Wednesday 15 January 2014

The angst and the agony…

Talk about self-inflicted pain. So far I’ve ‘lost’ eight of my Facebook friends – pretty careless really. One has sadly passed away, another probably has. So I don’t feel too guilty for pressing the button on either of them. Three were easy; friends who’ve probably not used their Facebook account since they signed up for it and have probably forgotten that they ever even had one. I unfriended a group that I no longer have any interest or involvement with (and I’m not sure that I ever did) and another who posts a couple of times a month but has never commented on anything I’ve posted. That one has probably blocked my posts and won’t miss my twaddle anyway. The last of the eight wasn’t quite as easy as the others and occasionally replies to my posts so long as they are transport related. Mind you he was driving me mad with his continual pictures of steam trains, motorway service stations, and passenger aircraft.

Surprisingly nobody has culled themselves and unfriended me while they’ve had the excuse. Of course there’s probably quite a few who blocked my posts from their timeline ages ago and to be honest I don’t blame them, but why don’t they don’t just unfriend me if I annoy them so much?

And then there are those others who watch but never comment – the Lurkers.

I don’t get Lurkers. I find them a little unsettling, one step down from Trolls really. They’re like people at parties who stand to one side in a corner avoiding the kitchen and eye contact and walking away if anybody approaches them. Why do they do that? If you’re not going to mingle and hold a conversation why come to the party at all? If you aren’t going to play then don’t join the team. I think that Lurkers are a little like peeping Toms; observing other people’s lives from a distance hoping to get a glimpse of something naughty or nasty or both. What do they get from it I wonder? Does it make them feel better about themselves knowing everybody else’s failings, sad little life events, and whatever dirt they share?

Perhaps they’re just shy. Of course with no comments or likes I have no idea who’s a Lurker and who isn’t, so they tread a dangerous line when it comes to this cull thing.

Anyway, I’m down to 250. Not done yet.

Be seeing you.

31 comments:

  1. Actually I do enjoy reading your blogs. Some pretty provocative ones which makes you think and maybe reconsider your perceptions which isn't a bad thing. A lot of amusing comments which I think are tongue in cheek but that's what makes interesting reading. Are you sure you're not a frustrated Daily Mail columnist? Keep blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andy B D Bickerdike on FC
    Nail biting... I cull.. But it saddens me some what..

    ReplyDelete
  3. Martin A W Holmes on FB
    Nobody's fireproof...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Trudy Anderson on FB
    Nope, I don't think you've quite nailed the myriad motivations for Lurking.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Andrew Height
    Do you have a list Trudy?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Martin A W Holmes
    There was once an old "Star Trek" episode where people were randomly selected to be casualties of war and had to report to an obliteration booth the next morning. It kind of feels a bit like that at the moment... especially as I'm most definitely usually one of life's lurkers...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Trudy Anderson
    Nope. But I'm over agonising about having way more unknown 'friends' than is humanly possible to have any kind of meaningful interaction with. Or motives for friending. Or my motives for accepting their 'friendship', even. The agonising over it was quite a constructive process in itself, though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sarah Rawden on FB
    Phew....Still in the Groovy Gang....for now :o) xXx

    ReplyDelete
  9. Andrew Height on FB
    I remember that one I think Martin.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Richard Shore on FB
    It's interesting where you decided to put that arrow

    ReplyDelete
  11. Andrew Height
    Hence my criteria Trudy Anderson

    ReplyDelete
  12. Andrew Height
    Shoot that poison arrow in my...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sarah Rawden on FB
    Poison Arrow ABC

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sharon Taylor on FB
    some of us are just a bit busy at the moment, it's the first time I have a moment to myself today, so I thought I would do a bit of lurking while I had a minute before going to bed and starting again ;O)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Today it was the turn of CD. Goodbye and be seeing you.
    Like · · Share · Stop Notifications · Promote
    Sonya Tickle and Maxine Noble like this.

    Barbara Balding Whew!
    7 hours ago · Like

    David Bell I felt the same way about Betamax
    5 hours ago · Like

    Keith Johnson Starting to identify your "victims". This is get more sinister.
    about an hour ago · Like · 1

    Andrew Height You know CD then Keith?

    ReplyDelete
  16. David Bell on FB
    I'm quietly watching you out of the corner of my eye

    ReplyDelete
  17. Alan Buckley on FB
    ...or you could just let the it dept of your previous employer update your hardware, like alison did, and they will lose all your contacts for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      Yes, they always were thorough Alan.

      Delete
  18. Maggie Patzuk on FB
    Will you be issuing T-shirts - "I Survived The Culling!"

    ReplyDelete
  19. Clare Pritchard on FB
    He's ruthless lol

    ReplyDelete
  20. Richard Shoreon FB
    I axed CD in the early 2000's. I mostly stream music these days.

    Richard Shore
    But to avoid any confusion, I still cross dress

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      I know who it is tomorrow.

      Delete
  21. Richard Shore commented on FB
    I was going to do a cull today, but it turns out Andy is my only friend.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Alan Shorrock on FB
    Didn't know Charles Dance was one of your FB followers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      Close - Charlie Drake. Hello my sweethearts.

      Delete
  23. Nick Jones on FB
    Culled as ice.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Barbara Balding
    Gloria Gaynor springs to mind

    ReplyDelete
  25. Vicky Sutcliffe on FB
    i think we need a more sinister profile pick with all this axe behaviour

    ReplyDelete
  26. Alan Shorrock
    Think you'll find it was "Hello my darlings"... Just saying. .. Oh eck here comes the chopper to chop of yer 'ed!

    ReplyDelete