Sunday 9 July 2017

Recommended Rules of Engagement on Social Media / Twitter For Sensible Arsenal Fans

Twitter, Blackberry Messenger and Whatsapp are the 3 social media platforms I use. I assume it is right to classify BBM & Whatsapp as social media J

I don’t know what happens on Facebook. I hear it’s a wild wild world. I enjoy the Twitter interactions despite the presence of many loonies. I hope no one classifies me as one of the loonies J

One very annoying thing on twitter though is the attention individuals with batty ideas get. I wonder why this is the case when there is a near consensus that we should stop making stupid people famous.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying the world will be free of loonies or batty people if we all ignored them. I am realistic enough to realize that loonies will always be with us whether they are Arsenal fans or just plain old nutters.

There are big loonies and small ones. I have a suggestion though on this issue of loonies. I have written articles in the past about high profile ex - celebrities, so called legends, pundits, journalists etc. I have tried to challenge their stance on many matters relating to The Arsenal and I think people who genuinely care about Arsenal need to continue in this path of letting the high profile & big loonies and nutters know that some of us don’t buy into their BS.

We should be challenging these big loonies because they help form the opinion of others. They usually have an agenda or an axe to grind. And people listen to them. Our focus should be on these ones.  Debunk their assertions. Challenge their rubbish agenda so people with 2 brain cells can see them for what they really are.

My one exception to challenging the big loonies is Piers Morgan. His only career now is to insert himself into any controversy going. He is not interested in the truth or facts. His only currency is getting a reaction. Winding up the Arsenal fan base is a sure fire way for him to maintain his relevance and the fan base indulge him time and time again. Rather than engage with him. Just ignore. Perhaps like me, you want to block him peremptorily.  

The other big beasts however sometimes have something to protect. Journalistic integrity perhaps, desire to be seen as having football knowledge & insight, which ensures that many observers, look up to them. Some of these like most ex Footballers who are now pundits are washed up wannabe football managers. They were probably brilliant footballers in their day but can’t successfully coach schoolboy teams.  These ones sit in front of millions on the TV and pontificate to Arsenal fans about a legendary and well-decorated manager and Arsenal fans lap up their drivel. These ones deserve our full attention. Engage with them and debunk their lies and negative narratives. 

Others like Ex Arsenal footballers / legends who are looking for relevance, or looking for some limelight. They think nothing of slagging of the manager for their own selfish reasons. People who never knew what was happening in the Board Room during their time at Arsenal all of a sudden embellish something the chef at the Emirates Stadium’s Diamond Club told them and they want fans to believe they have a copy of the Board meeting minutes in their hands. All gloves are off with these ones. We should never let their innuendos and negative narratives stand.

Not to forget the Super Fans on social media. The ones who have succeeded in monetizing their love for Arsenal. The ones who are perpetually after their regular dose of the 5 minute fame thingy.  The blogging hack whose negative articles are bitterly stuck on repeat. The ‘You Tube’rs who believe that 300,000 people watching their videos all of a sudden turns them into authoritative football people and the club has to listen to them before taking decisions or ELSE. (Or else they are going to throw their toys out of the tram). These ones are particularly deserving of opprobrium. There should be no live and let’s live with these ones. There is no fellowship between the Lion & the Sheep. These foxes in sheep’s clothing should not be allowed to profit further by trying to poison the atmosphere for others.

At the bottom of the pyramid of nutters are many random people who have seen the faux rise of these Super Fans and believe they can ape the Super Fans by writing outlandish opinions on social media.

I think Arsenal fans who are genuinely embarrassed by the ‘woe is us’ and the ‘world is falling down’ lot should start ignoring the minions at the bottom of this pyramid of nutters. These minions with their stupid & wide off the rational scale opinions about Arsenal football club should be blanked. Ignore them and hopefully they and their 13 followers will get the message and disappear into a well-deserved oblivion. I will now be doing this going forward. 

In addition to ignoring the minions, I will recommend that both barrels be trained at the Super Fans. Challenging the insinuations and fake news these faux Super fans peddle will yield more positive results in the long run. These Super Fans thrive on the adulation of the fawning public who think they are a reliable and good source of information. Correcting their lies, clarifying their innuendos and providing the correct background to misleading posts will go a long way in helping the genuine Arsenal fans out there who are only interested in open and honest dialogue. The ones who are only interested in information that is unvarnished with an anti Arsenal agenda.

We can do it.