Posting Threads on Facebook

[HKPassey]

And if Financial Integrity adds more articles and newspaper links rather than specific forum threads on their Facebook page, Priceless.

Good point. NRM's primary venue for posting articles and newspaper links is the wiki site: we try very hard to make the Facebook page an additional resource with unique content, not just an echo of the wiki. The primary purpose of the Facebook page is to be an entry point to attract people to view the rich content on the two sites - the wiki and the forums - rather than to be a stand-alone resource. And please remember, we're almost entirely volunteer, so coming up with a lot of new content for FB, and monitor the page, is a stretch. We'd absolutely love to have more contributors post more meaty items to the FB page, if anyone would like to help.

Oh, and the subject of "liking" ourselves: I'm afraid that's my fault. Business and non-profit pages still have to be created by a "person." I "liked" the page under my personal account so I could share the content with my own friends, but apparently can't separate my personal identity from the page's when doing so. It's frustrating, as it prevents any of us on the admin team from sharing NRM's FB content with our own friends without apparent self-admiration. Unfortunately, we're learning as we're going on this one!

[loosechickens]

I've always taken the position that anything and everything that I say on the internet is probably going to turn up somewhere, be seen by anyone or everyone, and so I just follow the practice of not saying anything I wouldn't say openly in real life.

I've never changed my user name over the years, and that user name has been used in lots of areas, including ones where it's been linked to my "real" name. Since I've never posted anything that I wouldn't say openly, that isn't a worry.

If one is especially worried about the privacy issue, choose a user name far away from anything connected to your real life, do not post details of your life that could identify you, and hope for the best. But never assume that there is any privacy, because there isn't. People can go on the web and see how much your house cost, whether you've ever been arrested, and lots of stuff far more "private" than a web posting.

I look at the internet the way people who used to live in small towns lived their lives, with the expectation and the sure knowledge that ANYTHING I do or say will be available to all, to look over and judge, probably forever. Not all that much of a problem to me...

[ljevtich]

Oh, and the subject of "liking" ourselves: I'm afraid that's my fault. Business and non-profit pages still have to be created by a "person." I "liked" the page under my personal account so I could share the content with my own friends, but apparently can't separate my personal identity from the page's when doing so. It's frustrating, as it prevents any of us on the admin team from sharing NRM's FB content with our own friends without apparent self-admiration. Unfortunately, we're learning as we're going on this one!

Actually you can like yourself if you do it as a person (so as Passey) but what it means is that you have to log out of Facebook as FI and log in as Passey. Then do the likes, then log out. Tons of people do that with their own pages. It means a little extra work. I would also suggest getting folks on here (like I did) who are already on Facebook, to go to the page and like it.

I am not worried about the privacy issue. I was more concerned with the lameness issue. The pulling of threads out of the forums and posting as something to bring people in. But those that are on Facebook are looking for quick reads, tidbits of information or cool saying. Pictures of funny things or quotes. At least that is what I am seeing right now. You know, T-shirt or bumper sticker sayings. Heck, we have a good one: Your Money or Your Life. You just have to market it.

[lhamo]

Laura, I disagree that everyone on Facebook is looking for quick, pithy, slogan type stuff. I use Facebook quite a bit both personally and professionally, and I do a lot of linking to relevant academic and social science-y stuff that both my personal circles (which include several friends from anthropology grad school days) and my professional networks (made up largely of people in international education/cultural exchange and former grantees) end up discussing at some length. It might not be what the bulk of Facebook users are doing, but like these forums Facebook is a tool that can be used in many different ways.

My identity is probably getting less and less hidden with every post, as anyone who knows me and my personal/professional background could figure out in about .5 seconds who I am based on things I have made public here. But I do like the illusion of anonymity posting under lhamo and not my legal name gives me. I am lhamo, FWIW -- that is the name I go by in Tibetan, which is one of the languages I use professionally (see, another hint!) I probably won't ever link to or like to the NRM page on facebook because that would put evidence of my real identity out there for people to make the link who it might not be obvious to otherwise. But I don't object to NRM trying to use Facebook as a way to promote their work or these forums.

