Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Facebook - connecting people?

A friend just posted the following status update to her Facebook:

"فلسطين الحرة" = ""פלסטין החופשית" רוצה להיות חבר שלי בפייסבוק חחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחחח איזו בדיחה טובה...
(Loose translation: "Free Palestine" wants to be my friend on Facebook. Lollllllllllllllllllll! What a good joke!)


Much has been written about the incredible ability of Facebook to connect people. But as time has gone by, people have come to the realisation that the rules of the game are still much the same as they were. For example, one of the many ways I reasons I use Facebook is to better understand other people. As somebody who is somewhat right-wing, religious and very much a Zionist, I have both sought to spread my beliefs and share them with other people, and also to ask left-wingers, secular people and non/anti-Zionists about their opinions.

Very quickly, however, I realised that it wouldn't be possible for me to convince other people to think like me. Most people have reasons for thinking as they do. Similarly, these people wouldn't simply convert me to voting for a left-wing party, renouncing religion and abandoning Israel in favour of life in the Palestinian territories.

That's all well and done. What most concerns me, though, is the amount of hatred I have received from complete strangers. Below is a collection of interesting messages I have received. Some are innocent requests (identity protected in one case), some are pure hate mail, and some are likely the spew of some teenage without adult supervision.

What about you? Have you received messages from strangers on Facebook? What came of it?



This one is just bizarre. A request from an Iranian for information on how to join the World Zionist Organisation!


And lastly, an inquiry as to how one may convert to Judaism!

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