Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by headcanon 3866 days ago
Except before Facebook, we wouldn't have known this unless we went out of our way to find out, or just ran into our ex in the street.
3 comments

Exactly.

Phone notification: "HELLO, THIS IS THE OMNISCIENT COMPUTER NETWORK 'FACEBOOK' AGAIN. MOMENTS AGO, A MALE COMPANION PROPOSED A LIFETIME OF WEDDED BLISS TO YOUR FORMER GIRLFRIEND. SHE SAID YES. ATTACHED IS A PHOTO SHE SELECTED OF BOTH OF THEM LOOKING ATTRACTIVE."

> Except before Facebook, we wouldn't have known this unless we went out of our way to find out, or just ran into our ex in the street.

Or had any common acquaintances. Or read newspapers (publishing engagement notices in them used to be a thing).

For most of human history, if someone you used to be involved with was engaged to be married, it wasn't particularly unlikely that you'd hear about it, and in many cases be either socially expected to participate in celebration related to it or be pointedly excluded from them.

Or found out from someone in your social circles? Before Facebook, you'd hear it from a friend.
But unless your friend was an asshole, he/she wouldn't announce it like a big event you should be excited about.
Your friend would tell you the same way Facebook would tell you: in passing (either in your feed or your facebook notifications).
In fairness, for things like "engaged" or "married" Facebook promotes the heck out of those events making them very much a "big event you should be excited about".
If you're a decent human being, you should be happy for a past partner celebrating an important moment in their life. If they're happy, would you not be happy for them?
Can't edit this post, and I know its against the rules to mention downvotes (sorry dang!), but y'all be some bitter people. That makes me sad.