I had my first big shock about the internet and anonymity way back in about 1993 or 1994, when I learned that things I had posted on a listserve about my research were being archived for all eternity and were open for anyone to view. Now that I live in China, I pretty much just assume that anything and anything I write on line is being dumped into some big datafile linked to my name (and it is probably just as likely that that datafile exists on USG servers as on Chinese government ones...). They're going to have a hard time piecing together a political conspiracy from my posts about low carb diets, saving money on taxis, and reseasoning cast iron, though!

lhamo

[Mrs-M]

HKPassey. Re: a SLF representative/NRM board member, why can't a current moderator/administrator accept the role?

[iris lily]

Ahh, Facebook. I registered fairly early, and not knowing what the goofballs would do with my reg info, I registered under a nom de plume. It allows me to lurk and
spy (!!! ) without being detected, so I think. Just this week I checked on status of this issue:

Can a member of Facebook tell I've been looking at their page?

Currently, it appears that the answer is No. While there are claims of software that CAN identify me as the lurker who checks a Facebook page, the experts say that's not true.
But it's only a matter of time before Facebook itself creates that function. While most people these days have their info available to "friends" only, there is still an astonishing amount of info out there. Spying, lurking, stalking--still easy to do on Facebook. ha ha.

[ljevtich]

LC - Yes, you can do important stuff on Facebook, of course. And DH and I have lots of cool discussions with folks about all different sorts of stuff. It is just that I am also seeing this quick sound bites, similar to Twitter stuff, also on Facebook.

When you think about it, people tend to want to read short articles before diving into a longer or lengthy discussion about something important. That is why we have abstracts on scientific and other papers. Like 5 SuperFoods that keep you going strong, or 10 Ways to Save Hundreds Right Now!
Short, to the point, and relevant.

Actually taking a page from the Simple Dollar - look at his headlines to get an idea.

[flowerseverywhere]

It's a great reminder to us all to be careful what you post, send in an e-mail, put on a blog etc. Who knows how many people here stretch the truth or create a whole persona altogether? The bottom line is most of us keep coming back for more ideas and support.

Maybe the family threads could use a bit more anonymity but that is of course up to each individual.

[lhamo]

HKPassey. Re: a SLF representative/NRM board member, why can't a current moderator/administrator accept the role?

The mod/admin team is stretched too thin already. We are in the process of bringing on more mods. The idea is that hopefully one of them will be able to play this role.

lhamo

[Spartana]

Ahh, Facebook. I registered fairly early, and not knowing what the goofballs would do with my reg info, I registered under a nom de plume. It allows me to lurk and
spy (!!! ) without being detected, so I think. Just this week I checked on status of this issue:

Can a member of Facebook tell I've been looking at their page?

Currently, it appears that the answer is No. While there are claims of software that CAN identify me as the lurker who checks a Facebook page, the experts say that's not true.
But it's only a matter of time before Facebook itself creates that function. While most people these days have their info available to "friends" only, there is still an astonishing amount of info out there. Spying, lurking, stalking--still easy to do on Facebook. ha ha.

I also have a nom de plume FB acct with an e-mail I only use for that and that is not connected to me in any way and occasionally "spy" on others on FB(and checked out the NRMF FB to see what this thread is about). It's scary how much you can find out about people who have even closed FB accts. As long as you know one friend of theirs who posts everything openly, then you can find out all sorts of things. Scary!

But as for this forum, and online in general, now that I understand how everything works in cyberspace (am really just learning and understanding all this stuff) I will still be as involved as I was before but i will reduce any private info of myself even though I don't really have a problem with anyone knowing about me HERE at this site - just don't really want it out there for the world to see. I know when I googled Spartana it came up with a link to my profile in this forum. So anyone who uses their real name - or a nickname that is familiar to friends and family - that can be googled and will allow anyone to read their posts. Although I think to see photos you have to be a logged on member. But i do think it's up to each person to decide how much anoymity they want - if they have blogs etc... then they probably want to share those things with not only everyone here, but people "out there" too. For those who want to remain hidden, that's very easy to do. So leaving thios forum open to all viewers in cyberspace is OK with me - but I am glad Laura pointed it out because it will make a difference in what I put online here. I will probably even go back thru some of my old posts where I put private info about a family member (were sis worked, what she does, etc...) and delete those parts of my posts to protect her identity. So even if I don't really care about mine so much (and I've posted enough info and photos of me here that it isn't that much of a big deal) I don't really want to post info about others people I know here.