It is the Age of Technology.  What used to be communicated through newspapers and magazines is now done through websites and social media.  This is especially true when it comes to online advertising.  The time of leaflets and excerpts in a magazine is coming to a close.  After all, much of online advertising costs only but energy to apply strokes on a keyboard and clicks of a mouse (yes, yes, I'm aware you have to pay for internet, but that's relatively inexpensive in relation to how long it takes to generate a sales ad).

That brings me to Facebook Groups.  Facebook groups have been an extremely important medium for online marketing.  (Let's not forget that CCI originally started as a Facebook Group, and not a business.  It was the consumers that created the demand for CCI products).  Facebook groups now provide a haven for customers looking for similar products or services.  The problem?  Now that Facebook groups have become so popular, there are hundreds if not thousands of Facebook groups all for the same product!  Don't believe me?  Just do a simple search for the word "vape" in Facebook.  You won't even know where to begin.

Now, I'm not saying having multiple Facebook groups is a bad thing.  In fact, it's actually more beneficial than harmful.  The more groups there are related to a specific type of product, the more likely people will find themselves in a place where they can locate the products that they are looking for.

So, if Facebook groups are actually beneficial, why are they a problem?  Well, people lately have decided to abuse the "add friends" feature, and are now adding people into groups without their permission.  You'd think Facebook would make it a requirement for an individual to accept an invite.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Many individuals in the vaping industry are now in hundreds of groups, and if they are anything like me, they don't even know what the groups are for!  As one of those people, I can promise you that my Facebook Newsfeed is completely ruined.  It would take me hours to try and unfollow all of these different groups I've been added to.  Long gone are the days where I can browse the Newsfeed to see what my friends are up to.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, "What is the point of this rant?"  Well, the answer is simple.  Please, before you add someone to a group, shoot them a Private Message first and ask them if they would be interested in joining "x" group.  If you want to try to get multiple people's attention at once, make a post on your wall, or possibly create a group chat (though, you may find some people are not too happy being added into a chat with potential strangers.  I suggest using discretion if you intend on using this method).

Facebook may be a public forum, but you should still be respectful of people's personal space.  Do us a favor: be a little courteous, and ask before you add.  It might save your friendship.