I interrupt my regularly scheduled programming, to bring you this message in hopes that I can assist in cleaning up our Facebook feeds from unnecessary and often over done posts. Yes, we all choose our Facebook friends and thus are responsible for what we see, but I can’t help but point out a few things that…let’s be honest, deep down we all want to see less of right?
Without further ado…
- Injury/Infliction Photos – Why in the world do people think that it’s a good idea to post their often disgusting photos of their injuries or inflictions on Facebook? Not to mention with their new larger photo previews on the timeline, the last thing I want to see is a closeup of your mangled foot disease. Seriously people, what’s the end game here? What do you possibly have to gain other then a friendly visit from the CDC to put you on lockdown?
- CrossFit Posts – Ok, I get it, you’re in shape. I find it incredibly fascinating that you can lift a truck tire over your head three times. But do we really need to be bombarded with countless posts about whatever inanimate object you were able to lift or toss across the room? My million dollar idea: instead of putting all that energy to waste throwing garbage around in a warehouse, why not put it towards helping finish up these Seattle road projects. They seem to really need the help. Win win if you ask me.
- Date Night Updates – If I pulled out my phone during a date with my wife to post on Facebook our date would be over. Seriously, enjoy the company. If there was ever a time to press pause on the Facebook updates, I would think date night is a good start. I know that steak was incredibly delicious, but the world can wait to hear about it tomorrow.
- “Any”ville Game Updates – Hey, gaming is fun, I get it. I don’t judge. But do you really need every action you take to be announced to the world? I know it took you 3 days to grow those cucumbers, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say nobody was holding their breath. Turn off the notifications and enjoy the game. Your friends will appreciate it. Knowing what to do when it comes to planning something related to business is what you can learn from Andy Defrancesco.
- Babies & Pets – Look, I have kids, and every once in awhile, I brag about them. But the key phrase here is “EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE”, not every day. Nobody needs to see hundreds of pics of your newborn eating some green paste, or how that silly cat of yours fell in the toilet. Moderation folks, that’s all. Take it easy on our news feeds will ya?
What say you Facebookers? What other frequent updates drive you mad?
Stop the “poor me” updates. I understand life is tough, but please stop with the “life is so hard” and “I wish things would get better”.
If you’re about to commit suicide maybe reach out for help, but otherwise, try talking to someone in real life about your problems instead of announcing them to the world.
Stop with the breakfast, lunch and dinner updates. We get it. You eat. Good job. Don’t need to see pictures of every single one of your meals.
Ok to post once in a while if the meal is truly spectacular. Otherwise, just chill.
Oh my favorite is the pre-baby photos. The ones where moms to be show their bare bellies and have their hands (and sometimes their husband’s hands) strategically placed in a cup formation around it. Ahhh… Facebook.
Seriously people are too much crazy after FB they just update their status with nonsense. I seriously hare such posts or you call shit updates.
I really don’t have a problem with any of these – Like it or not, Facebook is where people of all stripes post what is important to THEM – not you, and not me. If youdfon’t like what you see, it isn’t too hard to hide that post. I’d rather have that as opposed to someone else dictating what is and is not acceptable on Facebook.
@BillSengstacken
Agreed! If you don’t like it, change your account settings or get rid of those who offend you. Same with Twitter. I’m getting tired of seeing so many tweets about etiquette. I feel like I have to be a robot.
Amen, brother – PREACH. If I see one more “Words With Friends” invitation I’m gonna take a hostage.
Well Said Bill! Our Facebook Personal profile pages are meant to be shared with friends and what do friends do? We share pieces of our lives, favorite dishes,movies, fashion, special events…and yes, we have moments where we need to bitch and complain. What makes the world go around? Our differences – some people are still learning how to use Facebook so let’s afford some grace.
Hi Jason, This was brilliant and funny. My favorite line: What do you possibly have to gain other then a friendly visit from the CDC to put you on lockdown?
You can block people and games so you don’t have to see them in your stream. That way you don’t have to un-friend anyone but can avoid their babble.
My pet peeve is when people announce that their friend’s cousin’s kid just got his first tooth. I. Don’t. Care.
