What do you do when someone sites an incorrect fact on FB?

[MotherOfDragons]

@MaryGJ wrote

.you should be doing some volunteer work or something. Correcting others on social media is at best an admission that your life is over, and at worst…a troubling sign of internet addiction. Don’t worry what other people write/say/think so much. Take a walk outside. Come up for air once in a while.

Ok, I’m just guffawing over the irony on this post. You’re on social media when you post here, and you’re correcting others.

coughhypocritecough

[MaryGJ]

1. This isn't FaceBook. It's a message board. Most of us are strangers or message board acquaintances. Unlike people's personal FB pages, where they post photos of children and pets and talk about their Dad's death or their recent job promotion...and you know...stuff that's PERSONAL to them. Like for instance...their support of crazy rhetoric or whatever they want. To challenge their ideas on their page without invitation to do so is rude and obnoxious. Most people have no interest in being attacked and judged...and corrected for their beliefs. (even when their beliefs are offputting and grossly nonfactual) If someone has a personal page....they have a right to post whatever content they want. And while sure....you can "correct" them...it makes you look like a serious jerk. Their page...their content.
2. Message boards, like this one, are designed for discussion, challenges and presentation of different opinions. It's perfectly ok to disagree with people here. It's fair game because all the players involved are willing participants in discussion. This is NOT THE CASE on Facebook....where many participants merely want to post ideas that they support as a way to share something about themselves with others they wish to stay in touch with and...NOT ENGAGE IN CONSTANT UNSOLICITED ARGUMENTS.

I GET being an armchair internet warrior…feeling vindicated by stopping the spread of false information…but the reality is, this is not something that can be realistically accomplished. To do so…against the wishes of the page owner…is incredibly rude and just makes you look like a jerk. It diminishes your position, even if you’re in the right.

You might have good intentions…but you have good intentions like the people who go door to door selling their religion because they feel they have “the truth”. It’s obnoxious and irritating and a huge turn off.

And NEVER forget…“the truth” is very subjective.

[cobrat]

Unlike people’s personal FB pages, where they post photos of children and pets and talk about their Dad’s death or their recent job promotion…and you know…stuff that’s PERSONAL to them. Like for instance…their support of crazy rhetoric or whatever they want. To challenge their ideas on their page without invitation to do so is rude and obnoxious. Most people have no interest in being attacked and judged…and corrected for their beliefs. (even when their beliefs are offputting and grossly nonfactual) If someone has a personal page…they have a right to post whatever content they want. And while sure…you can “correct” them…it makes you look like a serious jerk. Their page…their content.

The only way a FB page can really be “personal” is if the privacy settings are set such that it’s only accessible to the owner and no one else whether it’s FB friends, acquaintances, or the public at large.

Then again, doing so defeats part of the purpose of having a FB account for most people…giving others a glimpse into their lives and thoughts through their posts and implicitly inviting responses by virtue of making those posts.