I think the internet should come with an instruction manual.
Or at the very least guidelines.
Really.
Have you seen some of the stuff on here?
Maybe start slow, something simple,
like…
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Don’t feed the trolls or don’t tweet when angry, sad, lonely…drunk, or ill-informed, without verification. For some, maybe just don’t tweet at all. This also applies to posting on Facebook, texting, commenting, etc.
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If someone unfriends you, relax, then look up the definition of friend and if someone doesn’t agree with your opinion that doesn’t oblige you to start a war. Viva la difference.
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Watch out for those snap judgements, don’t mistake conversation for honest conversation, and know the difference between flirty and creepy (don’t stand so close to me, even on the internet).
I sometimes wonder what the world is going to look like after a few more years ‘high’ on social media?
Electoral candidates are constantly apologizing and dropping out of politics for tweets, texts, pictures (the better question might be why those pictures were taken at all)…even if it was years ago. That reminds me, I should check my Twitter feed.
Social media has given us the freedom to express ourselves, but like anything else, social media brings out the best in some people, the worst in others. Or perhaps this level of wow-super-interesting-but-not-necessarily-in-a-good-way was always there, the internet has just made certain views, er, more available.
Perhaps some people always thought they were:
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Being mind-controlled by subterranean lizard people (gee, I hate when that happens).
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Celebrities who sometimes seem like subterranean lizard people, just not as cool.
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Aliens, androids, and other ‘a’ words.
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Traveling through time and space, wait, wasn’t that on Doctor Who (don’t blink and take me with you).
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Immortal (I’m sure that worked great, right up until the moment they died).
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Fairies, merpeople, wizards, witches, vampires, zombies, werewolves, Donald Trump (sorry, just randomly listing supernatural creatures).
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Married to video game characters (hopefully not Sonic the Hedgehog, too, umm, quick).
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Obsessed by food and cats and cats with food.
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Inventors of things they didn’t invent because in some cases they weren’t even born yet or not that bright.
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Being used in secret government experiments (hey, I watched X-Files too).
Look what the internet has done with this latest refugee crisis. I think we’re all migrants. At birth, we move from our mothers. We wander…first to our knees to crawl, then drift to an upright position to walk. We travel, even a few feet to play. We rove to school. We wander into relationships, friendships. We transition to jobs. Sometimes roam the world. Humans are nomadic; we take journeys through stories, books, movies, TV programs, and now, the internet, even if we never leave our home. One way or another, we like to move it, move it, we like to move it, move it…
I am so glad about your last paragraph!!! The internet means exactly the same to me. I found the most beautiful people and friends over here. I would have never met them without!!! Great, great post!!!
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I know, it’s amazing that way…after all, we found each other! 🙂
Thank you kindly and hope this day is being good to you Erika. 🙂
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Yes, I am glad too we met 🙂 It was a good day! We already have Tuesday, just switched 🙂 Have a nice rest of your day 🙂
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Then hope you have a terrific Tuesday, we’ve got almost 6 hours to go here in Canada. 🙂
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Welcome on Tuesday 😃
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I bet you’re about onto Wednesday by now… 😉
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Almost… haha. Still three hours to go 😀
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How about now? 😉
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Now? It is 10 am 🙂 Hope you sleep well 😀
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Now it’s almost noon here, Wednesday…hope this whole week (which seems to be flying by) is being good to you. 😉
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It is a great week, thank you. That means I am 6 hours ahead. You are in East Canada, right?
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Glad to hear it’s been a great week. 🙂
Ontario so we’re kind of in the middle. 🙂
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I lived on the border to Ontario for a year. Close to Niagara Falls. 🙂
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That’s a lovely area, I’m more Southern, but I’ve visited often over the years. 🙂
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It really is a lovely area, but I am sure Canada is full of great places 🙂
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It’s so large and beautiful from sea to sea to sea. 😉 The world is full of natural wonders, we just nee to protect them so everyone can enjoy them. 🙂
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You are so very right! We need to treat nature respectfully. We are depending on it!
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We should treat each other respectfully – I hope Mother Nature remembers that this winter, slow down on the mountains of snow. 😉 lol
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Definitely! We need to treat each other respectfully. Everything else is just a positive consequence. Hope you don’t get buried again this year. Big hugs, dear!
