I just don't get why people need to post certain things...

B

brewmeist

5-Year Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2018
Messages
1,465
I am on a few of the FB USNA pages that were recommended. I do enjoy it for the most part. I enjoy seeing the new Plebes, where they are coming from, their interests... And I especially love seeing the current Midshipmen and where the newly commissioned officers are heading. But yet some people just LOVE to complain on social media. I just read a FB post where a parent is 'getting a little impatient with the USNA." Why? because his kid did not yet receive his PTR package.

Heads up... And I say this all the time... Be careful what you post online. And if you are going to complain, make sure it something worth complaining about. At least try to do it for your kid's sake.
 
I am especially embarrassed for the Mids who's parents feel the need to relate every bad call or letter containing negative thoughts to the rest of the world. It's probably pretty easy to track them back to the Mid and they are often shared throughout the company or wider for a laugh.

Parents, if your kid expresses some doubts or misgivings about being there. They didn't want you to ask strangers on a public forum on how to handle it.
 
Just wait until Plebe Summer starts, and then see what the parents are posting on Facebook. A lot of it is positively cringe-worthy, and many plebes would explode if they knew what their folks were posting. The class parents’ pages have a way of bringing the worst out of moms and dads. Such as when parents post a private text exchange between them and their plebe, or a letter their mid sent during plebe summer. Yikes.
 
MidCakePa said:
Just wait until Plebe Summer starts, and then see what the parents are posting on Facebook. A lot of it is positively cringe-worthy, and many plebes would explode if they knew what their folks were posting. The class parents’ pages have a way of bringing the worst out of moms and dads. Such as when parents post a private text exchange between them and their plebe, or a letter their mid sent during plebe summer. Yikes.
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I'm talking about.
 
Parent pages have to be taken with a grain of salt. They are a good source of support and info. The ins and outs of how to manage different things in real life. And also fast answers for questions. But I think some people think they are posting with “7,000 of their closest and dearest friends.” This will NOT bode well for the Mid. Even on the class parent page, there are parents of older siblings present who can relay info to the upperclassmen.

A good rule of thumb is to use the parent page search function first for your questions. Often it’s been asked before. Another is to always ask your mid before posting their business. It IS INDEED awesome to see classmates, especially as you get to know them. But make sure it’s OK to share that picture first.

It’s a chronic issue....and one likely to not change. Another thing is that the different pages have a different ‘culture’. My advice is to find the one or two that feel right to you, and forget the rest. They do serve a positive function for parents. But also can get pretty ridiculous [emoji23][emoji849].
 
I can tell from some of the comments on this forum who the likely parent candidates would be to "over-post" to FB, etc...
 
We’ve all seen the “humble brag.” Then there’s the “faux-ignorance brag.”

My personal favorite: “[Mid name] just informed me that he made the Superintendent’s List. Does anyone know what that is? Is it a big deal?”
 
In all seriousness, neither my wife nor I are on Facebook. Are these Facebook pages for parents worth joining (or however you do that)? Of course we’re interested in what DS is up to and want to be supportive to a point but we don’t want to intrude on his life.
 
ders_dad said:
In all seriousness, neither my wife nor I are on Facebook. Are these Facebook pages for parents worth joining (or however you do that)? Of course we’re interested in what DS is up to and want to be supportive to a point but we don’t want to intrude on his life.
Click to expand...

I don’t know how to do it ... do you have to join the group to read it?
 
ders_dad said:
Are these Facebook pages for parents worth joining (or however you do that)?
Click to expand...

If you’re a plebe parent and/or generally curious about the goings-on at the Yard, it’s worth joining. There are indeed some useful nuggets. But bring the proverbial grain of salt or three. And if you’re like me, don’t post...ever. On Facebook, I’m a “net taker,” if you will — one of the few cases in life where that’s OK.
 
ders_dad said:
In all seriousness, neither my wife nor I are on Facebook. Are these Facebook pages for parents worth joining (or however you do that)? Of course we’re interested in what DS is up to and want to be supportive to a point but we don’t want to intrude on his life.
Click to expand...

