You know how in real life, you can just choose to avoid someone you don't really like without appearing rude/mean and the likes? You can choose to tell some people some stuff and the other "group" will have no clue? You can be exclusive AND not be rude? You can ignore a person's comment in a group discussion and go un-noticed?
Okay, it's not just because you can. But you actually restrict yourself or you have some common sense/manners/considerations in real life. So why can't we carry that over to social networks?
If you have an exclusive list or cliques, do not go around announcing that you have revised your little list and that you will be using that list more often. It's just
rude insensitive.
I mean, it's almost like you are saying, "Hahaha. You are not in the list. Not in my list. Nanny nanny poo poo!". I'm sorry, but seriously, that's the image that pops up in my head every time I see such a thing happening. And that image comes with butt shaking and tongue dangling out of mouth. Cute t-shirt and shorts sold separately.
I understand (but don't really agree) the need to have cliques and segregate your friends in social networks. So, just do it quietly and *pause and thinks* you know, "talk" to these people. You don't have to announce it to the whole wide world.
Because, you don't go around telling people that you have told Group A certain stuff and that you are not going to tell them, right? Right? *suspicious eyes*
Then there's the thing about ignoring comments. Let's say you have posted something really interesting and then it generates quite a bit of discussion. Some comments are really interesting and then there's those that are really DUH! But need some replying.
If this is in real life, you can just *pause* I don't know, smile and laugh at the person's comment and just let it pass. But if it's on things like blogs/plurk/Facebook, there's no way you can just let it pass. Especially since you are/will be replying all the other comments. What do you do?
I think it will be rude to just ignore the comment and the poor guy will be highlighted! People will be reading the discussion and then they will go, "Eh! XX didn't reply this person's comment. This person must be pathetic/clingy to XX/whatnot." Basically, it will look like you are blocking off that person. Like how Cynthia blocked Renu, Sivan's friend and me in the photo (I had to leech onto her to make the photo look continuous).
ANYWAYS!
Yeah. If you ignore the person, the person may
not be discouraged from commenting on your stuff in the future. That's not good, right? Because you never know! Someday, somehow, this person might just leave a comment that will enlighten you or enhance your stand or..you get my point.
Therefore, unless you have the intention to make the person look/feel bad, I suggest that you make some sort of reply. Be it a simple, "haha" or a Q&A classic, "I'll keep that in mind". Whatever! Just you know reply something!
One last thing! Remember how I say sometimes
social media can be like high school ? Well, there's another way of putting it.
You know how some kids in school will only answer/be active in some teachers class? Always the first to raise their hands? And how people like to call them teacher's pets/bootlickers and all sort of nasty names?Well, THERE!
When a person
only answers or comment on certain people's post (even though it's not something with discussion value), isn't he/she a "teacher's pet"? Eager to show that they are in the "in" crowd (whoo..sensitive word here) and that they are special, yada yada yada yada?
Yups, that's my 2-cents worth.
Just remember that even though you may not see people around you in social networks, it does not mean that they are not around. And hence, you have to be CIVIL to them!
Wrote this a few days ago. But now I'm just feeling a little jaded and tired of
Plurk social networks. It's like everyone already knows everyone from somewhere else. So it's just hard? And with all the "high school" stuff, it's just tiring? Oh wells. Don't mind me. Just tired and grumpy and
in need of a hug.
