Lesser Known Facebook Groups

If you can slap a label on something, Facebook likely has at least fifteen groups dedicated to some aspect of it. All have their peccadillos, and generally a somewhat creepy obsession with rules and order. The number one rule of most Facebook groups seems to be "no self promotion" followed closely by "no pornography." Below I visit some of the lesser known Facebook groups I have encountered in my travels through the Facebook-grouposphere which I visit often searching desperately for friendship, love, and/or kindred spirits who share my deep love of post apocalyptic moulds. To date, I am zero for three but I will never give up hope.

First up the ALL CAPS Facebook Group

This (private - invite only) group was founded on the guiding principle that if you can say something, you can and should say it loudly while wagging your metaphorical finger at anyone and everyone at the same time. As you might imagine the groups rules are aggressive in tone and leave no room for interpretation including:

1. EVERYTHING ON THIS SITE MUST BE WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS! NO EXCEPTIONS!! MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION POINTS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED!

2. NO PORNOGRAPHY OR SELF PROMOTION OR SELF PROMOTING PORNOGRAPHY OR PORNOGRAPHIC SELF PROMOTION OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF!!

Like many Facebook groups in order to gain membership you must answer one or more questions as part of the application process. The answers are reviewed and only those who give answers deemed acceptable by the group editor(s) are granted admittance. For ALL CAPS there is only one. 1. LISTEN UP DUMB DUMB - DO YOU AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE GROUPS RULES AT ALL TIMES??? CAUSE IF YOU DON'T GO JOIN THOSE LOWERCASE LOSERS WHERE YOU BELONG AND GET THE F*&^ OUT OF HERE!! Harsh, but I would expect nothing less from the ever angry ALL CAPs groupies.

Next up the Promoting Self Promotion Facebook Group

Proving the point that if there is a thing everyone is against there will always be a group of contrarians wanting to speak up in support of it, I bring to you the promoting self promotion group. This (public - anyone can join) group turns the number one rule of most Facebook groups on its head and actively supports self promotion. In fact, that is the entire purpose of the group. Bear in mind, this is not to say they allow self promotion in their group, for they do not, as can be seen clearly by their second rule. Rather they only support the "idea" of self promotion as a generally good thing. While this would seem to be a somewhat contradictory stance group leaders and members defend it as necessary given how "out of control self promotion has gotten on the internet these days." Still leaves me scratching my head, but then again, to each his own I guess.

And finally, the Facebook Group Lovers Group

This (private - invite only) group consists of people whose love of Facebook groups has become so profound that they decided to band together to provide a forum to share that love with others who feel as deeply attached to Facebook groups as they do. They go to great pains to point out that their love of Facebook groups is not some perverse sickness and that others should not feel threatened in any way by their unusual dedication to them. As with almost all Facebook groups they provide the usual litany of rules including a host on the topic of pornography bordering on the obsessive. For sure these Facebook group groupies are concerned that they may attract the "wrong" sort of crowd. To hammer home that point, rule 4 specifically bans one of the most notorious pornographers of our modern era, Mark Zuckerberg, going so far as to ban anyone even sharing the last name. Ouch. This stands in great contrast to the Facebook groupies group whose members can't get enough of the Z-man.