

Let me start with people liking their own status updates, videos, photos, comments and the list goes on. One question - So did you hate it before you posted it and then realization dawned on you that you like it after posting? Come on. Liking something you have posted yourself is like Hi Five-ing yourself in public.

Photos. Is Facebook a social networking site or photo sharing site? It confusing seeing the amount of pics people put in a single album. You got Picasa or Flickr (and countless others) for that. The endless stream of (sometimes useless) photos, at times of the same thing, is mind numbing to say the least. Keep it uncluttered. Otherwise if you want to make people jealous, well, go on. And in profile pics don't put a thank you for each and every comment. We know you are happy about our comments and grateful. But a simple "Thank you all" and its variations will do.

Groups. I've lost count of the number of times I had to remove myself from groups I've been added to and forced to read the N number of notification from them. Your likes are yours and not necessarily of others. Don’t force it on others unless you are absolutely sure that they would like it. If not send a link and let the other person decide if he/she wants to take the drop or not.

If you got anything private to discuss take it off Facebook walls. Call the person up or get on chat and discuss. Or at least use the Facebook "privacy" settings (they are there for a reason) and keep it between those who know of it.(TBH I’ve made this mistake myself) And talking of walls, it isn’t there for Graffiti. DoNt TyPe LiKe ThIs, BeCaUsE iF yOu Do, YoU rEaLlY sOuNd lIkE aN iDiOt Or GoT a NuT LoOsE Up ThErE.

The box for status messages says "What's on your mind?" and not "What you are doing now, now and now and now again and finally Now?". No one is that curious. But if you want your stalkers to get bored and leave you in peace then, carry on with it.

Add me.. Add me.. Farmville.. Cityville... Send me.. Send me.. this that.. this that. Stop. They might as well add you to Loonsville and send you a straight jacket.

Your name is part of your identity. It gets real difficult people to find you on FB if you keep customizing your name now and then. Keep the real one. Not the one you would like to be known with.

It's complicated. Ya? really? If its so damn complicated, then how about logging out and fixing it and then coming back and reverting to "Single" or "In a relationship" or just hiding it altogether. Sounds better, sounds simpler.

Tagging. Good thing about FB which is spoiled by using where not necessary and not applicable. I wont go on much about this.

Cant understand why people still keep sending gifts on Facebook using applications. Thanks but how about sending me something in real life? How about that hug you sent when I really need one in real life?

Stop clicking on anything that says "click me", "watch me" blah blah blah. It’s spam. It might or might not give you a headache but it definitely gives others an headache.

One think I totally dislike about FB is that there is no dislike link. It’s like Dictatorship. Either like or keep quiet.

Remember one thing. You are in a public network. Use your common sense. Post sense.

Though not original, those were my 2 cents.

Disclaimer: These are my views. You might agree with a few and protest against a few. If you like it thanks.

@Crossroads

If you notice the change in the "Blog Title" then good on you :)

I stated this blog way back in the summer of '07 just out of interest. At that point of time i had no idea what to do with it or how to make it better. As time went on it found it very liberating to pen down what I've been through or sharing random thoughts. The title "Impossible is Nothing" just happened. It got stuck in my head from the Famous Adidas ad at that time and I've never thought of changing it. Well at least until now.

Why the change?
If to name the reason for the change I've got none other than the fact that it feel too cliched and being with it for so long it just begged for a change. Its been 4 years and that was the only thing(well other than the one who posts) that hadn't changed since I started.

why @ Crossroads?
Well just cos we are always there. @Crossroads. The dictionary defines a crossroad as a point where a decision must be made. We are always taking making a decision. Good, Bad. Black, White. Yes, No. Whatever the situation be we always have a choice. Some of the posts here are my choices, decisions, opinions and those, differ from person to person. Its like I'm at a crossroad and I decide to take a left when others might take a right. But that's choice. So @Crossroads :)

Circumstances

I often think about the way circumstances impact a person. Some will feel that it is a complete waste of time but others might agree with me that it does shape how a person reacts. If it is not the opportunities inherent in these circumstances, it might be the prejudices or the beliefs that are born out of them. We learn to read people, start thinking about unspoken words in pregnant pauses and also learn to manipulate and deliver what others want. Those prejudices that are born, take shape and grow with every false smile, every polite conversation and meaningless sycophancy, mostly to project ourselves as someone others want to see or say get into the good book or maybe just for personal benefit.It is sometimes rather scary to see how our prejudices prevent us in taking a rational decision, even if we know its the right one, and believe in people who will in turn act on their prejudices.Isn't it a probability that our illusory persona had made them lean towards us? Conversely, their mind would have probably learnt to sniff out one false twitch of muscle from another, again by circumstances, that they would start repelling us before we do.

It is actually amusing, how in this age of free thoughts,we let the people in circumstances shape us up rather than the free thoughts themselves, which lie dormant under the buried layers of experiences we have accumulated.

Remember this. You can lie to anyone in the world and get away with it. But not to the person who stares back at you when you look into the mirror. At the end of the day, if we get to bed knowing that our sense of identity had withstood one more day, we should feel lucky.

Or proud. :)