Recently I posted the following on my facebook page. I wanted to explain why I wrote it and why I wrote it the way I did.
My FACEBOOK FRIENDS, please read this especially if you have posted or read the other "legal statements" on people's feeds.
This is my personal rewrite of a "legal notification" being shared on facebook.
As of January 5th, 2015 - I do not give MY FACEBOOK FRIENDS permission to continue facebook hoaxes that clutter my and other people's newsfeed.
I give notice to MY FACEBOOK FRIENDS that each of us need to think twice before posting hoaxes we have not verified, thoughts we have not committed to the Lord or videos we have not watched all the way through. Violations of these principles can lead to unwanted spam, spread of lies and other things I cannot think of right now.
All FACEBOOK FRIENDS must realize that the statement "I am not sure if this is true or not but..." should not be used in the real world OR the social media world. "I am not sure if this is true but I heard Dave is a liar" is not acceptable in conversation and should not be acceptable among our FACEBOOK FRIENDS.
Check out this link from CBSnews about this resurfaced facebook hoax.
Why make a post like this on facebook knowing that many friends have posted this?
- I know there are many people who have seen these "legal statement" posts and realize they are not true but they don't do anything about it. Recently, I began private messaging people about some videos they were posting and/or liking that contained a link to information they did not want to promote. Each person was appreciative of my message. There are reasons why I chose to do one through private message and another through a public post but I don't want to get into that right now. The point is we need to help one another grow in the truth. I know in most cases when the Bible talks about growing in the truth it is referring to the Gospel. BUT isn't part of growing in THE GOSPEL TRUTH growing in speaking and typing the truth.
- Too many people are too passive about what they post and what they read on facebook.
- Too many people are too quick to become too passionate about the wrong things on facebook. We are quick to attack someone holding an alcoholic drink or a movie that we don't agree with BUT we don't respond to little white lies and false truths or celebrations of gluttony.
- Part of the spread of this hoax every couple of months the facade of legal language this statement has in light of changes in facebook's terms of service. The original statement sure sounds good but it is not a binding legal document. Sounding good but not saying anything good is not... I don't know how else to say it. Sounding good but not saying anything good is not good.
- I believe writing the post using the same legal tone connects the lack of substance of the original post to what I am trying to say.
What I am not saying by posting this email?
It is my prayer that my initial facebook post and this blog post will help you think about what you post and why you post it.- I am not saying we need to go out and hunt for every email, facebook hoax or falsehood out there BUT when you see it, especially when you see it over and over again, you need to do something about it.
- I am not saying every correction situation needs to be a public post for the world, or at least my facebook friends, to see. As I mentioned above, I have handled different situations different ways. Think about what you want to say and what is the best way to say it.
- I am not saying this type of posting is the biggest issue in the world today. It is not first and foremost about what you are posting on facebook. It is about who you are trusting in. Your faith needs to be in Jesus Christ who said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Instead of claiming your rights to your pictures and posts have you thought about it this way...
"My posts are not my own, they belong to the Lord."
