# If you use Facebook, how do you handle happy birthday wishes?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 30, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103 "2014-01-30T04:09:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/21 "2014-01-30T15:30:51Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> I treat them with disdain and ignore them. These fuckers are only telling me ‘Happy Birthday’ because their computer told them to.
I more or less ignore them because as you said their computer told them to. However I don’t feel any malice toward them; it’s better than nothing at all.
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/22 "2014-01-30T15:32:30Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#):
>
> ┈┈┈┈┈┈▕▔╲
> ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈▏▕
> ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈▏▕▂▂▂
> ▂▂▂▂▂▂╱┈▕▂▂▂▏
> ▉▉▉▉▉┈┈┈▕▂▂▂▏
> ▉▉▉▉▉┈┈┈▕▂▂▂▏
> ▔▔▔▔▔▔╲▂▕▂▂▂i
Ha! That’s awesome.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/23 "2014-01-30T15:37:03Z")
I wait until the end-ish of the day and say “thanks for the birthday wishes!” or somesuch.
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### Author:  [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/24 "2014-01-30T16:23:33Z")
I pulled my Birthday out of my profile too so it’s not been visible the last few years. A few friends post on my wall but, and I know this is probably a social faux pas, I pretty much ignore all the birthday posts. I don’t even say thanks at the end of the day.
Usually I’ll have a party nearby and those same friends that knew it was my birthday will be there and of course I thank them then - but I thank them for real wishes, not facebook posts.
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### Author:  [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/25 "2014-01-30T17:28:31Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> I treat them with disdain and ignore them. These fuckers are only telling me ‘Happy Birthday’ because their computer told them to.
> [@Dag\_Otto](#):
>
> I removed my birth date from my profile. Now no one wishes me a happy birthday. Perfect.
> [@Canadjun](#):
>
> I more or less ignore them because as you said their computer told them to. However I don’t feel any malice toward them; it’s better than nothing at all.
This, this, and this. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/26 "2014-01-30T18:27:15Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> I treat them with disdain and ignore them. These fuckers are only telling me ‘Happy Birthday’ because their computer told them to.
Or REMINDED them to.
I get tons of birthday reminders from Facebook, but only send out wishes for a select few–those I care most about.
As to the thread question, I send out a generic “Thanks to all for the birthday wishes” but only respond to those who show genuine interest and creativity. My favorite little cousin, for instance, always creates a Skald-centric gif that’s appropriate to my (and her) personality; so does my work wife. Those get special acknowledgement–not as a comment on the post, but on their Wall (okay, newsfeed).
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/27 "2014-01-30T18:36:11Z")
Hey, noticed it was your birthday! Sorry I’m a day late, but “Happy birthday!”
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/28 "2014-01-30T18:54:43Z")
Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. I appreciated each and every one of them and feel extremely blessed to call you all my friends.
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/29 "2014-01-30T19:12:37Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#):
>
> Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. I appreciated each and every one of them and feel extremely blessed to call you all my friends.
You and 22 others like this.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/30 "2014-01-30T19:36:29Z")
I’m likewise impersonal.
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### Author:  [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/31 "2014-01-30T19:36:50Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#):
>
> Today was my birthday and I had quite a few “Happy birthday” posts on my wall. Some people “like” each post. Others reply to each post. Some people even do both. I don’t do either. At the end of the day, I update my status and say thanks for all of the birthday wishes. It seems impersonal, and I guess it is but I don’t like filling up all my friends’ newsfeeds with a bunch of “Nars Glinley liked this” items.
>
> What’s your strategy?
Hey, we share a birthday, so a happy one to you!
And yeah, I post on my wall the day after (today) thanking everyone. I do go through and read them all, and will “like” ones that are more personal/involved than a simple “happy birthday,” to let those people know that I did actually read what they wrote.
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### Author:  [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/32 "2014-01-30T19:44:53Z")
Belated Happy Birthday!
Back to post though, Facebook is all buggy; not every birthday pops up. I played 1-2 games way back when & Facebook has never worked right since.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/33 "2014-01-30T20:10:53Z")
I “like” each post and give a generic thanks at the end of the day.
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/34 "2014-01-31T02:08:10Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#):
>
> Today was my birthday and I had quite a few “Happy birthday” posts on my wall. Some people “like” each post. Others reply to each post. Some people even do both. I don’t do either. At the end of the day, I update my status and say thanks for all of the birthday wishes. It seems impersonal, and I guess it is but I don’t like filling up all my friends’ newsfeeds with a bunch of “Nars Glinley liked this” items.
>
> What’s your strategy?
My birthday was last week and I did exactly the same thing.
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### Author:  [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/35 "2014-01-31T05:33:07Z")
I comment on each post and thank each person who took a moment out of their day to wish me a happy birthday. It’s once a year and I love the attention, so I like to acknowledge everyone individually. At the end of the day I give a recap of what we did to celebrate and again thank everyone who sent a greeting.
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2014, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/36 "2014-01-31T13:10:31Z")
I like them all and thank at the end of the day. And I appreciate every single birthday greeting. I think it’s a bit of kindness to take out a little time for birthday wishes for friends and every single one of them makes me smile. So why wouldn’t I offer thanks and “likes”?
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### Author:  [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2014, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/37 "2014-02-01T07:18:33Z")
I don’t list my birthday because I don’t want ‘birthday wishes’. I don’t care if anyone I wish a hbd to on their wall responds to me personally, impersonally, or at all. I don’t think most people expect a ‘like’ or a personal response because not only do most people get a ton of these posts but Facebook also blocks them together so you don’t get notifications, etc.
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### Author:  [@grama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grama)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/38 "2014-02-01T12:19:28Z")
I ignore them completely… and recently I hid my birth date on my profile to avoid the empty meaningless “happy birthday” wishes.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/39 "2014-02-01T12:32:20Z")
I list nothing personal on my Facebook profile so I never get birthday greetings.
I respond to about 1% of the posts of my friends on Facebook including - birthdays, births, deaths, achievements, disasters, successes, failures, starts and ends - according to the quality of the posts. I am pretty generous.
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### Author:  [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-use-facebook-how-do-you-handle-happy-birthday-wishes/680103/40 "2014-02-01T15:37:26Z")
I like each comment, thank each individually, and then thank everyone at the end of the day. Even if they only do it because Facebook told them to, they still stopped for a small fraction of their day to think of me.
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