When I first got onto Facebook, earlier this year, I was hooked for a short while. Now I barely remember to look at it once a month and when I do, there's usually two or three emails I should have looked at, and loads that I can instantly delete.
It worked for me when Facebook friends were people I knew, then I started accepting requests from anyone who asked (including people with no obvious connection to UK politics, or indeed, the UK, other than the fact they had persuaded lots of other MPs to become their friends already). I'm now bombarded with invites to join groups campaigning against a tree being chopped down somewhere in Northumberland, or to attend events that there is absolutely no possibly of me making.
For example, I've joined a number of 'XXXX for XXXX' groups, to show support for Labour candidates, several of whom I know quite well, but that means you get invited to every single canvassing session, when they live hundreds of miles away. (By some of them, others are more discerning in who they email, for which, thanks. And Paul Smith is allowed to, seeing as I live in what will hopefully be his constituency after the next election, but is mine at the moment).
I also don't like this Superwall business, and I don't want to hug, kick, give hearts to, slap, or do anything like that with anyone online, thank you very much. Nor do I particularly want to do quizzes, although I did do the 'Are you a chav?' one many months ago (calling my grandmother 'Nan' was my downfall. They should have just asked 'Is your name Kerry?' as that rapidly seems to be becoming the chav* name du jour, if Jeremy Kyle is anything to go by.)
So... is it worth MPs having a Facebook site? Is there any MP out there who makes good use of it? I'm thinking of maybe having two sites, one for people I know so that it's easy to keep in touch with mates, and one for anyone else who wants to join. But then what do you do if someone asks to join the A team, when you think they're only really a B?
*I accept there is a debate about whether this is an appropriate term to use, and I don't usually. But that's what the quiz was called.
8 comments:
Sing if you're glad to be chav!
Trim out your facebook contacts, junk all the applications you don't like and you'll find it a much better experience. A lot of people just want to collect 'friends' on there and it adds no value. I stick with people who's status I actually care about reading.
kill super wall and fun wall, it stops you getting lots of pointless contacts, also you can block invitations to be a pirate, bite a werewolf or all that nonsense. You can have two profiles one open and one for friends only, or a group kerry mccarthy for bristol east. Also I do keep inviting you to go canvassing we meet about 3 minutes walk from your flat.....
I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning!
We start door knocking about 11.20 and run for an hour, so not all in the morning
you should have a facebook profile just for ppl you know (and you cna make it secret so randoms don't keep adding you), and have a facebook page for public access. then you won't keep getting invited to things. on a page, you don't have friends but 'supporters' and you don't have to approve them.
this is a facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/barackobama
and i told u this ages ago ;)
as for whether there are politicians who make good use of it... there are, but they are mostly americans and/or conservatives...
http://www.facebook.com/barackobama#/pages/David-Cameron/7303343452?ref=s
http://www.facebook.com/barackobama#/pages/Boris-Johnson/7972991316?ref=pdb
"and i told u this ages ago ;)"
But then you abandoned me...
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