This topic may irk an e-marketer, but, in my opinion,
is about something that we can all ponder over.
These days practically every organization or cause has an
online identity and equity. It’s a world of hits, likes and hashtags. The
premise of this post is about giving weight to your e-interactions and about
moderating yourself. When you support something, go all out for it. On the
flipside, when you don’t, silence may just be the best policy.
Remember, even
when you talk about something in a negative light you’re still contributing to
its visibility. Take the case of any one of the numerous hoax messages that we
may end up sharing. We have all done it. Now pause and think for a moment of
companies/individuals/causes that may be the victims of such hoaxes, it could
be a lifetime of painstakingly built up reputation that takes a hit. Please do
not take this lightly. When you share a hoax, it’s like a handful of snow,
rolled up and slipped down a slope. Think about the poor soul standing at the
bottom.
A case in point that most of us can relate to. There was
this email forward floating around about mutant chickens; that a global fast food chain was serving us genetically tuned chicken. Remember that one? Word is that it’s a
hoax. A lot of people I know have banned those mutant chickens from their menus
after reading this forward. That such a decision was based on bogus hearsay is
unfortunate isn’t it?
Choosing not to talk about something can be powerful stuff.
It’s easier to vent. It’s even easier to hit “share”. But the next time you’re
tempted to, do think again. It’s really simple to exercise a degree of cyber control (does that sound dirty?).
- Just because a lot of people believe in something and share it doesn’t automatically validate it. Google’s your best friend when it comes to checking the veracity of stuff that you come across. There are sites dedicated to breaking hoaxes. Run it by them. Make it a habit.
- If you’re like me and you don’t support the I****n P*****r L****e, then don’t talk about it online. Pan it all you want with your buds offline though. Don’t be gentle. Watch out if one of your cronies is taping your conversation for a podcast though. Ok that may be bordering on paranoia.
Here’s a question that strikes me though.
Isn’t it distinctly possible that a claim against a hoax could be a lie in
itself?
Guess that question is best left to the conspiracy
theorists.
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