Facebook status problems

Jo came to me at the weekend in a state of flux. Her discomfort had been caused by a bad case of Over-Statting. This is my newly made up term for the unfortunate effect of typing a response to someone’s Facebook status, only to have someone else comment in between checking the status and pressing enter to add your comment.

The outcome of falling prey to Over-Statting can be embarrassing. Sometimes it just makes your comment less pertinent as the topic has moved on, and sometimes it means that you appear to be copying someone if they have written the same thing. Sometimes it can make you look like you have just insulted the Under-Statter, or sometimes it’s just embarrassing.

For Example.

Intended comments…

Perhaps Jane & Jo have an in joke about aching legs being a sign of a strenuous game of Doctors and Nurses the night before, so the comment chain was intended to look like this…

Jane is: suffering from aching legs.
Jo - we-hey lucky girl!


Actual results

Jane is: suffering from aching legs.
Ella – yes me too, broke my ankle in 3 places last night.
Jo - we-hey lucky girl!

Or

Jane is: suffering from aching legs.
Jill – me too, it was a tough work out. Couldn’t believe that while we were out running someone stole my car though.
Jo - we-hey lucky girl!

Do you see how these things become an issue? In fact at the weekend Jo had been double Over-Statted, because when she tried to retype a response to point out that she wasn’t trying to insult the person that it looked like she had just insulted, somebody else typed a response and the whole process started again.

This brings me on to the second new Facebook term that I’ve invented today, Stat-Jacking. This is the art of commenting on your friend’s status and hijacking it, completely changing the subject to suit your own needs.

Jane is: having a quiet day with the family, after so long in hospital – I’ve really missed this…
John – it’s great that you are well again, have a nice time.
Jill – fantastic, you deserve it girl x
Jo – Thinking of going to the pub, any one interested?
Janet – yep good idea Jo, I’m in.
Claire – which pub?
Jo – Prince…
Claire – Ok I’m in
Brenda – see you there Jo
Jane – what time?


Stat-Jacking is Jo’s newest craze.

Disclaimer – as with Flurkers before, I have made no effort whatsoever to research the possibility that these terms may already be in use or to see if there is a proper term to describe these acts. I can, therefore, not be held responsible for any inconvenience that my lack of attention to detail has caused.