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The ten worst Facebook status crimes

susi_weaser.jpgSometimes writing for Shiny Shiny you get the opportunity to store up all the bitterness you collect day-to-day and spew it forth under the guise of 'Opinion'. Today is one of those days.

Facebook status updates: they're difficult to get right, and they're infuriating to read when they're wrong. Here's my Top Ten Worst Facebook Status Crimes. I should know, I've committed most of them.

Note to you. Yes, you. This is not about your updates - I <3 your updates. It's about everyone else's.

1. The song lyrics
I get it. You *think* you're feeling exactly what Morrissey felt when he wrote There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, but in fact, you've just drunk a bit too much and you're feeling a tad melancholy. Not. The. Same.


2. The Passive Aggression
Do you really think the object of your aggression is going to read what you've written, sensibly digest and modify their behaviour accordingly? To date, it's never happened. What has happened, is this.

3. The information broadcast
Short of taking out an ad in The Metro, Facebook is the most effective way of informing people what jealousy-worthy event has passed in your life. Achingly cool gig, flowers delivered at work, refusing Mark Ronson a date - all this and more can be put on display to illustrate to others how much they should want to be you.

4. The niche statement
This is something I'm massively guilty of, assuming as I do that everyone on Facebook is well aware of the launch of Google Chrome/the liveblogging phenomenon/my excitement over a peripheral. It's a statement that does nothing but alienate those not privy to your world. Bad form.

5. The inappropriate information
There are some big things in life that deserve more than a sentence to the world. Death springs to mind, as does anything you wouldn't stand up on a chair and shout in the pub. "X can't believe Darren cheated on her". "Susi can't believe you felt comfortable announcing that on Facebook".

6. The ask me ask me ask me
Anything that implies you have a great big secret that you just *might* share with the world if asked counts as an Ask Me. X can't believe that just happened...

7. The boredom update
One word answers are very seldom witty. Telling us you're tired, bored, sleepy, awake or excited is never going to set the world alight, and just looks like you're trying to remind people you're still alive.

8. The ...
I can never figure out if people mean to do that, or if they've accidentally updated when they didn't mean to. And if they did mean to, what they hell do they mean?

9. The linkbait
Putting links to sites, YouTube films and junk really annoys me. No doubt someone, somewhere clicks on it, but I never have.

10. The play-by-play
You're in a queue to see The Dark Knight. You're still in a queue. You're bored of being in a queue. You're wondering whether to give up being in a queue and go home. You've decided to go home. You're on the bus wondering if you should have stayed in the queue.
I don't care.

Susi Weaser is the editor of Shiny Shiny, and has probably committed way more of these offences than you.

Posted by ScarlettSusi on September 25, 2008

Comments

Hahaha absolutley brilliant!!! I have also commited most of these crimes...but now they are announced as crimes...what is left to put on them!!!!
Time to put the thinking cap on!

Posted by: Kelly-Jane | September 26, 2008 2:46 PM

Kelly-Jane, I can't tell you how careful I've had to be with my updates since writing this!

Posted by: Susi Weaser | September 26, 2008 4:27 PM

Yay, more people who think like me! My personal pet peeve is people writing in the first person when the end result so obviously shows up as THIRD person. (Of course, I could just be grammatically anal...) i.e. "Ms X can't believe Darren cheated on me!"

Posted by: Jessie | September 27, 2008 1:28 AM

I really want to update my Facebook status but I'm not sure what to write. I guess I'll just put "Amber is ..." and hope my friends spend hours contemplating just how mysterious I am and how they would just give anything to be inside my head.

Posted by: Amber | September 27, 2008 4:31 PM

I thought this was brilliant until my SO sent me flowers at work today b/c I have been in such a crappy mood all weekend so I promptly violated #3.

Does it help that he put Wang Chung lyrics on the card with the flowers? How can you not want to be the person who received flowers and Wang Chung lyrics from their SO Monday morning at work??

In penance I posted links to both of your Facebook articles on my Facebook account.

Posted by: Nicole | September 29, 2008 11:45 PM

To be honest, I would have done exactly the same thing. Sometimes you've got to ignore The Rules.

Posted by: Susi Weaser | October 1, 2008 3:47 PM

I heart this column, song lyrics as status = worst thing EVER.

Posted by: Isabelle | October 2, 2008 11:35 AM

<3

Posted by: Susi Weaser | October 2, 2008 5:17 PM

Wow... What doesn't annoy you?

Posted by: Chris | October 9, 2008 10:30 AM

What can I say? I'm clearly a very angry person...

Posted by: Susi Weaser | October 9, 2008 12:16 PM

I did a post similar to this a few months back... which I've recently seen is riddled with comment spam. *grr* http://www.beyondyournose.com/post/15 and I am totally guilty of number 1, although its usually cause I'm amused by the lyrics. :)

Posted by: Bergen Larsen | October 10, 2008 10:26 AM

These are things that EVERYONE on facebook does. The real thing to poke fun of is that, all of the people who make fun of the people who do these things STILL DO THEM ANYWAY.

I enjoy the universal hypocrisy which even I partake in.

Posted by: ryckjames | October 16, 2008 9:32 AM

I totally agree. I've done almost all of those things, but it doesn't stop me from grinding my teeth everytime I see someone else do them.

Posted by: Susi Weaser | October 16, 2008 10:20 AM

Ok that's awesome, but I'm going to jail for it all... I wonder what I can think of to leave... What about mathematical equations?

Posted by: Anna | October 29, 2008 11:29 PM

Hahaha these are great!! They say everything I always wanted to say about facebook statuses.

Posted by: Astara | November 30, 2008 3:43 PM

So, what exactly is an appropriate facebook status?

Posted by: Hmm | December 28, 2008 10:39 PM

whiner,

Posted by: Claudius II | January 11, 2009 2:53 AM

I only put quotes on my facebook.. not because I think I know what they were feeling when it was written.. but because I really like the song or movie or book it's from.. "I can live without you but without you I'll be miserable at best." I think thats a very cute quote.. I'm not in a relationship or anything of the sort and I don't care to be.. MY friends know me.. they try and figure out what it's from at times.. they like it.. and that's why THEY are my friends.. if you're friends with someone you don't care if their Facebook status says they're bored.. if you do.. delete the person, you're clearly NOT friends!

Posted by: Stick that in your juice box and suck it. | January 13, 2009 6:59 AM

this eliminates about 99% of potential status updates

Posted by: klabelkholosh | February 9, 2009 7:31 AM

What exactly IS fair game? I mean, are bitchy elitist rants that are designed to make you look superior and everyone else look bad okay? I mean...If they're off limits, I understand. It really does have a harsh, personal effect upon you when you don't like someone else status.

Posted by: OhReallyNow | February 24, 2009 9:08 PM

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