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Big hugs!!! 🙂
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Big hugs to you, dear 🙂
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You made me smile as always Donna. We do always need to think before we post anything online, I agree.
All things can be used or abused; -)
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I’m glad I could make you smile…I figured people might need a giggle by Monday evening. 😉
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Yes you are right Donna.
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Thank you kindly, hope this week treats you well. 🙂
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i love the internet…i got friends…so many friends…
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We got friends in cyberplaces… 😉
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indeed…now if i had anywhere near this many real life friends…
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Are you saying we aren’t real? I resemble that remark. 😉
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oh…you’re real!!! but what the chances we’d ever meet? i doubt i’ll ever meet most of my online friends…proof is if i suggest video most people run…
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What is real anyway? 😉
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i don’t worry about it and keep my internet bill paid
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Sensible. 🙂
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Is that a Sleestak?
I wonder in the future what email addresses will be left for people. I see a lot through my job that aren’t ones I would want to put on my resume’ (yet, others do, obviously). What happens when that’s ALL that you can choose from?
People are strange. I play Yahtzee on my phone, which is connected through FB, and some guy keeps trying to chat me up. Dude, you are wearing your company uniform in your pic with your name RIGHT THERE. Not sure your fiance’, as seen on your open facebook page, would appreciate this!
(yeah, I FB stalk, but only when provoked and even then I don’t do anything with the info. i’m nosey but not vindictive.)
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I was going with a Sleestak and at the last minute I went for the Star Trek Gorn; some Kardashians were also in the running…it was a toss up, so many lizard people. 😉
lol Yes, I can see the future of email addresses getting very dicey. 😉
Is it a lack of shame or just not getting where they are? So creepy.
Judging you so hard right no…kidding, I think we’ve all had our moments. 😉
Thanks for dropping by and hope this day is being Full House, 4 of a kind, and Chance good to you…we can only hope for a Yahtzee so often in life. 😉
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Now, I feel like a bad geek for thinking Sleestak before Star Trek. UGH!
Serious advice, if your email address is “sexaymomof6 @emailcarriername” don’t put it on your resume. Seriously. I would rather it be initialsandwaytoomanynumbers than that.
(true story on that email address; when the asked about a job it would always go to spam on our server!)
I should say I don’t FB spy often at all, but the few times I have, it surprises me what people have open to the public!
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So many lizards, it’s hard to choose. 😉
With so many choices you’d think, hey, maybe that’s not a good idea. I hadn’t thought of the spam angle, but it makes perfect sense. 🙂
I’m not shocked easily, but I am sometimes taken aback but what people will discuss on FB, I’m often thinking, hmmm, hat might be more private message info. 😉
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IMHO, one reason individuals can get so opinionated on Social Media, is because it can be a sort of mask – some are themselves, but others pretend they are something they are not. I’ve even seen a few individuals pretend to be several people and have conversations with themselves in certain group situations.
Bottom line, I believe that the good overpowers the bad. As an author, the internet gives me an opportunity to connect with fans all over the world. which is very convenient.
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It’d say they need to get a hobby, but I guess maybe talking to yourself in a group might count, er, maybe. 😉
The internet is just another form of human connection, there will always be good and bad elements, but generally, it’s amazing. 🙂
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I agree & yes, they need a hobby – off net!
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Might be something they could look into… 😉
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I swear that dog knows more about the internet, social sites, tweeting, Facebooking and blogging than I do. It is like a minefield out there and with crutches I have four feet to worry about sticking on one and being blown to hell and back.
Luckily I have friends and they’re real friends not imaginary ones, I can prove it as I have their email addresses, though I’m a little surprised so many live on Mars. I didn’t know we’d colonised. All I did was suggest dropping in for a cuppa one day and asking where they were.
Have a Glorious Week and let me know when you’re taking this comedy show on the road.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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It is scary out there and your maneuvering powers might be a tad limited so be careful…you’ll get by with a little help from your friends. I’ve heard mixed reviews of Martians, but I like to think they’re just misunderstood. 😉
Got to go, I’m just dog-gone tired, bone-weary…ok, I’m done with the dog jokes, I didn’t mean to hound you. 🙂
Take care, David and mega massive mammoth monster hugs. 🙂
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Gee whiz – I only tweet while sad, angry or drunk. I didn’t know there was another way to do it! ; )
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lol Oh Jan, I’m sooo glad I could help…or not. 😉
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I thought two packs of Kool Menthol cigarettes a day, were the final nails in the cultural coffin. Oh well….
