Observations About Facebook And Other Behaviors

I'm not a fan of Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or other like social media venues.  Don't get me wrong, they have their place.  In fact, I don't mind messaging family, friends and businesses when convenient for all parties.  I think email is one of the great inventions of the 20th Century.  Not only is it possible to get your message to someone in an instant, it has saved millions of trees, millions of dollars from not having to buy filing cabinets and is such a wonderful convenience. 

A few years back, I tried posting images daily on Instagram.  I found my efforts useless. What Instagram does to photography is encourage everything I think is wrong about looking at photographs.  I don't have any use for Instagram today.

When first introduced, I opened a Twitter (X) account to try to win a prize.  I didn't win.  I never posted again, to the best of my knowledge.  X has no value for me.

For the longest time, I refused to open a Facebook account.  I really had no desire to share my life with others and really don't care who eats what and where they go during their day.  But I found many of the photographic related information sites I wanted to see had no web presence other than Facebook.  Damn.  So, I reluctantly created an account in order to be able to access the information that may help me in my photographic journey as well as provide some background for some of my blog posts—only because there was no other place to find the subject matter.  When we moved four years ago, our new home and property are in a development that has a home owner's association.  Their main way of communicating is with their Facebook page.  So there's that.  

I'll admit I've joined a few other groups on Facebook, again, to access information about fellow retirees with whom I worked over my 36 years in law enforcement as well as to access some additional photographic related content.  Since I own and use Olympus/OM gear, Nikon gear as well as Fujifilm gear, I joined Facebook groups that are associated with that gear and the use of that gear.  So, I'm stuck using Facebook.  As little as possible, however.

I find much of what appears before me on Facebook as drivel.  Is it called 'a feed?"  I don't know.  Things keep popping up that I really don’t need to know such as what a whole variety of other people who I don't even know are doing, where they are going and especially not what they are eating.  I have enough trouble keeping up with my own life.  Even the groups to which I’ve joined in order to be able to read information that might be of value, a lot of what is posted is valueless.  Do you remember that we always heard that there is no dumb questions?  Well, there are.  Lots of them are on Facebook.  Lots of other dumb stuff as well.  Here are a few things I’ve learned from reading Facebook posts.  (Is this my latent luddite raising its ugly head?  I don't know!)

I've learned...

People buy cameras that are way above their skill level.  For example, someone will buy a camera and ask a basic question about what Auto ISO is.  I saw one very recently where someone was pleading for help because all of their photos have turned out blue.  Now, I feel badly for them as their knowledge and skill level is so low that they don’t have a clue.  After a few inane comments, someone suggested they look at their white balance setting.  I don't think the original poster had any idea what white balance is.  Luckily, one of the good things about Facebook is that there are a lot of good people who will answer their questions and provide help, no matter how inane the questions are.

I've learned...

A lot of Facebook "photographers" (in quotes) are lazy.  They will ask a basic question about how to operate their camera instead of either looking at the user's manual or searching for the answer on the internet.  I am assuming that their modus operandi and philosophy of life is get someone else to do the work for them.  Its your camera.  You do the work!  Think for yourself.  Try to solve your own problem and if you can't, then reach out.  Quit asking others to do what you should be doing.  Just plain lazy.  I don't like lazy.

I've also learned...

The opposite of the above is true as well.  Many times I see someone ask a serious question about photography on Facebook.  Often times, before any responses are made addressing the actual question, someone will respond with something really stupid.  I'm guessing they think they are being funny but they are not.  Someone else will then chime in with advice for something completely different than the questioner asked.  For example, someone will state they have two lenses and they are going on a Safari.  The person inquires that if anyone has been on a safari, which of the two lenses would they recommend?  Before someone can answer, someone who obviously thinks he or she has a sense of humor will tell them to take a hat.  What?  What does a hat have to do with lens choice?  Another will chime in and tell them to buy this other multi-thousand dollar prime lens as that is what he or she has and it worked well.  The person isn't asking for alternative choices, just which one of the two lenses he or she already owns would be better?  Come on people!  Someone is seriously asking a legitimate question and they add nothing to the conversation or solution.  Just stop.  You’re not funny and the vast majority of us think you are not helping.

I've learned...

One thing that I have not seen on Facebook that I see on forums and other online venues is a lot of hate, vitriol, destructive criticism and the like.  It seems a lot of people will write things anonymously that they would never say in person.  As a chief of police, I would sit down with new officers, right out of the police academy and have a serious talk with them about the essences of police work, values, morals and how they should act and treat others.  One thing I used to tell them was, “What you do and how you act when no one is around watching you should be the same as when you may be on camera.  If you act differently when no one is watching, you need to go somewhere else to work.  I won’t tolerate any other behavior.”  Unfortunately, those who spread hate on social media don't really have accountability.  It's a shame.

Other behaviors….

What do you think about people who either make or receive a call over their mobile phone and decide to use the speaker instead of the phones earpiece when there are several people in a room or inside environment?  I see this regularly.  You are in a restaurant, doctor's waiting room or other similar place and someone receives a telephone call and they put it on speaker phone—usually very loudly—and talk for 15 minutes.  I don’t know about you but I really don’t want hear their personal conversations.  I think they are rude and have no respect for the others around them.  

You got up very, very early.  You drove a few hours to get to your special place to photograph a special landscape at sunrise, rare wildlife, a sporting event, a special steam locomotive, or something else.  You are there first because of your extra effort and planning.  You have picked your spot, set up your tripod and are now waiting.  Others, latecomers, start to show up and position themselves to either side of you.  Then one guy arrives just as the activity is about to start and he steps out in front of you and plops his tripod down.  Years ago I had that happen waiting to photograph a newly refurbished old steam locomotive pulling a special train.  I’ve read about it happening in Arches National Park at sunrise at Delicate Arch.  Do you let him get away with it?  In my case, I clearly told the guy that he was blocking most of us who were already there and he needed to move.  He resisted.  I then told him that if I didn’t get my photograph I would make sure he didn’t get his.  He moved.  It’s only fair, right?  But people who feel they have some sort of special privilege above everyone else’s and evidently either have no respect for others or are so stupid they just don't understand they are negatively affecting others do this kind of thing.  I’ve seen it over and over.  Personally, I think it is stupidity.  After all, "stupid is free" and "you can't fix stupid."

How about when you out with other photographers and encounter those who feel they are the experts in everything photographic and decide that they will spontaneously tell you the best way to compose your photo, set up your camera or pontificate how good they are as a photographer.  Why would they do that if not asked?  But it happens often.  Ego maybe?

I could go on for pages about the wide variety of rude, disrespectful and uncaring people I've encountered in a variety of situations.  But enough already.

I hope you know that I'm writing this in a half-hearted way.  I know there are many people out there that just "don't get it."  That's okay.  This world is large enough for each of us to pretty much live the way we choose as long as we don't bother others.  I just wish more people would think things through.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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