Why did I block you on Facebook?

Yesterday, just because everyone should do this at least once a year, I went to my Facebook blocked list and looked it over.

I currently have 21 people blocked on Facebook. Blocked in that they can’t contact me, can’t see what I write, and can’t hassle me. How long will they remain blocked? For as long as I choose.

See, there’s several different reasons why we block people on social media. We don’t believe in the same political agenda as they. We’re sick of receiving game requests to time-suck games. Or their existence is a memory of a sour moment in our lives.

And my threshold for social media blockage might not be your threshold. You might say to me, “Chuck, that wasn’t so bad an offense.” Then again, you might also say, “Chuck, I would have cut them loose a long time ago, you have the patience of Job.”

I suppose I do. Sometimes, though, it’s best to check the list. On rare occasions, Facebook can actually un-block someone without my knowledge, or they canceled their account and boiled up a new one, meaning a re-block is necessary.

So let me look and make sure. Because I might be in a forgiving mood. I might be willing to take the block off for one of these miscreants. I really have to investigate the situation regarding same, re-examine what our interactions were, and decide if there really is forgiveness or just an extension of exclusion.

Let’s see. Oh, there’s a few people I dated, they’re still on the block list. After I broke up with one of them, she turned around and started stalking my every move, drilling through my FB past and contacting other people I dated to “share notes” on me. Yeah, you’re staying blocked.

And here’s another one. This person actually claimed to be my friend, but I found out later was using sockpuppets to harass me on social media with virulent, vulgar and offensive commentary. Yeah, don’t have time. The block stays on for you.

Oh, look. Here’s a family member that’s on the block list. And the block list includes their current profile picture – which is the profile picture of Donald Trump’s old Twitter bio. I don’t need Trumpers in my life. Stay blocked.

Oh, here’s someone I blocked because they pretended to be “someone I knew,” but was really someone from some foreign country who was both pretending to be a familiar person AND tried to convince me to send them money for some spurious reason. Stay blocked.

Now there’s a couple here that don’t have any Facebook profile pictures, which makes me suspect that they’ve left the platform completely. Yeah, can’t take that chance. I have some friends who don’t have FB profile pages, it happens from time to time. If you left the platform, your profile would disappear, not just your avatar. Stay blocked and stay out of my life.

Oh yeah, here’s the social media strategist for the Times Union, who during my 8+ years as a blogger for that paper, treated me like I was chewing gum stuck to the heels of her FMP’s. There’s no reason to unblock her. I’m much happier dealing without her passive-aggressive, high-handed snootiness.

Yep, I started with 21 people on the blocked list.

When I finished, there were still 21 people on that blocked list.

There is no rule on Facebook that says I have to unblock you after a certain period of time. You can remain blocked for as long as I choose. This is my freedom of choice. You hear me, this is my freedom of choice.

And that supersedes your freedom of speech.