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Coffin, coughin’…I see what you did there, funny. 😉
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It was a cough that carried him off
It was a coffin they carried him off in
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lol Now I’m thinking of ‘A Million Ways To Die In The West’ where he Albert says we should all just wear coffins for clothes. 😉
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perfectly sensible I’d say- cuts out so much last minute decision making.
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How true!
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I’d really like to make an insightful comment… but I’m still laughing about Sonic and too quick. 😀 Thank you Donna, for another delightful post. Nice way to top off this Monday. Mega hugs!
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Why, whatever do you mean? lol 😉
I thought everyone might need a good giggle on this Monday evening…glad to hear it worked. 😉
Hope this week has less homework and more fun, maybe not, but I can hope for you. 🙂
Megahugs. 🙂
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Awesome! You referenced Don’t Blink! Why the hell didn’t Sally Sparrow get to be a companion?
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I’ve been watching Doctor Who for decades, I have scary amounts of it lurking around in my brain. I think Sally Sparrow would have made a great companion or for that matter, doctor. 😉
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Interesting idea! A female doctor would be very interesting.
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I think the world is ready for another female doctor (of course I’m referring to Joanna Lumley already having been The Doctor in ‘The Curse of Fatal Death’, but apparently that doesn’t count, for some reason). 😉
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I love the Internet.
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And it loves you. 😉
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Looking for the LIKE button. Can’t find it. Over to Twitter!! PS A+ on use of gifs.
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It’s way at the bottom of the post since WordPress is playing hide and seek with stuff again. lol 😉
Thank you kindly Jann. 🙂
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The net, like anything else, has the power to be used for good and evil. I’ve seen both to a large degree. The only difference from this and any other tool is the speed over distances at which the work takes place. I am seriously pro-internet, like I am pro-most tools. But I do recognize that a hammer can build great things, but is also used by evil people to bludgeon to death. So goes the internet.
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Like everything it really depends on how one uses it, also, probably intent.
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Intent and integrity of the bystanders. Cheers Caputo
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How true. 🙂
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😉
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🙂
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So far so good, Donna. Lots of wonderful people out here, opportunities to support and be supported, to be kind and make friends. It’s hard enough to make time for all the wonderful blogs and posts – got no time at all for negativity. I disengage without batting an eye.
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Yes, time is too precious. 🙂
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An Instruction Manual for Internet sounds like a cool idea!
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It would be, wouldn’t it? 😉
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Yes!
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🙂
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What a good post! I very much agree with you in that the internet brings out the best and the worst in people.
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Thank you kindly and it surely does. 🙂
Hope this day is being good to you. 🙂
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I enjoyed reading this post. I think the internet is a wonderful place. Without it, I would never have encountered WordPress where there are so many lovely people. However, it is best to have some sort of reserve when posting on Social media sites. If you are not happy with your granny or your boss seeing it then probably best not to post it! Most of us though have succumbed to posting something that we regret, but hopefully only made that mistake once!
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Thank you kindly. 🙂
It certainly has some amazingly good and bad, but you’re right, there should be guidelines, at least in our heads of what we ‘share’ or in many cases, ‘overshare’. 😉
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Yes, it is so easy to get carried away 🙂
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I guess that’s when critical thinking kicks in…or I have to admit sometimes not. 😉
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😆
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🙂
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This was great! I get tired of the ranting and raving on the internet, but I understand it’s a way for people to release their frustrations. Like anything else – there’s good and bad in it.
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Thank you kindly. 🙂
Yes, like life, there’s some of everything. 🙂
Hope this day is treating you kindly. 🙂
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I’m still positive about the internet and haven’t had too many bad experiences. It just reflects the people who use it and gives us all a chance to say things that we wouldn’t necessarily say in the flesh, as it were.
I’m finding that I’m getting more careful about what I say than I used to be.
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Agreed…it’s all about how it’s used. 🙂
Hope this day treats you kindly. 🙂
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That zombie meme tho.
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😉
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You are the funniest woman alive. The best thing about the internet and technology is soon we will not have to leave our homes or actually interact personally with anyone! Thanks for the laughs!
