Today I
find myself in the midst of 21st season, otherwise known as the season when
every weekend consists of congregating at a said venue dancing to the same
songs, listening to the same drunken speeches and coming up with a last minute
costume to whatever ridiculous theme the host has conned you into participating
in.
Having
attended countless of these parties over the past year, as well as having just
hosted my own 21st this month, there is one other remaining constant I have
observed.
Needless
to say, the first and fundamental step to hosting any type of get together such
as a 21st is the infamous Facebook event. For the two people reading this
who do not partake in the social network site, a Facebook event is
essentially a resource users can use to create and invite their friends to
upcoming occassions. The guests who are invited are then able to RSVP as
'Attending', 'Maybe Attending' or 'Not Attending'. As straight forward as these
options may seem, there is actually a hidden meaning behind how to interpret
them.
A lot of
preparation goes into organising events such as birthday parties, so I thought
I would do my part for society by outlining basic Facebook event RSVP etiquette.
Drawing
upon what I've seen this year, I'll put forward what each RSVP option really
means, and attempt to translate how they should be interpreted so that you can
adequately prepare for your upcoming soiree.
I'm
Attending:
Roughly
30% of people who click 'I'm Attending' won't actually attend your event. Do
not be fooled! It is a crazy coinsidence that your birthday also happens to fall
on the same day a freak case of the Ebola Virus spreads throughout your network
of friends because one-third of those 100 people "Attending" are
going to text you an hour before your party starts and tell you they aren't
feeling well.
I must
stress that 'I'm Attending' numbers are in no way an accurate reflection of the
raging party you're anticipating to have. People who click ‘Attending’ either
want to appear really popular, want to be polite, or by the off chance are
actually a decent friend and wouldn't miss your birthday for the world. But I
wouldn't count on it.
Maybe
Attending:
People
who click on 'Maybe Attending' can be summed up as people waiting for a better
offer. They might consider making an appearance if nothing better comes up in
the meantime, but the majority of people who click 'Maybe Attending' have no
actual intention of attending your party, and the only gift you'll be receiving
from them is the gift of false hope.
Not
Attending:
This is
probably the most straight forward option to interpret. People who click on
'Not Attending' are actually saying "Did you seriously invite me? I do
not like you, and am not afraid to show it to all your friends".
With all
these mixed messages and meanings in Facebook event RSVP-ing, you may be
thinking that creating a Facebook event page may be a redundant form of
invitation, however with these handy tips, you'll be able to differentiate your
Great Aunt's sensible tea party from something of Corey Worthington
proportions.
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