Top Ten Social Media Gaffes

Social media gaffes. What? You mean like the time I mortally and culturally embarrassed myself by asking on Twitter what GBP meant and Jeffe had to tell me, "Uhm. You know. The POUND. As in the currency of Great Britain." I slunk away into the backwaters of Twitter for a few days after that one.

TOP TEN SOCIAL MEDIA GAFFES

10. Offensive or titillating, incomplete click-bait post (click through! find out why you aren't making a million dollars! You'll be amazed!)

9. Overly emotional primary relationship venting. Twitter is not a qualified marriage counselor. Breaking up via text message, FB post, or in fewer than 140 characters is truly bad form.

8. ANYTHING that would make you show up on Straight White Guys Texting (Tumblr blog - before you go look, just remember that what you see cannot be unseen).

7. Live Tweeting your 'Beat the Tide Beer Race' that day you called in sick to work. Never mind that your boss and coworkers follow you.

6. SCREAM AND NAME CALL a fellow professional - editor, agent, fellow author, as yet unpublished author. Nah. You know what? Anyone. Do that to anyone.

5. Expect social media to educate you. That thing you don't know or understand? No one on Twitter owes you an encyclopedic explanation on it. You *might* get one. You might get a couple. But seriously, you want to comprehend the complexities of LGBTQ+ rights? Do some damn research. Expecting that cool gender queer person you follow on Twitter to explain it all is A) disrespectful and B) a pain in the ass.

4. Use someone else's photos, words, or art without permission much less attribution.

3. Not sending cat pictures. This is a big one. The internet is for two things and two things only. You already know the other four letter word. Cats are the other. Fail to post pics and see what happens when they finally achieve complete subjugation of the human race.

2. Not saying what you believe in a sane, rational way - you get to believe what you believe - just be aware that no matter what you believe, once you speak it - or commit it to the eternity that is the interweb - it's available for target practice. But you NOT speaking your truth is also a gaffe. Against yourself and anyone who wants to know who you are.

1. Trolling J.K. Rowling. She owes the internet. Troll her and see how fast she'll own you.