Why do people take the wrong things about Facebook so seriously?

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Getting some things off my chest

 

Ok, the first thing I want to say is that when it comes to Feckbook, people just need to settle down. It’s a platform that has changed not just the landscape of the Internet, but has altered the way many people live their lives. It’s not going anywhere in the foreseeable future, so either learn to deal with it or simply delete your account and move on with your life. Why do people take the wrong things about Facebook so seriously?

If you’re one of the seemingly limitless people still using the above-mentioned service, then you’ve no doubt recently seen the status updates that people have copied and pasted to defend themselves from content theft and privacy violations. It’s nothing new – these cookie cutter blurbs of non substance are not only a huge waste of your time, but they sadly show how gullible people continue to be. Take a quick gander at this if you’ve not already seen it:

Facebook Privacy Notice brought to you by the good people over at Snopes.

However, that’s not what made me want to write this post. As I’ve already mentioned, I’m doing more and more with social media and I’m looking at it from the perspective of my growing client base, rather than just as an individual writer amplifying his work.

Although I continue to build Macbeth Knowles Consulting for small and medium sized businesses here in Germany who want to better use social media to reach international markets, I’ve resolved to keep this lahikmajoe blog for the more informal stuff.

I’m offering  some behind the scenes material and some quick and dirty tips about how anybody can improve their social media with common sense approaches. My loyal readers have always appreciated my more whimsical side, and I have no intention of giving that up. Hiding my light under a bushel, as it were.

So, as I continue to take on new clients and cultivate the ones I’ve already got, I’m focused on what I see happening on the social media landscape. Much more important than those laughable status updates above is what Feckbook has done elsewhere. Let me link to it first, and then I’ll sum it up:

New Facebook Rules Will Sting Entrepreneurs

Here’s a bit of that text if you couldn’t be bothered to follow the link:

But small-business owners…will soon get less benefit from the unpaid marketing pitches they post on Facebook. That’s because, as of mid-January, the social network will intensify its efforts to filter out unpaid promotional material in user news feeds that businesses have posted as status updates.

The change will make it more difficult for entrepreneurs…to reach fans of their Facebook pages with marketing posts that aren’t paid advertising.

Businesses that post free marketing pitches or reuse content from existing ads will suffer “a significant decrease in distribution,” Facebook warned in a post earlier this month announcing the coming change.

Look, it’s their site. That small businesses have had the opportunity to use this platform for so long at little or no cost could definitely be seen as a kind of generosity on the part of the behemoth that is Feckbook. That’s not exactly how I see it, but I can certainly appreciate their perspective.

And on some level, I like that Facebook’s motives are becoming more transparent. That can only be a good thing, as most people are still a bit foggy on who the customer is in this business scenario. That’s the bit of wisdom I’ll leave you with as I head back to what’s left of the weekend:

If you’re not paying for the service, then you’re not the customer. A more accurate, albeit crass, assessment of this entire setup is that Feckbook’s true customers are the advertisers and marketers who specifically add to the company’s coffers. I don’t care how accustomed you are to using the platform and how convenient it is to connect with friends and family from far and wide: if you’re not paying for it or being paid, then you’re a glorified content provider.

If it’ll make you feel better, though, to post a status update putting the Man in his place, then by all means, go ahead and do so.

To each his own, as the kids are saying.

8 comments

  1. LOL

    Remember ‘surfing the internet’? Well, it’s a thing. Facebook isn’t the whole of the internet and it’s fine to use it as a meeting place, but it’s a bit like going to a bar and thinking that’s the whole of the city you’re in. You’ll see a slice of life there, but hey, how about walking out the door some time!
    That said, I need to get back to Facebook, someone was wrong on a thread….

  2. I quit Facebook a long time ago. It wasn’t because they stole my content. My content is worth feck all. I quit because they are run by someone whino is an asshole, and with limited exceptions (Job’s Apple), I try avoid products designed by assholes. Ken, I was surprised by your quote about not paying for a service, then you’re not the customer, but only because you left out the part I view as crucial from that… If you’re not paying for the service, then you’re the product. Cheers, and best wishes with the new social media business.

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