10 things 'LIKE' means in facebook

When I was younger, the word like had 3 meanings.  1.  I like something.  2.  I'm not in love with you.  3.  This indicates a simile.  i.e. 'She had a face like a serving dish'.  Thanks to facebook, like has myriad meanings, each based on the intent when you decide to go on the record to LIKE.  Enough in fact to populate one of my lists.

- Like - Sure, it's GOT to mean like in that you prefer it.  Short and sweet.  You see a post that resonates with you *click* and now you like it.

- I Support you - I like your effort in what you are about to do.  This is the smallest amount of support that you can give to someone that is running their first marathon, or doing some great thing that they are posting.  You probably don't really like it, because you aren't doing it yourself, but you are glad someone is.

- I may not agree but this is funny - Funny always gets a like because it's funny.  Once again, it might be a bit edgy and something you would never say or do yourself, but you find it funny so you like it to show your sense of humor.

- Dislike - This like is followed by an explanation that facebook doesn't have a dislike button so you have to now explain your like but disliking it.  For example a news report of a gas leak at a local animal shelter killed most of the inhabitants.  You like it but you don't.

- Congratulations - Double duty for those professing their love and announcing their nuptials online.  The like says congrats!  Also works for Graduations, diet successes, major awards, just about anything.













- Thanks - Someone comments on your comment and compliments your post, you like their compliment.  That says thanks for liking what I posted.

- Just another bit of data for Facebook - What we don't think about is what our like means to facebook.  To them each like gives them just a little bit more information about who you are and what you would likely respond to in the way of advertising.  Every like adds up to you!

- Reciprocal Like - This one should be called Like-back because that's what you are doing.  This is liking what people have responded to your post.  Some people have a policy of liking everything that is replied unless they REALLY don't like it.  I go back and forth on that, I can't decide.  Sometimes I feel like discriminating to show the other people that I DIDN'T like their reply to me by liking everything around them.  It's more of a contrast thing.



- I feel sorry for you - Similar to the Dislike, the I feel sorry for you like usually surrounds bad vaguebook posting that indicates that the user has something bad or disappointing happening to them but they don't want to elaborate.  Their real intention of course is that the one person that does understand their vaguebook post will read it and feel bad.  Maybe bad enough to like it.

- I like everything - Some people don't want people to think they are jerks, so they like everything they are involved in.  Doesn't really matter what it is, it's getting a like.










So if you are a bit confused by the facebook.  I hope this helps.  If not.  This blog is like weather in Utah, if you don't like it, wait for about 15 days, and it will probably change.

10 Facebook people

Ahh facebook.  Time waster extrordinare!  This device has come to us and not only enslaves our data to it's advertising whims, but it draws us in with constant updates and information about our friends.  After being on facebook for a while, I've come to realize that there are really only about 10 people involved with facebook. There is nothing wrong with these people.  In fact, I think this is just how we ended up using facebook.  To wit:

10.  Terminal Reposter - These people constantly repost things they see.  They rarely if ever actually mention much about themselves or their lives.  They just see something they like and they repost it.  These include the darlings of the internet, the lolcatz.  But they also include e-cards and posts with very clever phrases.  While these people lack novelty, I think it's better to post something repeatedly funny than originally boring.

9. The Philosopher - These are people that put up pithy sayings that used to be reserved for the Hallmark gift card shop.  Now we get them all the time from everywhere.  Sometimes a reposter with limited scope, they seek only to be recognized as a deep thinker.  This might be me, I have a few of these posts in my quiver.  Am I a deep thinker?  Maybe, when I'm not being shallow.

8.  Pinterest Hijacker - These are people that don't actually use facebook for facebooks functionality.  They use facebook for a framework to post their pinterest pictures.  Why most of these pictures are food or shoes, I'm not sure.

7.  My Life Story - This person posts every fleeting thought that flies through their mind.  Doesn't matter what it is.  BOOM, posted.  They include the days menu, their current location, plans for the night.  If an assassin were to have one of these people as a target, there wouldn't be much of a challenge and they really should do it at a discount.  The other version of the life story is the travel log.  It seems these people are never NOT on vacation!  They raise the jealousy of all of their friends who show it by 'liking' their vacation photos.

6.  The vague poster - These are people that post something like this 'Best day Ever!!  You know who you are!' or 'Why are some days so much harder to deal with than others?'  or 'Here's to tomorrow being a much better day filled with something other than sorrow'.  In the case of the latter we rise to that bait because we are friends or relatives and we ask what's wrong.  They will then make us press until we are calling a suicide watch on them because they refuse to let us REALLY know what's going on unless we beg them.  This is of course what they are looking for.

5.  GO TEAM! - These folks don't actually post for themselves, but rather on behalf of their team!  The Pillimositok Green Men or maybe the South Yerbin Ferocious Pikas.  It really doesn't matter because you won't see much from the individual that doesn't have something to do with their team.






4.  Political Pundits - These folks are actually a subset of the terminal reposter and the Go Team combination.  They post more propaganda than Stalin on Mayday.  The problem is, both sides seem to think the other is an overwhelming force of fallacious facts that should, nay MUST be dealt with.  These people tend to be un-friended the most

3.  The counter-puncher - I'm afraid I'm one of these.  I rarely post anything myself, but I will often comment on other peoples post.  I don't know why, but maybe it's that I don't have enough originality to post my own offerings on a regular basis.

2.  The Gamer - These people get on because of a friend or relative, but once they are on, they are playing all of the social games that are available.  Unfortunately they are constantly inviting you to join their mob, water their garden, find their hidden items, or play poker.  Then someone mentions groups to them or they are more judicious about posting everything a game suggests you post.

1.  The Non Participant - These are 'friends' that are on facebook, but offer nothing.  They play no games, they post no pictures, they don't do anything.  They just sit there in your friends list taking up space with their blue head because they didn't even bother posting a picture.









There are but 10 of the users of facebook.  There are of  course those that do not participate at all.  These Luddites have one of a few complaints that keeps them from the most social of applications.  They don't like people tracking them.  They don't have the time.  The only problem is, their other friends are a part of the collective, surely they must realize that it's only a matter...of...time.