At Northeast Ohio Rocks, hashtags are optional and not required. We use them as an organizational tool.
In November of 2016 as our group was growing and growing we implemented hashtags. Many people who never knew what a hashtag was have learned what they are and how to use them.
Many people don't know what they are.
Many people don't know how to use them.
Many people use them incorrectly.
Hashtags help "track" rocks. I use this term very lightly because tracking requires many factors.
1. That you made the hashtag correctly
2. That the finder knows what a hashtag is
3. That the finder has facebook or a camera phone
4. That the finder uses the hashtag correctly
No one should ask anyone about using hashtags. While many enjoy the game. What we do really is not a game. We are sharing kindness. It's fun. It feels good. There are many benefits to us in sharing kindness one painted rock at a time. Our success comes from the finder having their day brightened. Our success is not measured by how many likes we have, how many comments we have or how many of our rocks are posted.
Seeing your rocks posted is just as unexpected as finding a rock. Not all rocks that are posted include a hashtag. You should never add your hashtag to a rock you did not paint. If there is not a hashtag on a rock, it is painted as the painter wished. Many painters do not hashtag their rocks but instead hashtag their photos.
Please enjoy the painting, hiding and sharing kindness.
How to Use Hashtags!
1. Be specific.
Choose a hashtag for your entire household and continue to use that same specific hashtag.
Don’t make your family hashtag specific to the rock.
Don’t make multiple specific hashtags.
Make it specific to your family/household.
You won’t have to remember multiple hashtags when searching for your rocks.
2. Please do not use first names of children.
You may use your last name. If you need help coming up with a hashtag, check messenger for your assigned @ name.
Social media and the internet are a big place.
We want your children to be safe.
3. Please do not use your zip code or phone number.
Many people live within the same zip code.
A hashtag with a child’s name, zip code or other identifying information on a child’s picture will be deleted.
Keep hashtags safe.
Your family hashtag should be unique, a little quirky but not overly clever.
Keep them fun and simple.
4. In keeping with the “rock” theme in all the “rock” groups within the United States and our group please end your hashtag with “rocks”
This also helps to make your hashtag unique
5. Please use the group hashtag as well #northeastohiorocks
6. Describe your rock
You may use a hashtag that describes your rock. Please keep it specific to the rock. Do not use your name, group name or rocks in your hashtag. This is necessary for search purposes. For instance you wanted to find “minions” you could search minions in the group search box or your could search hashtag minions in the Facebook search box. Keep these hashtags very simple. They work best.
7. Do a Search
Prior to creating your specific Northeast Ohio Rocks! hashtag, please search Google and Facebook to know if the hashtag is being used and how it is being use.
Search #purplepenquinrocks in Facebook
8. Use Your Hashtag
Write your hashtag on the back of the rock with a sharpie. No need for the rock description hashtag on the rock. Remember to cover with a light coat of mod podge before sealing to prevent running and bleeding.
When adding your last coat of Mod Podge on label, apply a layer of Mod Podge to the rock where you can write your hashtag
Once dry, use sharpie to write your hashtag on the rock
Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge over your hashtag
to prevent running and bleeding when sealing
1. No spaces
#purple penquin rocks
Your hashtag search would stop at the space and only be
#purple
2. No punctuation marks or special characters.
Only use # immediately preceding your words. @ means something different. It is used in Twitter. I don’t believe it is used in Facebook other than in messenger. You may use numbers. Please do not use your zip code or phone number.
If you use a hashtag with symbols, your hashtag will stop at the symbol. If you used
#purple&penquin@rocks
Your hashtag search would stop at the space and only be
#purple
3. Hashtags are not case sensitive.
#purplepenquinrocks
is the same as
#PurplePenquinRocks
4. The hashtag must be used in the post.
Using a hashtag in a comment will not add the photo to the hashtag collection. A hashtag in a comment in only a clickable link that takes you to the collection. Please continue to use names when tagging people.
Use the hashtag when posting your picture. When you type the hashtag, the hashtag will be highlighted blue. You have typed the hashtag correctly.
If you have added a space, the blue highlighted area stopped where the hashtag stopped....at the space. You can not use spaces in hashtags
If you have added a symbol, the blue highlighted area stopped where the hashtag stopped....at the symbol. You can not use symbols in hashtags
After you have typed your hashtag, space. If you have done it correctly, your hashtag will be underlined with red dots.
Post. If you have done your hashtag correctly. You will see it on your post and it will be bold or blue
Hashtags are optional
Hashtags are not required
This is a completely optional thing to do. By using a hashtag, you understand that the finder may not use your hashtag when your found rock is posted. Please do not badger people into using hashtags. Please do not ask/tell someone to edit their post to include your hashtag. These comments will be removed.
Hashtags are not required
This is a completely optional thing to do. By using a hashtag, you understand that the finder may not use your hashtag when your found rock is posted. Please do not badger people into using hashtags. Please do not ask/tell someone to edit their post to include your hashtag. These comments will be removed.
**Dangers of hashtags
Hashtags are a searchable, clickable link to ALL comments or pictures you include the hashtag with.
At Northeast Ohio Rocks! we use them as an organizational tool to locate our found rocks among the many, many posts we have a day. It has been brought to my attention our hashtags are being tracked. I don’t know why. I don’t know how someone has the time to do this. But all of us should be aware and vigilant about our own safety and the safety of our children. Search hashtags like picoftheday or family to see what I mean. As stated above never create a hashtag with your child’s name. Your hashtag forever links you in cyberspace until that link is broken. Anyone else can use your hashtag and link any comment or photo. Hashtags aren’t the devil and when used appropriately are very useful but with all things social media please be careful what you post and how you use hashtags.
At Northeast Ohio Rocks! we use them as an organizational tool to locate our found rocks among the many, many posts we have a day. It has been brought to my attention our hashtags are being tracked. I don’t know why. I don’t know how someone has the time to do this. But all of us should be aware and vigilant about our own safety and the safety of our children. Search hashtags like picoftheday or family to see what I mean. As stated above never create a hashtag with your child’s name. Your hashtag forever links you in cyberspace until that link is broken. Anyone else can use your hashtag and link any comment or photo. Hashtags aren’t the devil and when used appropriately are very useful but with all things social media please be careful what you post and how you use hashtags.
Any hashtag deemed inappropriate by the admins will not be permitted. Appropriateness is at the admins discretion.
