'Net Etiquette: Was I wrong to be upset?

In My Humble Opinion
41

Absolutely agree with IvoryTowerDenizen. Especially in this case, where we know the topic is a medical one, and that’s a topic (online and offline) where many people consider the details a bit more private. I don’t announce my own medical history details in public, but if I learn that a friend (or even an acquaintance, depending on the situation) is going through a health-related thing I have experience with, I might move the conversation to a more private space to say “hey, I had a great specialist, would you like her information?” or something even more personal/graphic/gross.

And FB is not that great for sending private messages (if for no other reason than they make it difficult for individuals to keep up with how to adjust personal settings to get notification of private messages), so even though I get the clumsiness of saying “I sent you a PM” it’s something plenty of people do.

42

Uh, yeah. You went way over the top.

43

Bolding mine.

Not everyone can afford such luxuries.

44

Geez, can you imagine the overreaction if she’d CALLED??

45

She can’t push on your arm and then point at Gil??

46

I bet she could have done lots of other things- what’s wrong with using Facebook as one of them?

47

Some of us are like the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, and your modern world (of Facebook posts sent to other people in the same room, and tweets sent to no one in particular) frighten and confuse us.

48

It was crowded. Even after I read her post and knew he was there, I had to walk around to find him.

49

Couldn’t she have written “GIL is here!!” on a napkin, and drawn a crude map of the venue, indicating where Gil was?

50

Yeah, but it came out looking like “I have a gub.” :wink:

51

Guys it’s simple:

Hold up two fingers. Pause. Hold up one finger. Tug on earlobe. Spill your beer on your boyfriend. Hold up second finger. Tug on earlobe. Point at your beer.

52

:smiley:

Sure. If Gil stayed put. If you knew Gil you’d understand. He circulates, plus he steps outside every so often to partake.

53

Well, she could have laid a trail of Cheetos leading him to you, and Gil being Gil (that rascal, Gil), he would have gobbled them up, Reeses Pieces style.

54

You definitely know Gil!

55

A) The OP overreacted big time. There is nothing breach-of-etiquette wrong with saying that someone will be PM you on a post, especially when it deals with something medical (now someone may object that it seems very “look at me”, but that’s something entirely different).
B) What’s the strange objection to using FB or FB Messenger to communicate? In kayaker’s story, I didn’t get the impression that she was necessarily checking in and tagging Gil so that he would know that Gil was there, but rather, people like to check in and tag folks. Alerting kayaker to Gil’s presence is a secondary benefit.

56

Because you’re there to watch a band and take in the experience. Must fucking smartphones be used all the time? Can’t you just experience the moment in the moment??!!!

57

You obviously don’t know Gil.

58

But wouldn’t that apply to tapping someone on the shoulder or texting too?

There can be many ways to enjoy the moment- an opportunity to share the moment with a friend seems awfully legit to me.

59

Kayaker hates being tapped on the shoulder. And Gil doesn’t text.

60

There appears to be this incredibly strange desire to tell people how they can appropriately enjoy things… esp if technology is involved.