Why copy-paste someone else’s social media post?
I am surprised that I have never touched on this topic in the past, yet it’s something that has irked me for so long.
So, here’s the thing. On Facebook and Twitter, there are a bunch of people who decided they can’t think on their own. Their work is to copy other people’s interesting posts and present them as their own.
Yes, they copy every single word, coma and full stop as it is, without even making minor adjustments. They then proceed to tap on the ‘share’ or ‘tweet’ button with much pride.
These types of people usually copy something hilarious or thought-provoking that they have seen somewhere and bask in all the glory when their friends post comments that are full of praises.
“Look at me guys, I am really funny. I came up with this.” Such is their thinking.
VIRAL JOKES
Where’s the dignity and self-respect in all this? I can’t even imagine accepting praises for work that isn’t mine. And why would you even copy a social media post? Who are you trying to impress? What are you trying to gain? It’s not like the government will give you Sh10 billion to build a dam (if you want to) when people comment that you are ‘funny’.
If a post has impressed you, isn’t it easier just to share it? Or if you prefer copying, why not give credit to its original creator? You won’t lose a coin by doing that.
What does it really boil down to? Is it laziness or is it just a blatant lack of respect for other people’s work? I’ve seen instances where a joke goes viral but the person who came up with it is never known because so many people have copied it.
Also, why go to this extent to impress strangers? I am sure your real friends don’t care whether your posts are interesting or not. They like you for other reasons. So, trying to impress about 5,000 people that you hardly even know by stealing posts doesn’t make sense.
‘POST THIEF’
I am surprised that with all the policies they have, Facebook and Twitter have never put any strong measures to prevent copy-pasting. With all the tech algorithms at their disposal, this is something they can do very easily if they wanted. But since they are kinda blind to this, it’s up to you as an individual to play your part.
If you are reading this article and you are a ‘post thief’, I’d like to conclude by praying for you. I want to kemea pepo ya kuiba posts.
Touch your screen and repeat this prayer after me.
“ I [Insert your name here]… come here today to repent. I accept that I have been a thief in the past but I am willing to change. I promise to not copy-paste Facebook posts and tweets ever again. I promise to read more, think more so that I can be more intelligent and come up with my own thoughts. And if I can’t think, may I just remain quiet. So help me God. AMEN!”
Riswaaa! You are now liberated from the ‘pepo’ of copy-pasting.