If you want to interact with me on social media, there are a few things you should know.
- I am an iceberg. You will see only the visible part that I choose to reveal
I am a multi-dimensional human, but I may not reveal all of my dimensions. I am also not going to reveal private personal information. That is simply how you protect yourself in the age of social media. Nothing personal against anybody out there, it is just sound practice.
- If you have opinions, make them good ones and be prepared to explain, justify and defend them
I tend to not get involved in political, economic or societal discussions on my author blogs. I have other social media accounts for that purpose. However, if somebody posts something interesting, contentious or just flat-out nonsensical, I might bite.
If I bite, I will be expecting to engage in a proper structured discussion or debate. This means that if you have an opinion or argument, I will expect you to be able to back it up with facts and evidence. This is not an unrealistic idea. That’s how the most rigorous disciplines like science, medicine and law work. They expect new ideas to be defensible and arguable, and if they are not, then the tendency of the people on the other side of the debate is going to be to lose patience and interest, and regard the other party as unserious.
Or, to put it another way: if you want me to respect your opinions, have good ones that you can defend.
- Do not use logical fallacies and false analogies
Logical fallacies are a standard rhetorical tactic for many people arguing from a partisan and polemical position, or not arguing in good faith. I have studied them, so I can spot most of them, and if I see them, i will point that out. I will be especially tough on ad hominem fallacies.
- Do not talk in word salad or strings of slogans, or try to discuss using memes (except for humor)
I grew up in a strange era, no longer in existence for many people, where, if you wanted to communicate, you did it by constructing sentences in your own voice and in your own style, not using cliches or slogans.
The tendency of many people on social media is to talk in collections of slogans joined together. This results in word salad that has little substantive content. I tend to not engage when people try to write in that fashion. Unless the contribution is so awful that I bite. In which case, see above.
- I will walk away from pointless discussions
I am nearer to the end of my life than the beginning. This means that I have a much more acute understanding of the value of my remaining time on the planet. So I am not going to get drawn into meaningless, boring or unproductive conversations. I will walk away or Block.
- Humor and cats are good
You can never have too much of either. Well that, and boobies (yes, the bird. What did you think I was referring to?)
- You cannot a la carte me from a contribution perspective
I have had people contact me in the past with requests along the lines of “Rupert, we love the funny and interesting stuff that you post, but can you dial back on that serious existential and political shit?”
Um. No. I am a multi-dimensional person. And I am not going to be different things to different people, or try to only reveal some of myself. That will result in people (a) getting a distorted view of me and my values (b) I will start to look authentic to some, and inauthentic to others.
If you engage with me, you will get the entire Rupert Ramsgate (or at least, the entirety of what I have chosen to reveal – see above). If you decide that you don’t care for the entire Rupert, well, Unfollow, Mute and Block are there if you need them.
- It’s not hard to not be a dick
I am amazed at the number of people who leap into social media interactions, leading with forms of words and an interaction style that looks like it came from a battlefield. You can be forthright and courteous at the same time. Try to be kind. We’re all humans, with emotions, and there is no need to start encounters from a base of antagonism.