I guess you’d call this a meta post.
Whenever I write something here on The Accidental Theologist, I click the Facebook button at the bottom and — voilà! — it appears as a linked post on my Facebook page. And thus on the walls of Facebook friends.
This is kind of magical, but here’s what’s puzzling me: Over the past year or two, the Facebook link has been getting far more comments than the blog itself. Often, the conversation I’m hoping for happens ‘there’ rather than where I’m writing right now, which is ‘here’ (all use of ‘here’ and ‘there’ being absurd, of course, in cyberspace).
This is fine by me. Any way it happens is good. But in my tech-dumb kind of way, I’m trying to figure out the why of it — the dynamics of it, both tech and human. Here’s six possibilities, which may or may not make sense. But I’m sure there’s lots that haven’t occurred to me, and would love your input (on whichever platform):
1. — Could it be that Facebook encourages off-the-cuff responses more than a blog? That it’s a more spontaneous platform?
2. — Or could it be a feeling that the blog is “Lesley’s space” rather than a shared one? (Of course the Facebook page is also “mine,” yet somehow more open.)
3. — Could it be that there’s a Facebook app for mobile devices but not an Accidental Theologist one, so that checking in on Facebook is easy and fast, while checking in here takes more deliberation? (Please, no, don’t ask me to develop an app!!!)
4. — Or could it be that the clear identification of the commenter on Facebook is preferable to the relative anonymity of commenting directly on the blog? (On the one hand, relative anonymity would seem to encourage comment, but since we are two-handed creatures, the other hand is the ability to claim what one thinks.)
5. — Could the Facebook use of tagging, by which further comments get copied to your email if your name is tagged, form a stronger invitation to carry on the conversation? (I haven’t checked if there’s a way to do that on WordPress. I suspect not. But even if there is, is that desirable? The last thing I want is to snow your inboxes.)
6. — Or could all this puzzling be nothing more than an unintended tribute to the power of Mark Zuckerberg?
None of this means that I have any intention of stopping this blog. The AT is coming up on its fourth birthday, and it feels like I’ve barely begun — like I’m just beginning to grow into it. What started as an experiment quickly became something I love doing, even if I’m doing it somewhat less often right now (sign of a new book in the making, preoccupying my mind). But even a newbie’s fourth birthday is time to assess, so whether on The AT or on Facebook or on any other platform, feel free to fire away with feedback and suggestions. Thanks — Lesley
I do not use Facebook because of their arbitrary, predatory, and secretive policies about the info they harvest. I think Facebook builds in bits of encouragement to keep people feeding their personal data into the system where they can sell it. They also take a promotional attitude about businesses and mix that with personal messages.
I blog over a thousand pages every day and cover a range of categories. Rarely do I get any feedback. Some subjects will stir up a bit. About half of my posts aren’t hit on by regular readers but come in through subjects found on Google.
There seems to be a feeling that a blog post (esp. long form) is a finished orb that cannot be addressed. Most comments are anonymous, as though the person were frightened. Yet they are much more endangered by Facebook. Some say the writing is just too highfalutin’ and they are intimidated.
I think people are still not at all literate about uses of computer “publishing.”
Prairie Mary
Lesley:
I kept a Facebook account for several years but shut it down over a year ago. I prefer following bloggers that I’m personally interested in, accessing their blogsite directly rather than feeling unattached to the blogger through the likes of Facebook. Keep up what you’re doing…and Happy Birthday, AT!
Thanks, Trip — I might even bake a cake!
Lesley, I think people are more familiar with FB and find it easier to reply there. If anyone wants to comment on your blog, they have to enter their email address and log in whereas on the FB they are already logged in. If you want people to reply only on the blog you can post a link on FB and ask people to comment on the blog only. However their friends will not be able to see that conversation so they may not be inclined to post something on your blog. I would say let it proceed as it is going. Or phone Zuckerberg and ask him to enable us to post links where we can block comment.
