Meet Manfred Splainer, a local man who uses social media to share his expertise of numerous subjects with fellow Islanders.
Mr. Splainer is a retired engineer, attorney, and small businessman. Though, as he frequently notes, he is a lifelong resident of Mercer Island, he cites his extensive travels and voracious reading habits as the sources of his knowledge and wisdom.
He is typically online for three to four hours a day, posting and commenting on a broad range of issues on Facebook and Nextdoor. Observers say that he is a self-described authority on many topics of interest to his neighbors, including the history of Mercer Island, economics, architecture and urban planning, transportation policy, local building codes, the correct interpretation of state and federal laws, where to get the best deals, home security, restaurants, technology, driving and cycling etiquette, and the behavior of other people’s children and dogs.
He is also a frequently published contributor to the Letters section of the Mercer Island Reporter.
Fellow Islanders say that Mr. Splainer is well known for the phrases with which he begins his posts, such as, “You people just don’t get it,” and, “Are you done? Now let me tell you how things really work.”
Asked to comment for this article, Mr. Splainer responded via email, “You call what you’re doing journalism? I don’t have time to point out everything you’re doing wrong, but I can help you out by posting a few suggestions on your Facebook page.” He then excused himself to redeem an award coupon he had just received in recognition of his twenty consecutive years as a customer of AOL.