I’m not a FB player either. My DS set me up an account way back when, and after his appointment to WP I joined the parents FB. It can be very helpful regarding logistics, dates(calendar not social courtship....wait, that is on there too!), and generally navigating all things Academy related. There are often times very important things posted that you would want to know and find helpful. Having said that, some folks go overboard and overdose on it! I recommend you joining it, and use it as a good informational tool.
It’s also entertaining!
 
Yeah, unfortunately you have to join FB to view some?/most?/all? groups. I fell into that trap many years ago (creating a FB account to see pic's of a former colleague's newborn baby). My wife is smarter than me (yet again), and has NEVER created an account and thus never read, posted, etc. anything on FB. We know our (4) kids are waaaay better off not having their parents post all of their wonderful and world-changing accomplishments in school, music, and athletics. Not to mention wonderful pet stories, wonderful vacation moments, etc...

If you think about it, it's really endemic of what's screwing up our society...TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Truthfully; nobody cares...or better yet' nobody should.
 
Well, to each their own. When my eldest son went off to college, he told us that the easiest place to communicate with him was on Facebook as I was in a travel-heavy job plus Reserves and as each one went off, they basically said the same things and this has been a good comms channel for our 4 kids over the years. Currently, two of them live overseas and another on the opposite coast so just time zones alone are an issue and being able to see not just photos but also videos (esp of our granddaughter) is a wonderful thing. We use the messenger function often for international texting and also do that with WhatsApp. Example: last weekend my wife and I were sharing our airboat excursion in the Everglades with our son who was on the slopes of Mt Etna in Sicily and he shared a video of the grandbaby getting her first taste of ice cream. All pretty much in real time
The comment someone made about not posting much on the open FB is valid for us. When we started, my son said he was glad to "friend" us but to not "embarass" him with our postings and I very rarely post except to my USNA Class's private page and even there, I rarely initiate a new thread. When number 2 son went of to USNA, I was friended by some of his roommates and companymates and eventually their parents. I was and still am shocked at some of the stuff that the parents did in the open, never mind the parent pages.
 
SPECIFIC to USNA: there are two AMAZING, fabulous professional quality (you know who I am talking about!!) photographers who BLESS us parents with their gift of photography, even going so far as linking up Dropbox high def resolution files, and they share them on the parent pages. I would PAY to have these images, but no monies accepted.

March in’s at games. Formal Parades. The campus in bloom in spring. Senator McCain’s funeral. I have lots of spectacular close up photos of my Mid! The list goes on....IMO, it’s worth it to join just for the pictures. And they are provided for all to have.

Additionally, parents will post their captures of various sporting events.

You will miss a lot
Of fantastic Information and photos if you do not join in. But you will also miss some bickering, whining, and some things that may irk you. For me, it’s totally worth it. I just scroll past, sometimes bite my tongue (others will opine). As much as I comment here on the ‘anonymous’ forums, I rarely post on parents pages. Where my Mid is readily id’ed by my name (hellloooooo people *eyeroll*)

It kind of serves the same function as the ‘water cooler’ does at work: scuttlebutt can be incredibly valuable information. There is also gossip that isn’t. But it’s all part of the organizations information system.
 
^--- PSST. . . the wife of the Dean of Admissions is a great photographer and shares with many many folks. Not sure if you're referring to her as one of the two mentioned but if not, there is one more.
 
TexasAggie204 said:
Yeah, unfortunately you have to join FB to view some?/most?/all? groups. I fell into that trap many years ago (creating a FB account to see pic's of a former colleague's newborn baby). My wife is smarter than me (yet again), and has NEVER created an account and thus never read, posted, etc. anything on FB. We know our (4) kids are waaaay better off not having their parents post all of their wonderful and world-changing accomplishments in school, music, and athletics. Not to mention wonderful pet stories, wonderful vacation moments, etc...

If you think about it, it's really endemic of what's screwing up our society...TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Truthfully; nobody cares...or better yet' nobody should.
Click to expand...

My wife doesn’t have an account, and like I said, mine was set up by DS many years ago. I never post anything or look at other people’s pages. But also joining the “Official “ class parents page is a very useful source of official information. I don’t/won’t post anything but I read and learn from some of what is posted there. Yesterday I wanted to watch the Sandhurst awards presentation live, and looked on the WP FB page to see how to watch. They had the link posted on the page....bingo!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top