This post was inspired by my last post about communication mistakes. I got several comments from people wanting a list of the communication mistakes people make online. I took a very informal poll and here are the results. Much of this has to do with Facebook but there are also a few about blogs. Some of these are in my own words and some are pretty much what people said when I asked for feedback. I’ll let you decide which is which.
In no particular order:
- Game/horoscope/quiz requests – if you want to waste your time on this crap, do it, but don’t ask me to join you.
- Political or religious ranting – this one will get you voted off the island.
- Airing of dirty laundry that really should be kept between the two people it involves. It only makes us embarrassed for you.
- Posting only really, really, awesome stuff…. OH MY GOD MY LIFE IS SO GREAT and my KIDS are perfect and my HUSBAND is so awesome…. Seriously? Be real. We all have shit in our lives. Be authentic and stop trying to paint a certain picture. Not to mention, your friends know the real story.
- Cat videos – need I say more?
- Being generally negative and complaining about everything including change – we are all busy. We all have ups and downs. We don’t need to know about every little thing in your life that gets your panties in a bunch.
- Stealing content without giving credit – if you like it, pass it on but please give credit.
- Spelling and grammar mistakes – not the innocent little errors, the errors you repeat over and over and over. This isn’t cute. You look like a moron.
- Hijacking a thread on Facebook to voice your opinion or change the topic all together.
- Clicking on the videos that are obviously spam and making the rest of us suffer when it is then posted on everyone else’s wall.
- People who add me to their email list or otherwise spam me without asking me first. No, just because I had one email conversation with you does not mean I want weekly updates on housing prices for the entire western seaboard!
- On Facebook, please do not put your CAUSE on my wall or timeline without permission. People who have an “official” cause and they post on my wall just sure I would want to join. I might. But ask me first.
- Leaving a vague comment on a blog or Facebook post – “Nice blog” or “thank you” is not really helpful to the person posting it or anyone reading it. Leave a thoughtful response that proves you have read the blog and that you have an opinion.
- Sending a Facebook message instead of an email – this is especially frustrating if you are talking about business. If you’re just arranging a lunch date with a friend, great, use messaging. Otherwise, send an email.
- Asking, “please LIKE, SHARE and COMMENT if you find my stuff useful”. I will like, share or comment if the post resonates with me, I know how to use FB. You don’t have to tell me.
- Adding me as a friend just so you can invite me to like your business page or event.
- Typing in call caps, all the time – you yelling at me isn’t going to make me like your post.
I’m sure there are more but this is what we came up with today. Do you have more? Send them my way! I believe the rules for online communication are pretty much the same as face to face communication. Don’t yell, don’t get in my business, don’t hit on me, don’t interrupt, and don’t tell me what to like and we’ll be just fine.
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