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Well, I don’t know about that, but…I’ll take it. 😉
Thank you kindly and it’s true, tech has given us many advantages. 😉
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😉
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🙂
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I love the internet and social media, however, it has given a stronger voice to the stupid and ill informed!
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Sadly yes, but it’s also given a voice to the smart and well-informed, if only we could get the two together. 😉
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all nets catch stuff and let stuff through, can act as a cage or a safe haven – which just goes to show you can metaphor the shit out of anything and still talk rubbish. Lovely post Donna
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True, but it’s the way you rubbish talk that counts. 😉
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true!
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🙂
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Hilarious Donna! Too darn funny…and what is really funny is that it is all true 🙂 Makes ya wonder, doesn’t it?? Love the meme’s!!
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It really does make me wonder, a lot… 😉
Thank you kindly and hope this week is being good to you so far. 🙂
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Agreed – social media is a great place to make new friends, and learn about so many different things.
You make all these memes in your posts? Those memes, along with all the gifs you post, prove that you’re someone who wants to make the internet a better place.
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It’s like most things, you have to decide what to use and not use, take time or not, yes, including memes and gifs, some are just too much work, others aren’t. 😉
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I think like the phone it is a useful tool, but should not be a stand alone thing. People find it all to easy to bully when they can’t be identified and this is one of the sad things about the internet, but it is so useful for someone like me, who can barely leave the house, it allows me still to have human contact and not go completely stir crazy
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Everything can be used poorly or wisely, I suppose a lot depends on intent.
I love my virtual world – there’s so many wonders and wonderful people to be found here. 🙂
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I agree but like many other things the human society uses it to be horrible to each other
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Yes, I don’t know why people would make that choice, but all too often, they sadly do.
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Me gotted internet. Me no need learn anyfink. Eksept how to google. Give all ansers.
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lol Sounds like you have it all figured out. 😉
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well… you know you had me with that first picture… sigh
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I couldn’t resist. 😉
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you never can… and I never get tiered of your posts… so…
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I know the feeling, but about yours. I’m starting a campaign to get my library and others to buy more books and ebooks by indie authors, what do you think, good idea?
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well that is the best idea I ever heard…
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I’m tired of seeing a 100 copies of bestsellers and little or no indies.
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It is not easy to get noticed, that’s for sure.
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It’s it must be difficult to get reviews as well.
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I do posts now and then asking people who read any of my books to go where they got them and write a review… a few people have.
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That’s a great idea. 🙂
I’ve been enjoying your money series today, it’s been, er, enlightening. 😉
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I get carried away… thanks.
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You had me laughing…maybe we’ll both be ‘carried’ away. 😉
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by men in white coats…
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After Labour Day, isn’t there some rule about that?
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Not for them
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These fashion rules are so complicated.
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I love your frankness… this is great… had me hurling. Can I disagree though?
Er… No! 😀
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Glad you liked it. 🙂
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Reblogged this on ' Ace Social & Media News ' and commented:
It’s that time again for a #Donnamazing post and this one is no different it is brilliant. Just love your topic about standing to close to the flame – it looks beautiful and bright like the Internet of all things (IOT) for short, they like their initials hides a multiple of All things.
Well the Internet as l heard can be good and useful like All things but everyone who knows all things like Gods knowing Good and Evil really are not the people you want to stand to close to in the first place.
Though #Donna everyone should stand close to people like you now and always lots ❤️ X
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Very wise words, Ian, it does seem like even the most wonderful of things, like the internet, something that connects people and helps them help others, also unfortunately has a dark side.
Thanks for the reblog and the sweet words, you are really too kind. 🙂
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Thanks Donna take a look at the post today on the dangers of the Internet of all things to see what l mean. Have a nice day Ian 🌝
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I know, there is some weird stuff going on in here, thanks for letting us know, Ian. Gives me the shivers.
Hope this week is being good to you. 🙂
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I’ll second that!
