By PATRICK HENDRIX
Contributing Writer
Welcome back to school. It’s good to be here in Demorest, population 1,607.
I’ve spent the past two years attending Piedmont’s Athens campus.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Athens. However, the campus, or campus life, played no part in my enjoyable experience.
It is, how should I say, lackluster. It has nothing to do with the excellent staff, as they are all great.
More so the entire (not to make it sound big) campus’s overall unattractive and outdated state.
But for now, I just want to make my formal written introduction to you all, and begin my ongoing column entitled, “How to be a social media King or Queen (and avoid being a Jester).” That’s a double dose for those who like to read titles.
My goal is to simply remind, or enlighten, you on the do’s and don’ts of certain social media habits. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Social media the platform that allows users to post, re-post and digest information from all corners of the World Wide Web.
Some utilize it to catch up on news, keep up with friends and family or post pictures from their latest adventures.
Others use it more, shall I say, liberally, tuning in daily to tell everyone what they are eating for dinner, about the rude lady they encountered at Starbucks or why the latest Game of Thrones upset them.
To be a King or Queen of social media requires a balance between the conventional and non-conventional, conservative and liberal and serious and non-serious posting.
With that being said, in honor of school starting back up, today’s column will address: incorrect spelling
Do not use incorrect spelling. It is the easiest way to make one look like a buffoon (great word, I know). While it can be easy to make a spelling error when typing a quick post, it can be avoided by checking over the message twice.
Also, avoid the temptation to just get your thoughts posted quickly by using common abbreviations such as “tmrw,” “B4” and “K.”
Spelling out words mentally as “phonics” is a good way to get close to the intended words’ correct spelling, but it is by no means a fool-proof method.
See figure below for a few examples.
Gain an edge over social media comrades by becomingna master of the English language.
Dickens, Shakespeare and Mom would all certainly appreciate it.
And to those whose mom is equally guilty of misspellings, all I can say is the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Now, stop, don’t be so judgmental. The social media hierarchy is there for the climbing, and all one has to do is shape up.
Check out the next issue to read about more social media do’s and don’ts.
