Facebook – A Shiny Trojan Horse

A lifestyle comment ...


I thoroughly dislike Facebook. There. I said it aloud. And I know I’m not alone. Maybe I should start a Facebook Healing Program: “Hi. My name is LinDee and I’m a recovering Facebook member.”

I can’t say I’ve ever been a Facebook fanatic. I used to be a private person and my sole purpose for joining was to connect with others on a business level. But its uses for many people are multi-level, appealing to every aspect of life. And I do mean every.

 

Have you ever visited FB’s various policy and information pages? They’re very enlightening. Right from the beginning they tell us (and we ignore the connotation): “We are building Facebook to make the world more open and transparent. …” (www.facebook.com/principles.php)

“The world” – as in governments and enforcement agencies that are supposed to protect us, yes; but the world, as in each individual, should NOT be transparent to the point of vulnerability to the mass villains!

Dishing on the Newsletter Sign-up Marketing Ploy

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Sound familiar? It’s a safe bet that you’ve encountered a similar request online at some point. To enter a contest, register for a webinar or other event, or even just to gather some research information, you often must “enter your email address” AND “you will receive our newsletter.”

I completely understand the marketing ploy behind this irritating request. But if you’re like me, chances are you already receive their newsletter, which is how you learned of the event or intriguing opportunity.

Entering your email address to validate the entry or registration is a necessary evil; and I’ll bet your next thought is, “I already receive their newsletter; if I do this I wonder if I’ll receive multiple issues?” (And you may not even want the one you currently receive).

Shock Jock Writers – Oh Yes, They Exist!

Shock-jock writers. Who are they? Think about it. We all know the name of the radio jock generally considered the epitome of the original broadcast shock-jocks. His name rhymes with “learn.” (I refuse to give him credit here – he offends me on so many levels.) If you haven’t a clue to my reference that’s OK; you’re not missing anything.

Somewhere underneath the vitriol diatribe, shock-jocks may have a valid point. But they apparently don’t feel comfortable enough with their normal personable charm (said with tongue in cheek) to attract your attention, so their agendas are punctuated with profanity and/or adjectives meant to disgust, berate, or shockingly suggest sexual exploitation.

Well, guess what? The world of authorship has its own breed of shock-jocks. What I’d like to offer is the viewpoint that if you’re a good writer, you don’t need tricks or trash-talk (fiction and erotica excluded) to make your points and gain a following.