Tag Archives: facebook

Clickbait Has Entered the Chat — And I’m Not Having It

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orThe curse of Oak Island is a major clickbait site. Photo of Alex Lagins and text is perfect example of the misinformation presented

My Feed Has Become a Circus

Okay, friends. I’ve got another gripe, and this one has been simmering like a pot of pasta water you swear you’re watching… right up until it boils over.

Let’s talk about clickbait — those dramatic, over‑the‑top posts that show up in your feed looking like they were written by someone who gets paid per exclamation point. They pop up on Facebook for me, but honestly, they’re multiplying like gremlins everywhere.

And here’s the funny part: for all the talk over the years about “fake news,” these posts are out here proving that plenty of people besides politicians love throwing that phrase around — and sometimes for good reason.

Oak Island: Apparently Everyone Is Injured, Missing, or Quitting

If you follow The Curse of Oak Island, you know exactly what I mean. According to my feed:

  • Alex Lagina has had 47 near‑fatal accidents
  • Marty has quit the show at least six times
  • Billy Gerhart has been injured, hospitalized, abducted by aliens, or all three

I binge‑watched episodes just to check — not a single mention. Not even a dramatic limp. So unless the finale involves a plot twist where everyone suddenly reveals their secret injuries, I’m calling nonsense.

Skinwalker Ranch: Clickbait’s Second Home

Then there’s Skinwalker Ranch. Recently the rumor mill insisted Dr. Travis Taylor was leaving the show to join Ancient Aliens.

Except… he’s been on Ancient Aliens for years. This is not new or  dramatic. This is not even mildly surprising.

But clickbait doesn’t care about facts. Clickbait cares about CHAOS.

Josh Gates: The Internet’s Favorite Target

And poor Josh Gates. The man can’t sneeze without a dozen fake headlines appearing:

  • “Josh Gates hospitalized after mysterious expedition”
  • “Josh Gates fails dangerous Bigfoot mission”
  • “Josh Gates quits everything forever”

Meanwhile, Josh is probably somewhere eating a granola bar and minding his business.

Expedition Bigfoot: The Latest Victim

Last night I saw a post claiming Expedition Bigfoot was canceled because of a “major discovery.”

Sure. And I’m the Queen of England.

No announcement or source. No evidence. Just a dramatic headline and a blurry photo of a forest.

Why This Drives Me Up a Wall

I miss the days when the internet was a place to get information, not a scavenger hunt where every clue leads to a website that looks like it was built in 2009 and written by a caffeinated raccoon.

If I want to know whether a show has a new season coming, I shouldn’t have to dig through twelve fake news sites, three AI‑generated thumbnails, and a pop‑up asking me to “accept cookies” like I’m entering a bakery.

Is It Just Me?

Please tell me I’m not the only one drowning in this nonsense. If your feed has become a carnival of fake headlines too, pull up a chair — we can commiserate together.

 

When Technology Takes a Coffee Break

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🐾  My Morning Link Routine Hits a Snag

For more than ten years, my mornings have followed a familiar rhythm: coffee, sunrise, and a quick click over to The Animal Rescue Site. One tap earns food and supplies for shelter pets, and sharing the link on Facebook helps spread the word. It’s a tiny ritual, but it feels like a good way to start the day — a little kindness before the world gets noisy.

Lately, though, my dependable routine has hit a pothole.

💻 The Mysterious Case of the Spinning Share Button

Since the New Year, Facebook has decided to get… dramatic.
I click “Share.”
Facebook asks, “Who can see this?”
I choose “Public,” like always.
And then — nothing. Just spinning. Spinning. More spinning. Enough spinning to power a small wind farm.

It’s the digital equivalent of someone nodding politely while slowly backing out of the room.

I’ve tried refreshing, reloading, coaxing, pleading, and even giving my computer the side‑eye. No luck. The share button has apparently taken a personal day.

🐕 Why This Matters (At Least to Me)

I wrote a blog post ages ago promising readers that if they ever misplaced the link, they could always find it on my Facebook feed. It felt like a simple, reliable promise — until Facebook decided to reinvent itself on January 1.

Now I feel like I’m letting people down, even though the problem is clearly not on my end. Technology has a funny way of making us feel responsible for things we can’t control.

