For Pete's Sake

http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/technology/communication-etiquette/facebook-etiquette-00100000072701/page4.html

Above is a link to an article in Real Simple.  There are some good points within the article about facebook etiquette.  But I have to say, that after I read it, it bugged me!  I thought about all my facebook friends.  I thought about each individual personality.  I thought about how much a part of my day the changing landscape of facebook statuses kept the day hopping along.

One friend has a new baby.  According to Real Simple's author, Ms. Appenbrink, the multiple updates and photos and short videos WHICH I LOVE shouldn't be included on Facebook.  They're irritating.  They're excessive. They're bothersome.  They're (gasp) against 'social media etiquette.'  Who died and made her the Social Media Etiquette Police?  Or more accurately, Ms. Appenbrink gets to the write the manual that we all must agree on for social media etiquette?  (I know I'm making Ms. Appenbrink the bad guy in this, but just humor me. She compiled all the opinions and published the article.)

We have a friend or three who are very politically active and involved.  God bless them!!  I don't have to search for the latest news article; it's there if I want to read it.  IF I want to read it. No one is forcing me to click on it.  That's the beauty of freedom- their freedom and mine.

What about my daughters' friend who posts updates a few times a day that literally make me laugh out loud? (I've refrained from typing LOL on her status, since I want to try to remain a mature adult in her eyes.)  Her status updates, her take on life, especially through the summer when she had a job where she met with the public pretty constantly, kept us in stitches! According to Ms. Appenbrink, my daughters' friend really should stop. If anybody tells her to stop they're going to have to deal with me. She's funny, and I'm glad she shares her sense of humor with us on FB.

Another status post has been shared a million times of late. It's below.  But it's incomplete. There are so many other personalities at work on that site.

If someone doesn't like the fact that Facebook is a melting pot of personalities all FREE to post and express to one's heart's content, then maybe don't join, or don't 'friend' those who will annoy you. Sounds to me like some folks just ought not to partake.  Sounds to me like those who are of a critical, controlling nature ought not to seek out Friends on Facebook and lurk.  But maybe that's why they're on FB in the first place.  The real deal friends don't want to hang with them because they can't please Mr. or Mrs. Persnickety.  Enjoying people for how they are and for how they react to or enjoy life in their little Facebook way is a lot more fun than policing the site for the grave errors in "Etiquette" (said with a rich, English accent and a sniff).

A disclaimer to my rant about the article:  the suggestions about photos are relevant. It's mean to post pictures without someone's permission.  But the second and third from the last on the photo list are fine, in my opinion.  I guess with the whole Facebook thing, do like the doctors are supposed to do:  First, do no harm.  And secondly, how about getting and keeping a sense of humor? Third, and final:  Post and let post, don't post and let post, or don't post and let not post....you get my meaning.  And shoot the High Horse after dismounting.