Monthly Musing – March 2018 – Spoiler alert

I spend a lot of time on social media, in my own Winwick Mum Facebook groups (here and here) and in others, and also on
Instagram where I love to see the stream of photos of socks (what else?) and other crafty creations. It’s definitely a time-stealer, but also an educator, a communicator and an inspiration.

What I have noticed recently, in all the social media groups I follow, is a lot of “spoiler alert” postings. This is where someone talks about or shows photos of something that will potentially spoil the surprise for someone else if they look at them. Sometimes the photos are in the comments so that you can only find them if you go looking, but sometimes they are part of the post and you can’t avoid them. I have mixed feelings about these: on the one hand, I absolutely understand the excitement of someone who wants to share something and has no one else around them who will appreciate it, but on the other,
by sharing their photos or comments they are taking away that moment of excitement from somebody else. Of course, by writing “spoiler alert” in the post title then it means that people don’t have to read if they don’t want to, but not everybody remembers to do that when they are posting or to hide their photos in the comments, so that option is not always available. It’s a tough one and I can appreciate both sides of this argument – and sometimes it does cause an argument as people can become upset by seeing something that they didn’t want to see.

Is there an answer to this?  One of the best things about the internet is that it connects people from all around the world, regardless of time zones, and the instant nature of social media means that word travels far faster than a postman.  It’s why newspapers are often more about comment and political opinion rather than the news itself as everybody has already heard it.  It’s how we know what’s occurring in places that we might never know existed otherwise, making the world a smaller place.  The
internet offers benefits and downsides and it comes as a package, impossible to have one without the other.

I guess it’s one more of those things in our fast-changing world that we need to learn to accommodate. The internet gives us the opportunity to share like never before and on the whole, I think that’s a good thing. At the touch of a mouse I can discover information that I would previously never have had access to, I can connect with friends both real and virtual, and I have the opportunity to write my own words to share which I hope will be received in the spirit that I have intended them – with good humour and good manners. I won’t always get it right but I will try.

Source: The Academy of Art, Creativity & Consciousness, Facebook

You may also like...

12 Responses

  1. Susan Rayner says:

    Love the speaking kindly quote!! Wouldn't it be nice!

  2. Maggieann says:

    I totally agree with your comments Christine, I have found that I now avoid any posts that start NKR I use your two sites for my knitting related thoughts and so I try and only read the relevant posts. I now also find I am more often drawn to your sockalong site than knit n natter one. This is all my choice and that’s the way it should be everyone should have their own choice in what they read and what they post on the Internet, I do belong to the oldee generation so do not mov3 with the times as fast as the younger people and I find your sites regarding knitting very helpful.
    Regards Margaret

  3. luluknitts says:

    Thought provoking words Christine. Is it my eyes or did the font change in the middle of the post? xxx

  4. EstherGrace Gilbert says:

    In fact just yesterday my friend inBC, Canada sent an article about our Underground Railroad with the location unknown to me!

  5. Anonymous says:

    Hi Christine, I'm 13,can you direct me to a good free sock pattern. They all look really complicated that I find, or are in American terms!

    • Winwick Mum says:

      Hello! You'll find my Sockalong tutorials and the pattern to go with it if you click the purple picture at the top right hand corner of the page. The tutorials have loads of photos to guide you through knitting a sock and there are videos on my YouTube channel as well – they're for different socks but the process of casting on, heels and so on are the same. Good luck! 🙂 xx

  6. bobbieliz says:

    I appreciate the care and work you put into the two Winwick pages and your blog. Not forgetting the Super Sock Book which began my continuing sock knitting adventures… each sock tells a story!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Thanks! I'm 13 and about to make socks!

  8. Anonymous says:

    By the way, I'm called Chloe, not anonymous!

  9. Anonymous says:

    Also, I really appreciate the quote at the top of the page. This is how everybody should think and I wish there were more like this. Live, love, knit and crochet!

  10. My Crafting corner says:

    I love your quote today….I am just a lurker at the moment as I have several crochet projects on the go, but would really like to try your sock pattern for the winter….which is only a few months away. Thank you so much.

  11. My Creative Life says:

    A good quote, imagine. Happy Easter Christine. Cathy x

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error: Content is protected !!