Good points, Sohail. Thanks. And yes, I have every intention of keeping things as they are. I wasn’t thinking of changing anything — just trying to understand what’s happening.
Or could it be that ‘friends’ are members of Facebook club and Blog readers are members of a computer user club?
Or some people read and share while other people create what will be shared?
What IS nice is your wonderful postings are being read in more than one place, and getting the words out might be better than having to eat them…..
“Getting the words out might be better than eating them” — lovely! Though there are times when I’m sure I’ll have to eat at least some of them!
Commenting on social media vs my blog is a bit of a riddle perplexing me as well. Your six point sort is well reasoned. I wanted the stature ensuing from Google’s dance with blog comments. It ain’t happening!
Is it possible that we are near the indexing point of a trajectory away from our blogs and site-based show and tell… more social media to come????
Trying to add you on Facebook… I’m a wolf there! 😀 .. btw… I wanted to ask you how it feels knowing that you are now a terrorist in Saudi Arabia… and eventually in Lebanon???
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-declares-all-atheists-are-terrorists-in-new-law-to-crack-down-on-political-dissidents-9228389.html
http://ginosblog.com/2014/04/01/lebanese-president-equates-atheists-to-terrorists/
o.O
Aaargh — Lebanon too?! (For those who don’t yet know, Saudi Arabia has entered the realm of Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ by defining atheists as terrorists — http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/03/20/saudi-arabia-new-terrorism-regulations-assault-rights).
Given the source, I hereby demand terrorist status for agnostics too!
I’m afraid they can’t give you a status bc. they are agnostic against agnostics 🙂
I hate Facebook and I admire your blog and always look forward to it. What more can I say? I don’t reply because I want to see my words in print, or want to hear from 10,000 other looky-lous about it, but because you often touch something essential and those who take the time to tune into your blog hear something worth taking the time for…. So much of value on Facebook is lost in all the chaff. Keep on blogging.
No worries — will do, and thanks.
Hi Lesley,
Am always so keen to comment/discuss on most of your blogs that i feel intently about. With the ones which are beyond my comprehension, i make it point to read comments by others, to follow the topic at hand.
To me, blogs are like the most awaited guests, waitng to be welcomed warmly, as against the barging in to pronounce the ” i am here too” kinds on FB.
Blogs like yours provide a scope for an intellectually stimulating dialogue, to be held in a relaxed manner. The hurried, mis-spelt/slashed format used in other platforms, gives a cursory feel for the subject.
To us in far away countries, it is also a reassurance of your well-being,
knowing that a fiery brain resonates a live wire body.
Since i will not be able to share your cake, i will bake one in honour of AT, praying for a continuation of this dialogue for more years to come.
best wishes,
nuzhat.
Twinned cakes! I’m thinking of a flourless almond-lemon torte (far easier than it sounds, or I wouldn’t think of it). What kind for you?
I’m a health freak, so it’s a multi-grain carrot walnut for me, with pineapple juice as a sweetener. It’s guilt free eating on this one, but as usual you’re one step ahead…..’flour less almond’…WOW!!
Ted India should invite you…..topics could be of endless variety.
Hi Lesley!
As a non-posting, non-commenting, Facebook-hating AT-blog enthusiast, I just wanted to encourage you to keep up your excellent work in writing intelligent and thought provoking pieces for those of us who prefer not to sacrifice our private lives at the “sugar mountain”.
Thank you!
Big smile here, and thanks — L
I started lifewall.org to address Facebook and how it trivializes life and its moments. I also don’t like its sharing of the data and such so our site collects no data….
However I just find blogs require time and thought…facebook doesn’t..
I like blogs and thus I comment on them…don’t stop.
Reblogged this on Whispers of Satan and commented:
When should people respond and not respond to virtual messages? Perhaps it depends on the medium: Facebook tells one when the message is read, while text messaging doesn’t. It seems rather impolite, in my book, to say “goodnight” over Facebook to which the person addressed does not respond.
Now, Lesley’s post has nothing to do with that except the word “Facebook”. But it’s a good article indeed.