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So a person wanting to promote a cause through their FB profile is "virtue signalling" even if they do it regardless of recent events (let's imagine someone putting up a "stop racism" banner there 5 years ago), but a company doing that when the public eye is on it is not "virtue signalling".

Mhkay.

While I believe one can be genuine in either case, I find it more likely to be "virtue signalling" when it's a company doing something on a hot topic right now.

So a person wanting to promote a cause through their FB profile is "virtue signalling" even if they do it regardless of recent events (let's imagine someone putting up a "stop racism" banner there 5 years ago), but a company doing that when the public eye is on it is not "virtue signalling".

From your response, and others in this thread I'm starting to believe that a lot of people that use the phrase 'virtue signaling' may not actually know what it means.

I've read up on it, and you are right: I did not know what it meant (I assumed it was signalling virtue without actually having it).

If Wikipedia article is anything to go by. ;)

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