🌬️ Letting Go (Just a Little)

So here’s the update: I’m still clicking daily. The animals are still getting their points. And I’m still trying to share the link — even if Facebook is currently acting like a moody teenager who refuses to come downstairs.

If you’re looking for the link and don’t see it, that’s why. I’ll keep troubleshooting, and hopefully Facebook will snap out of its New Year funk soon.

In the meantime, consider this a reminder that even the smallest routines can go sideways — and that’s okay. Life, like a dusty road, is full of bumps, detours, and the occasional spinning wheel.

Longest Dirt Road in The World

 

Polite Dinner Conversation

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I still have a couple of more stories from the Horse Show to share but I haven’t had time to prepare the photos so I’m going to take a break from that topic for today.

I was noticing on Facebook that lately my newsfeed has been full of religious posts and political posts. Luckily my friends haven’t stooped to sexual posts yet (for the most part).

It makes me wonder, didn’t anyone ever teach them that the 3 things that are never to be discussed at the dinner table (ie polite company) are religion, politics and sex? Now don’t get me wrong. I like  religion, politics and sex but in small doses…moderation in all things; balance in life.

What particularly annoys me is when 1 friend posts 20 or 25 posts in a row all about how to be saved or how God in her life is carrying her troubles. Come on. I got it after the first one or two, especially when you considered this person does this multiple post thing two or three times a day.

prayer

I friended her because when I knew her she was an interesting, dynamic person. She had lots of things to talk about. Now it seems saving the souls of her facebook friends is all she can talk about…that and her weight loss. I don’t want to un-friend her but I would like my newsfeed back to normal.

god

It’s like religious spam. Don’t get me wrong. I respect her faith and her right to hold it close. I just don’t need to be reminded about it constantly.  ( I have many very religious friends of all persuasions and only this one thinks it’s ok to spam)

Now on the political side. All these posts about Obama… all bad too…are a waste of space. I get it. The person/ persons posting this dribble didn’t vote for Obama and takes great pleasure in pointing out his shortcomings. What I don’t get is why I should care ( whether I voted for the man or not. ) It’s done. He won but soon he’ll be done. He’ll be out of office before you know it. He can’t run again.  Move on. If you want to make political commentary then do it in an intelligent manner. How about discussing (please note I said discussing) the affordable health care law?

obama

How is it affecting you? Research it so your comments are backed by some understanding. Too much of it is just sharing a political cartoon over and over .  I love a good political discussion when it’s factual and well researched.

I have one friend that used to get wonderful , thoughtful discussions going on everything from the war on terror to gun laws.

Afghanistan_war

His comments were always well thought out and researched. His friends that commented didn’t always agree but they were as articulate and informed as he. It made for some lively reading. I enjoyed it but he’s gone. Facebook got too trivial for him.

A few of my crude friends do occasionally post a “like / share “on a sexually explicit photo. I don’t know what gets into them because they know better and they would be the first to yell if they had children and saw it on their feed. I’m sure they just didn’t use good judgment. They just didn’t think.

So here’s the bottom line, then I will rant no more until the next time. 🙂

If you want to save my soul, please do it in moderation. If you want to raise political awareness, please do your homework, and if you want to look at sexually explicit photos,  please don’t share. Remember what your mother should have taught you…Never discuss religion, politics or sex at the dinner table.

disclaimer: I don’t wish to offend anyone. These are just my personal observations of my own newsfeed.

Another photo Challenge

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According to the paper this is the “World’s Largest Photo Contest”.

Since I entered a few photo contests last year I get invitations to enter photo contests all the time. I seldom do because they all have that “popularity” part and I’ve never been one of the “In Crowd”. I don’t have 1000+ Facebook friends and of the friends I have on Face book probably only about a dozen are active and of those maybe 5 will actually take the time to vote.

In this case my friend Nancy gave me the paper with the details on this contest.

But this contest seems different.  This is a juried contest. In other words there are real judges. They do have a popularity portion but it’s not for the “Grand Prize”. So I figured ..Why Not… so I spent the afternoon submitting photos. I may submit some more..who knows?

Anyway, I have a link that I believe will take you to my contest page. I’ve uploaded 12 photos so far. I think you can vote for one or all or any combination. I would really appreciate your support. It would be fun to win one of these competitions.

http://metrophotochallenge.com/profile/30030/df1f8a74c7e0f508d3de53ebf90e6a6b