Social Realist Server Move

Just a quick note to let you know that Social Realist was recently moved to a new server. While initial tests show the site is functioning okay on my end, please let me know if you run into any glitches. You can email me about problems — jenn(at)socialrealist(dot)com.

I’m still moving a few other sites over in coming days, but assuming no major problems, we should get back to a regular post schedule here next week after all of this maintenance is complete.

Dear Twitter…

It would be super duper fantastically awesome if you could improve your “block” feature so that old school RTs and mentions of blocked individuals didn’t appear in my Twitter follow feed.

I mean, I know you tried really really hard to create an awesome alternative retweet function, but you failed miserably by cutting out the ability to add our own commentary and haven’t yet addressed the issue. Until you do, I can’t blame anyone for using old school RTs.

Still, when I block someone it’s for a reason. I don’t need fake, conniving, desperate little twits appearing in my feed after they’ve been blocked — at all. People don’t need to see their exes, former clients and employers, or former friends showing up either. A block should indeed be a block — cutting off all connection.

Please don’t tell me Twitter’s only answer is that third parties can only be “friends” with one or the other in a blocked relationship. That’s so high school. So saying we can just unfollow people who retweet things we don’t want to see is not an answer.

So pretty pretty please with five whole cherries on top, Twitter will you finally make your “block” feature work 100%? Even 95% would be honky dory.

Sincerely,

Me

Does Social Media Support Liars?

On one hand I love the way social media enables companies and individuals to be more transparent in what they do. On the other hand, I despise the fact that social media also supports liars. There’s a certain amount of anonymity involved. That’s always been the case, from old school chat room and message board handles. Sometimes there’s a false sense of anonymity instead. And whether real or perceived, I feel it’s that sense of anonymity that makes social media spaces such a prime playground for the dishonest among us.

Today I want to share a few of my favorite examples of the lies I’ve seen through social media. Then I’d like to hear your thoughts. Does social media make people more likely to lie, or does it just attract those who are already full of shit? And what kinds of lies do you see most often via social media outlets?

Social Media Lies: 5 Examples