Facebook Dilemma

[Beavker]

As nice as it is to reconnect with friends, many from the high school and town that I moved away from after college, I've noticed a drawback from being newly connected to these individuals from the the small, back wards town I once lived in. Even though it is in a Blue State, the town is rural. I knew it as 'hick town' when I lived there, but after moving and living elsewhere for the last 15 years, I realized it was nice to touch base, but many of these people are the Teabaggers that I ran from as a youth...they just weren't Teabaggers back then. Many either have stuck to their religious base or still live the rural lifestyle and mindset I guess.

After the killing of Bin Laden, a goal of GW basically abandoned, they now find a way to bash Obama for getting the job done. I know am reminded of why I left that small town, only returning to visit family a couple times a year. I was looking forward to my 20th reunion. And though I know that not all are that way, I'm sure that it will come up in conversation. Or maybe it won't, because they are only spouting what they know, and what they are told, not what they have come to learn for themselves by actually reading and taking the time to see what really goes on in Washington like I did (voted for Bush both times).

I don't know if it's a good enough reason, but I think I just want to delete them, or at least hide anything they have to say. Even though it's just for political views which aren't the main subject all the time, I still feel like I got glimpse into their soul, and don't need to know anymore than that? Is that bad? Is that shallow? Am I taking it too seriously? I just feel the one thing I've learned about people and politics, is that is should be taken seriously by ALL. Frankly, there may be nothing that effect your life more than politics. It's just most don't know the scope because they don't know any better.

[Lex]

1. I hide the status updates of my right-wing HS friends.

I don't really need to see how ignorant they are anyway.
I also hide my status updates from them. They don't need to see what I might post about. But I don't de-friend them. They just hang out there in the dark--LOL.

[Sherman A1]

4. Yup, that pretty much works

and they don't know if their posts get to you or not. You can still remain in techie contact and not have to listen to things your find annoying...

[Mrsadkins9399]

7. I hide my husbands RW family members posts on my wall

Plus I have deleted 3 of my game playing friends for that cut and paste crap about how Obama should get no credit for getting OBL.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

19. How do you hide status updates from specific people?

[Justitia]

20. roll your mouse to the right of one of their posts, an "x" will appear

click on the "x"

it will give you an option to hide either a specific post or all posts from that friend

(this is on your newsfeed page)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

22. I know that, I was more interested in how to keep MY updates from showing on THEIR feed.

[Justitia]

23. oh! Account, Privacy settings, customize settings, under "posts by me", customize, hide this from,

type their name here

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

25. Thanks for this.

[Drunken Irishman]

2. I'm fortunate, almost everyone on my FB are either apolitical or liberal...

There are a few nutters out there who I've hidden, but overall, I'd say 90% of my Facebook leans liberal.

[rucky]

3. They don't seem to care about insulting you

I wouldn't worry too much about insulting them.

[Justitia]

16. That's how I feel, they're arrogant. And if they have loads of "friends", I delete.

If they have hundreds of "friends", they seem to just friend everyone and don't care who they insult - and frankly, they won't miss me.

If it's a family mbr, I hide their posts.

I am surrounded by enough RW bullshit where I live - I am certainly not going to tolerate reading it everyday on my FB page.

[MedicalAdmin]

24. That's how I roll.

Either the friedship can survice the truth or it wasnt much of a friendship. So my friends know that they better be able to back their shit up or I'll hit em with a literary hammer.

But at the end of the day we still try to listen and learn. I guess I just don't refriend anyone.

[Armstead]

5. Depends on whether they're worth it otherwise

I find that some old acquaintances who are now wing nuts just use Facebook as a p,at form for political junk.....Others at least actually talk about the rest of life, and are worth keeping up with.

I've found that politics is important but not the be-all, end-all...especially in the realm of human relationships.

[MineralMan]

6. It's always a problem at Facebook.

I just try to ignore the political stuff in my feed, and look at other things that are of more interest. I have a lot of old HS friends on my list, and most of what they post is not that interesting. Occasionally, though, they'll post something that's relevant to me, so I keep them on the list. Ocassionally, I post something that's of interest to them.

I check Facebook once a day, and that's it.

[Kber]

8. Don't delete them

but you can hide their posts, at least for a while.

And no it's not shallow.

I dated a man for 5 years and our final break up came in large part from our political differences. Politics can be a reflection of our values, morals, and life philosophy.

I'm perfectly OK being friends with all kinds of people, even knowing that there are topics of conversation we will never share. I wasn't willing to be married to someone who's basic life view was so different than mine.

Later we reconnected (via facebook) and found that we've both moved farther to the ends of the political spectrum. Let's just say, I made a good choice.

[al_liberal]

9. I love to throw bombs at them myself.

I spent a couple of hours last night posting praises to "Democratic President Barack Hussein Obama, his staff, and the U.S. Military" in all of their posts. Then I sat back and watched the ensuing chaos. They won't un-friend you because they think they can save your soul. They never seem to catch on to the purpose of my posts either.

[Beavker]

10. Great advice from all!

Thanks for the good advice.

[MikeE]

11. I have one cousin who I block

He was going on about Obama, and I wasn't sure if it was just him being uninformed, etc., but blocked him. I checked back after OBL was killed and he was spouting all this racist shit. Block to preserve your sanity. It's not shallow.

[BadgerKid]

12. Another thing to consider.

Separate them into different groups with corresponding permissions. Something like how one might have 'co-worker only' and 'personal only' groups.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. Why does politics have to play a role in these relationships?

Take it from someone who regrets not keeping in touch with people from their hometown, just have a nice conversation with the people and not talk politics.

It's really not their fault. Every issue under the sun has been politicized by the political and media machine. It doesn't have to effect your life that much, as you put it.

[mimitabby]

14. a coworker said to me today

"I don't like your guy but he sure has cojones"

LOL

MY guy? he's OUR president dummy....

[Arugula Latte]

21. Well, to be fair, I always said Bush was "not my president"

That a-hole stole the election; he was never legitimate; he wasn't my leader. F@#$ him.

[Vinnie From Indy]

15. What's Facebook?

Cheers!

[timesup]

17. Sharing ideas is problematic, always.

Some are happy with their ignorance, and too far gone to affect, even with mountains of evidence to the contrary.
Some will get angry, if I let on that I don't agree with them, I have been surprised by this and it's enough to be
non-Facebook de-friended by some people, who you thought valued your friendship.
YMMV

[MilesColtrane]

18. With some people in your life, it is natural to grow apart.

The things we have in common recede into the past and the differences multiply with each of our different experiences.

While it is nice every once in awhile to connect with someone from your past, it's another thing to be in constant contact with them.

[Redd817]

26. fb and internet

I decided a long time ago I just have to follow the "no politics or religion" rule, and I gave up arguing politics on the internet because it's pointless and the chances of changing someone else's mind is nil. I just have to realize there is someone on the other side that cancels them out, and most of the people I deal with are in a state that goes hard one way so their vote doesn't effect much anyway.