Ask Miss Smartypants - August 2011 |
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| Written by Miss Smartypants |
| Monday, 15 August 2011 00:00 |
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I just got the most bizarre Facebook invite of my Facebook life. I've been group-invited . . . to help someone move . . . from one city to another (the cities are about an hour or so apart). The best part? I don't live in either city. I'm going to visit a mutual friend in a nearby city (very nearby). I immediately clicked "Maybe" in case said mutual friend had committed us to helping. Turns out she didn't. She didn't even know about the invite (though, obviously, about the move). She doesn't want to do it, and neither do it. Quite frankly, that is just like the inviter. She's very much on the receiving end of the giving to receiving ratio on our relationship. So my question is what to do. Do I leave it with the maybe? Do I change it to a no? Do I write a note of apology to explain that I'm too busy? Gah, I Never Thought Facebook Would Play Me This Way Dear Facebook is a Bad Manners Enabler, If you really want to know, I think the correct response is, "Are you a crazy person?", but I think a "no" will suffice. Yes, you should change it to a no, just so your mutual friend knows and doesn't keep a look out. Yes, it's more than this person deserves, but it will also spare you updates about an event you have no intention of attending. Can we just take a minute, world? Is this a thing we are doing now? Inviting people to help move via A FACEBOOK INVITE? I'm hoping against hope that the person in question has no corn, in the parlance of my mother. Because otherwise . . . alright, let's break it down. Are you in school? Did you recently graduate? If yes, you are allowed to ask people to help you to move. If not, save your pennies and hire movers. Students and recent graduates, do not ask via Facebook invite or text message or any other similarly impersonal medium. Ask in person. If you must, ask over the phone. Do not beg, plead, or manipulate, as you are asking a very large favour indeed. Be quick to offer a form of repayment, be it gas money, free furniture, or pizza and beer. And if you ARE moving from one city to another (even if they are close together), for the love of peace, save your pennies and hire movers. By all means, accept help if it is offered, but do not SOLICIT it. VIA A FACEBOOK GROUP INVITE. Accepts with great joy, Miss Smartypants Got problems, Facebook-related or otherwise? Sure ya do. Send 'em to Miss Smartypants at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Her column appears the third Monday of every month.
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You see, this is the problem we run into when we depend upon social media so much. Pick up the phone and call someone or go see them in person. We are seriously becoming a world of hiding behind text messaging and Facebook. These things are all wonderful and can be very useful but if you can't ask someone via telephone or in person to help you move then you don't deserve the help.
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Dear Miss Smartypants,
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