The other cheek, or so to speak.

[ht_murray]

A couple days ago gatorgrrrl made a post about the new Facebook group, "Jensen and Jared Deserve Respect," which is basically a group for people who are against slash of all types.

I'm not going to link that asshattery. I'm sure you can find it if you really want to. When I heard about it, I think my comment was that there was bound to be groups like that out there, but I'd probably unfriend anyone on my list who joined it.

Well, yesterday one of my friends did become of a fan.

I haven't defriended her. Believe me, I want to. But the thing is, I think she's a genuinely good person. She knows I write slash AND wincest, and she's always been nice to me, to my virtual face, ya know? And I guess it would be awfully hypocritical of me to tout free love, tolerance, and acceptance if I'm not going to practice it as well. I guess it's definitely a WWJD scenario.

I don't always DWJD, but in this case, I will.

Which brings me to my major point of contention-- the whole idea behind Facebook groups. From what I see, these groups do nothing and consist of basically an opinion that people get behind or don't get behind. My problem is, it's so easy to just click on something and tell the whole world that you hold a certain opinion or take a certain stance, but you don't usually have to own up to it afterward. Half my friends joined the "I don't care about your farm, your fish, blah, blah, blah, group" and the other half were hurt that no one cares about them when online games are a huge part of their lives, for whatever reason.(A few have medical problems and don't get out of the house much.) Like I said in my Facebook, it's one thing to hide all those apps from your home page, it's quite another to broadcast to everyone that you don't care about what they're doing. And because the groups don't ever actually do anything except wave a banner for a day or two while it makes the Facebook rounds, people think it doesn't matter which ones they join. But why, if you wouldn't say something directly to someone's face, would you join a group that basically plasters the sentiment all over their Facebook pages?

I blocked Farmville on Facebook. My mother has COPD and lives on disability. Farmville is her job. My cousin Casey has CF and spends more time on the computer than a kid his age who can do more physical activity. His mom lets him have a Facebook and play Farmville but makes it so only his friends can see him. If all of his friends were to join the Facebook Group, "I don't care about your Farm, your Fish, blah, blah, blah," how would that make him feel?

People are allowed to have opinions. People should have opinions. But Facebook groups just seem like a way for cowards to seek company in numbers and say things they know will hurt someone without being accountable. Anyone can point, click, and run off at the virtual mouth. How about just telling me what you think to my face? After all, it is Facebook right? Not, talk-about-you-behind-your-back-on-your-own-homepage-book.

Comments

[unplugged32.livejournal.com]

Don't get me started on Facebook! I created a FB because my old HS friends insisted that I did. For me, who lives across the world, it seemed like a good way to keep up with and reconnect with old friends. This worked to an extent; my old 'gang' or in our case my old 'lunch table' has reconnected and we're all emailing and calling and texting and whatever and that's great. But damn, it's like HS ALL over again, the SAME people who were the equivelent of jocks and cheerleaders (we didn't have cheerleaders and our sports teams were pretty crappy)are still, 25 freaking years later, behaving in the same way. I actually feel sorry for them, it's hysterical. Now about 10 of my FB friends play Farmville, me included (not religiously though, I just don't have the time) and I was pretty annoyed when 'Jenny Cheerleader' started ragging on our Farms, joined that group, and others followed. I keep telling spouse I'm gonna leave FB and he keeps telling me just to ignore Jenny the Cheerleader and Joe the Jock but man, it's been pretty hard!!

I wouldn't defriend someone who joined that J&J group, babe, simply because some peoples religious beliefs and/or the way they were raised heavily influences their views on homosexuality, morality and whatever but that doesn't mean they are a bad person. You did the right thing by keeping them as a friend, especially since you like this person.

{{squishes}}