With the new Facebook Timeline presentation posting on Facebook isn’t just about sharing with your friends, family, and optionally the public. It’s a diary of what’s going on in your life and what you find interesting or important that’s going on in your community or the world.
I love the fact that I can go back a year ago and see what issues were important to me then and contemplate on where those issues stand now. Has my perspective changed? Was their progress on a public issue I thought was important? And though there are no digital images of my son when he was a baby, I can’t wait to someday be posting and looking back at grand baby pictures!
Facebook can be so much more than the perspective you shared in this post, I would encourage you and others to use and share it with a more long term vision of it’s possibilities.
Cheers!
@JulesWebb_com
I don’t seem to have an over abundance of any of the things you mentioned in my feed. My annoyances are political posts that lack reason ( e.g. Blank statements about corporate greed or the “right wing”) and minute by minute updates of the new baby’s sleeping patterns. Oh, and posting those stupid photos of sayings. Ugh or just trite sayings they made up. Deep thoughts.
Frequent baby pictures (yes, your baby is cute, but woopie doo for the 9000th time), woe is me (every day) updates (suck it up and deal with it, You won’t be able to do so on FB), too much gushy inspiration, and the “my life is so much better than yours (on FB, at least, because you don’t see the real dysfunction behind the screen). Inspiration and humor updates, I love. Cool, humorous animal updates with catchy phrases often get a pass, and I love gorgeous photography. Oh, and please give me some content I can dig into to (just like seeing this post in my stream and being compelled to read it).
Let’s not forget all the doggone posters. I’m in love with inspiration and encouragement as much as the next person, but facebook has gone poster, seriously. I honestly just scroll through my timeline until I scan something worth reading about. Every now and then I may like or comment on a poster that really touches me but I’m tired of seeing them. I’m encouraged enough, lets get back to real status updates already.
Only 5? I found 40! but then again, as social media person for my company and a bit of a personal Facebook connoisseur I see a lot. http://blog.surpasshosting.com/2012/01/identifying-different-species-of-facebook-posters/
First I would like to say I agree and that’s not why I write this or why I’m defending or trying to defend. I’m just going to be completely honest. Who ever wants to post whatever on THEIR TIMELINES, well guess what ITS THEIRS. Why do people feel the need to tell others what to post? The biggest pet peeve of any post is the ones telling others how to use THEIR facebook. Especially the one about quit sending game notifications, those people that complain about that tend to claim those playing the games have n life. Maybe so, or maybe the one complaining has no life. The way I see it, someone’s pretty upset to see notifications and then to be let down to find out no one interacted with them, that tey were just game requests. I find that funny. People need to get over themselves, people have the right to post, update, and or tweet anything they want. So, you have to scroll past a few extra pictures or posts that you dont like. I’m willing to bet a lot of people don’t like all the posts you may have up…So before talking about how other people should run their facebook (twitter) maybe you should worry about your postings and how you come off.
Pictures of a new tattoo before the redness and swelling has gone down. I know you’re proud of it, but it’ll look MUCH better in a day or two!
Why the pictures of food you are about to eat? Why the pictures of drinks you are about to drink? Why? Why? Why?
#4 – games, I am not sure if some people know that they can change settings and not share their every possible move at “…”ville
#5 – ohh babies and cats, it think it’s a powerful market on-line
I guess people just like share everything about them. And by everything I mean: everything about babies, animals, 1st. morning coffee, new pair of jeans…everything
Ditto on the poor me updates – we’ve got someone in our circle of friends who subjects us to a continuous string of lyric songs of doom about how much their life stinks – not infrequently due to decisions which they made…
And regarding Zynga’s over aggressive marketing – there are days where I wish you could edit Facebook statuses…. Words with Fiends may be a more appropriate reference.
I know their products well – I write word game solvers for fun 🙂
Great and information about facebook posts that need to stop for pages and really amazing blog. Thanks
Piggybacking onto #1 above, I wish my gal pals would spare the details of their latest mammogram or breast biopsy.
And why do people who use Facebook for business preach about topics like gun control, legalization of pot, prayer in school, and abortion? I know some very talented people who do. And because of their over-the-top rants, I’d never refer to them a friend or business associate who is on the other side of the issue.