

Ask HN: Should I be worried about this? - RiderOfGiraffes

This is off-topic, but I would appreciate comments from the folks here on HN.<p>I've recently discovered that there is an "Appreciation Society" for me on Facebook.  SHould I be worried?  Is there anything I should do?<p>It feels a little creepy to be honest, although all the comments seem to be positive and generally "feel good".  I'm just concerned that someone or something might turn nasty and I wouldn't have any control over it.<p>Thoughts and comments welcome.  Thanks.
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ScottWhigham
Is it nicely done? Is it appropriate? I suppose I'd feel flattered first and
then bemused followed by wonder - wondering all those things you mentioned.
All in all, if the spirit is right, I'd embrace it. I think I would send a PM
to the organizer asking if they wanted me to be involved in any way. That
might be weird though.

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Mz
I think I would watch it periodically and if anything got posted that made me
concerned, I would try to think of some way to set the record straight without
turning it into an Issue. It might not even be appropriate to rebut something
directly, just be aware that people are saying X and maybe try to use your
normal pathways of communication to casually make remarks which "disprove"
whatever is being said that is erroneous. (Jumping into the conversation to
rebut something when you haven't previously participated in the group is
generally going to come across as defensive, offensive, harsh....etc...and can
do more harm than good.)

Having fans seems like a two-edged sword to me. Look how ugly things can get
when a Hollywood celebrity does something their fans don't approve of.
Britney, Madonna and countless others have gotten lambasted at one time or
another. Personally, I think Britney made a huge mistake when she created a
reality show about her marriage. I think she was looking to "prove" to people
that her marriage was a good idea and looking to get the approval of her fans.
And when you do that, you signal they have a say in your private life. It's
kind of like letting yourself get dragged into certain kinds of arguments:
Doing so only convinces the other person that they have some "right" and that
you need to "justify" your choice/position. In some cases, it's best to prove
to folks their opinion doesn't actually matter by treating it as
insignificant. Yet, at the same time, you have to realize that their opinion
may not matter to _you_ but can influence other people, so saying nothing may
also be a huge mistake. Rebutting something without winding up in a Chinese-
Finger-Puzzle-style social trap is an art and takes a light hand.

Good luck with this.