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Motion carried. 😉
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As usual, another great post. I like the way your mind works, putting things together … like aliens, androids, and other ‘a’ words. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
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Thank you kindly…it seemed like that sort of day. 😉
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I have nominated you for” sunshine bloggers award”, https://jameslantern40.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/i-have-been-nominated-for-the-sunshine-bloggers-award/
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I am playing catch up all over the place, James, I think I should be writing a post about spreading yourself too thin and the consequences…so sorry. Thank you so much for this nomination and the shout-out. I’m honoured and thrilled and will try to keep up (no promises because I hate breaking them). Hope this day is being kind to you. 🙂
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Thanks d.parker
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Thank you. 🙂
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🙂
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Reblogged this on cwa115's Blog.
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Thank you kindly for the reblog and the follow…best part, I found your blog. 🙂
Hope this day is treating you well. 🙂
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I love the picture of the dog at the computer. It looks a bit like me with some of my technical struggles.
I thrive on the social contacts I have through my blog. It’s not always easy for me to get out or meet like-minded people locally so it’s really opened up my world. I’ve now got friends all around the world and it’s just fabulous! xx Rowena
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He reminded me of me as well, Rowena, especially after the time I’ve been having with computers lately. 😉
And if not for the internet, how would people such as you and I ever have connected and enjoyed each other? You are so right. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by and I hope this weekend is good to you. 🙂
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Ditto. xx Ro
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🙂
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Darcy, I’ve nominated you for a Sunshine Blogger Award! For a quick run-down on how to accept this coveted and life-altering award (hyperbole added for emphasis ;>) go here: http://mitchteemley.com/2015/09/18/call-me-mr-sunshine/
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Congrats, hey, wait, I thought Snarkyanna was my name, that’s ok, we can share (sharing is good). 😉
Your worthiness is legendary, Mitch and I feel honoured not only to be nominated, but to be in such worthy company. Thanks for spreading all that sunshine, sunshine!!! 🙂
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Your comments have depth, courage and .Ean a lot to me in this post. My mother’s parents were immigrants who met and fell in love with each other (one from Sweden and the other from Germany.) They met in NYC so I believe in allowing people to take sanctuary or refuge here. Both my grandparents were productive and never spoke their homeland languages wanting to be “American.” Grandpa M was an engineer and Grandma M was first a server at a big hotel then a homemaker. I like the connections I have made through blogging and wish I had more time to “visit.”
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That’s a wonder story. We have wandered the Earth since humans first could wander. And look at what we have found…mostly, each other. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your grandparents sweet and inspiring story. 🙂
Anytime we get to visit is lovely. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Kev's Great Indie Authors and commented:
Brilliant post with some good tips, flicks, pics about the internet!
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Thanks so much Kev, for the kind words and the reblog. 🙂
Hope this day is being good to you. 🙂
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It is true that the Internet has helped a lot. We’ve met with so many people that ordinary we wouldn’t have met with and we’ve learnt so much from. Thanks for the post, it’s lovely.
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Quite so. 🙂
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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Thanks so much for the lovely reblog, Viv, so kind of you to think of me. 🙂
Hope this day is treating you well. All the best. 🙂
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Yes, everyone does need a sanctuary. I write about this often and one of my first blogs was about Sanctuary. Now all I have to do is learn about adding memes to my posts. Still not good with much of technology.
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Memes are simple, either make your own from a free site (gifs are a little more complicated, but fun), save them, then add them; or find ones you like, save them, add (and if credit is given, credit them). Way easier than you may think. I found adding YouTube vids more daunting, but then turned out to be easier than I thought.
Now I’m thinking I want to read The Hunchback of Notre Dame…must have been the word Sanctuary. 🙂
Hope this day is treating you well. 🙂
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I’ll look around for a site. I am a very slow learner, so it may take a while. Thanks!
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I use this one a lot and it’s the easiest. https://imgflip.com/memegenerator 🙂
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Thank you so much. If you see memes popping up in my posts, you’ll know it was all your doing. Clare
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lol I just hope I helped. If we can’t help each other, what’s the point? Hope your week is lovely, Clare (and full of memes). 😉
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I have met some amazing people on the internet like Donna, and some true weirdos like…Ha not naming names. If someone Unfriends me I frankly dont even notice. I am too busy living life. And frenemies are not part of my program! But I definitely make sure to know Who My enemy is. Thanks for sharing at the Pit stop!
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Exactly, life goes on, as it went on before social media, I suppose. 😉
Love #BloggersPitStop – you all do such an amazing job at helping others! 🙂
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