As the actress said to the bishop, the problem is not the way you plug it in; it's what you are plugging it into.
To avoid inadvertently cooking things, the USB standard limits the current available at a USB port to 500 mA (0.5 amps)
The S3 needs more than 500 mA. Other Samsung devices require, and can survive, a much higher current (eg both the Tab 10.1 and the Note 10.1 need 2 amps).
Many cheap after-market chargers, either mains or cigarette lighter, only supply 0.5 amps. Many have crappy contacts, or tiny conductors.
Samsung devices can detect high-capacity chargers, and allow higher currents. They do this by sensing the voltage at the 4 wires in the USB cable.
The "charging" icon may display a red alarm mark indicating insufficient, or excessive, charging current.
It is possible to bodgy-up a USB adaptor-cable to fool the Samsung device. For example see
Usb charge - xda-developers
But if you've spent several hundred dollars purchasing a genuine Samsung phone or tablet, why would you shirk another $50 for the correct solution, a genuine Samsung charger?