Example of poor use of social media: The above Twitter post by an organization called Save Animals Facing Extinction.
“Poachers are hunting elephants in extinction. We could lose them FOREVER! Should we stop poaching immediately?”
Then, in a box, “Should We Save Elephants From Extinction?”
Short answer: I suppose. Slightly longer answer, with a caveat: Yes, if we can eliminate the above inanity, possibly by having the idjits who came up with this campaign trampled by a herd of rogue elephants.
Even if one ignores the insipid questions, “Should we stop poaching immediately?” and “Should we save elephants from extinction?” (But won’t someone think of the illegal ivory and elephant-foot wastebasket industries?) the link in the Twitter post takes you to a … petition page, where you can add your email address and zip code.
That’s it. That’s how Save Animals Facing Extinction is going stop poaching and keep us from losing elephants forever(!)
The organization has a decent website, with links on how individuals can contribute money, but you wouldn’t know it from the Twitter post. You have to find it on your own.
Endangered species have it hard enough; this sort of tommyrot makes a mockery of their plight.
The Cotton Boll Conspiracy 
Who hires these goons? Other goons, I suppose…
And how are the donations used?
If you were to read the Twitter conversation that followed the post, you’d see who hires and follows these sorts. An amazing number of people who answer along the likes of, “The world would be better off if there were only elephants and no humans” and idiotic responses of that sort.
Usual mix of woolly sentiment and lack of sense. How did our societies produce these people, I wonder, or were they always there unnoticed until social media let them loose on the rest of us.
I think social media is allowing them to congregate and create insular communities, echo chambers where everybody says what everybody wants to hear. It’s been like this in politics for a long time; now it’s spreading to other areas. Unfortunately, social media is making the rest of us more aware of these sorts.
A bit like the fan clubs on some of the more sugary of blogs, then…
Indeed. Dumbing down the masses one post at a time.
And have you seen the WordPress selections….? What are they trying to do….make emotional illiteracy the norm?
Would have slipped past mine if I had not pressed the wrong option…
Cotton Boll,
I think of it as a learning process. Social media is in its infancy, and many of these people wouldn’t know about elephant poaching but for emotional appeals like this. So this one is unsophisticated, but considering the plethora of non-profits and foundations with emotionally provocative excuses for getting your money, I would say this organization will have lots of competition.
I agree social media is in its infancy, but I also wonder as to the legitimacy of this operation. Emotional appeals are great for bringing in money, but that doesn’t mean the money they raise are going to actually going to be used for the purported cause. A fool and his money and all that …
Agreed. But I would claim most money raised by non-profits and foundations does more to pay administrators and founders, and for self-promotion, than to promote the “cause.” I’m very skeptical of the whole kit and kaboodle of them. Also, there are so many appeals for money out there, including advertising, that I suspect those who have any money to spare have become cautious about what they support. This group reads like a very immature one, targeted at young people who probably don’t have much money anyway.
I, too, am suspicious of most nonprofits these days for the reasons you state. Running a nonprofit or foundation can be good, well-paying work if you can get it, and you put your scruples aside. It, unfortunately, demeans those who run legitimate operations.
What’s the question?
I apologize, I didn’t actually write the previous comment, I was hacked. You can remove my comments if you’d like.
Reblogged this on seachranaidhe1.
I’m not sure if you were intending to be funny, but this was great. Serious, too, but your word choice was superb. Tommyrot! Wow!
Oh, the sarcasm button was turned up to 11 on this one. And thanks for the kind words. It’s been awhile since I’ve pulled “tommyrot” out. Too long, I believe.
Thank you for the smile today. 🙂
But it makes you feel good like you actually did something.
Should we eliminate this kind of asinine tomfoolery and actually take action?
Yes()
No()
Seriously though, I just stumbled across your blog and I thoroughly enjoyed your perspective on the world. Looking forward to more.
Much obliged. I always appreciate a kind word or two. Take care.
We need to save our animals its already our fault people could care for these animals if we weren’t here alot of animals could survive