Since the advent of the so-called “confession pages” we are all not safe on facebook, reports Tilo ngwana Rashaka.
Browsing through my facebook page, I realize how we are all not safe on social networks, especially on facebook. There are many pages primarily dedicated at exposing other people.
The people who post on these pages remain anonymous by (apparently) sending their posts to the admins of the pages who, in their own discretion, edit and upload the posts on the page for public viewing.
I’m one person who’s very uptight and like to portray myself as professional. Therefore, I don’t “like” such pages on facebook. What I normally do is to search for them and see what people are saying and then leave them as is.
Back in 2010, there was this social media platform called “Toilet-shit” but after a short while it went down because people used it as a platform to humiliate and ridicule their rivals.
Apparently some people went to the ext of naming and shaming people who’ve had abortions, practice witchcraft, girls who date older men and many other shocking scandals.
Again, early this year my niece introduced me to another one called “Moghozi.mobi”. Similarly, the people who post on this platform use the space to get back at the people they dislike the most.
I never got a glimpse of “Toilet-shit” because it was taken down before I could know about it. I only found out about it in November 2010 from my former classmate who happened to know everything happening in her community that has thousands of households.
Don’t ask me how she knew all the juicy stories but she knew. I swear you’d pick one house randomly and say tell me what’s happening in that family, she’ll even tell you the things you didn’t expect to hear.
But anyway, back on facebook, I’m worried about pages that aim to humiliate other people. One of my primary concern is that how sure are we that what mr and mrs “anonymous” say about Tilo is correct and factual? We always need to know and understand that what we read in these pages is a mediated and constructed truth.
These admins, how do they verify their facts before posting? How sure are we that is not the admin posting derogatory statements about his enemies and then say “hi admin please hide my ID…” to protect his own identity?
For example, how does mr admin protects the identity of Hlabirwa who wants to post derogatory comments about Tilo without protecting the identity of the subject (Tilo)? My view is that, if the admin hides Hlabirwa’s identity, he should also hide mine; and if he exposes my identity, he should also expose the identity of the author of the comment. In fact, the admin cannot publish my name without contacting me to comment on the story.
I want to argue that these pages are not created in a vacuum. They are created by individuals who want to advance their own selfish interests. One fact that we need to take into consideration is that you’ll own create a page with a subject matter you are interested in.
Let me give you a practical example, I created A re di fefere knowing exactly that I will work hard to write stories for the blog. So, if you create a facebook page, surely you know that you will keep the page running by posting stories that will attract audiences to like your page.
What are the kind of stories that normally attract audience’s attention according to theories of news productions? Sex, scandal, negativity and the like.
Therefore, I argue that the admins of these pages should stop hiding behind “hi admin please hide my ID” when they wish to humiliate others. In fact, this whole thing should just stop. The Public protector, advocate Thuli Madonsela, should investigate this pages *sush! Maybe I’m getting carried away*
A re di fefere le Tilo ngwana Rashaka 
The confession pages i know don’t post anything that is derogatory about others,especially not with names included.The only thing they post is when a person has a crush on another which in my opinion is not a bad thing.Try submitting something derogatory about someone and see if they’ll post it(with the name).Just like everything else there are rules in running confession pages.Please refer me to those particular pages that do post such because i assume being the “professional” that you are you wouldn’t just write about something that doesn’t exist.
I have come across many confession pages that post derogatory statements about others; and here I used the word ‘many’ carefully. Because there are rules does not mean the admins confirm to those rules. Some confession pages have turned into a ground of inciting hate speech, taking swipe at victimizing the so-called minority groups. Confession pages like the TUT confession, UL confession, and many others have become tabloidized. “Wa jelwa” pages are worse.