Tuesday, August 13, 2013

to like or not to like...

So since it's been almost an entire month since my last Great Blogging Debate, I figured it was time for another one.

But before we start, how about two pictures of Things That Are Super Attractive?
Men reading books to babies.


Men reading instruction manuals when they put stuff together (cotton candy machines, especially).

Alright. Now you can't say I never show you hot guys on my blog. Since I'm normally just inundated with complaints about that...not.

SO!

How do you feel about Facebook fan pages for blogs?

Are you a fan, so to speak?

I used to be really anti. I guess I thought it was pointless. I already know how to follow blogs, so if the main point of a blog Facebook page is to tell me that there are new posts, then I don't need that. And then I wasn't really sure what any of the other 'points' of them even were...or if there were any other points. I guess I thought it seemed kind of narcissistic? Like...oooooh you have a billion 'followers' AND now you have a billion 'likes'....aren't YOU hot stuff!!!! Oh I also didn't 'get' it because it seemed like it was double-following people...if I am already FB friends with you and then I follow your blog, too...then...please stop clogging my newsfeed with the same thing TWICE. That's annoying.

So obviously my long-term history with liking blogs on FB has been more of a dislike. I still DID it...mainly when I would 'like' someone to enter a giveaway or something...or if it was a personal friend and I would have felt bad not liking them...or something. But it was always a bit begrudging. 

But then.

Lately, I've started really liking some of the blog pages I follow. I'm starting to see bloggers using their FB pages constructively and well and it's actually a welcome addition to my social media consumption and not just an annoyance. These are the things I see people doing that makes me like blog FB pages:

1) USE IT FOR MORE THAN JUST SHARING UPDATED POSTS. That's probably honestly the #1 thing. When they share actual new material (whether it be pictures (NOT just auto-posted from IG and Twitter)), interesting articles, or just status updates...I like when I feel like I get something 'extra' and beyond their blog. I also like being able to easily interact with them there (you know, commenting on whatever they're sharing).

Umm...I think I wrapped up all of my 'likes' into #1. I guess everything I like is just a subset of liking that I'm getting something 'extra.' I like seeing the random thoughts or pictures that never make it to a blog post. Being able to see more regular glimpses into their days and thoughts...it's really fun!

And ever since I started noticing how much I liked that, I started seeing areas in my own life where I was wishing I had that. Because my regular Facebook- let's face it. When I was a senior in college and FB was just starting, you friended everyone you ever knew. So my FB is totally junked up with people I haven't spoken to in 20 years...people I never actually liked in the first place...people I just met last week...you know what I mean. And so I use it and I share stuff, but always with the knowledge that the people seeing it probably don't really know me. And so I hesitate to really be 'me', you know? I don't know, it's weird (except you probably know exactly what I mean). So sometimes I wish I had a different FB for just people who know (and like) the current and real me. So I could share stuff and they'd know where I was coming from. And I figure...if you read this blog even semi-regularly, then you pretty much know the real me. So maybe this would be an outlet for that.

Plus-- I'm not friends with the vast majority of YOU on Facebook. And sometimes I see something funny or read an interesting article or whatever and I'm like 'ahhh I wish my blog friends could see that, they would love/hate/laugh at it!!'...but I mean, if it's not enough to develop into an actual blog post, then it all just falls by the wayside. But if I had a blog FB...it wouldn't have to, you know?

So anyway. You know a survey is imminent, since you know me. This one has more questions than normal (including one extremely important BONUS and completely unrelated question at the end), but I trust you can handle it. I'm also going to turn on threaded commenting for today, in case there is discussion to be had on this topic. Who knows! Feel free to share, even if you really hate blog FB pages and you're secretly groaning inside 'oh pleeeeeaaaase Erika, do NOT make a blog FB page!!! Pleeeeaassseee!!!!'...then I think you should share that. All opinions are welcomed here. I mean, except for wrong opinions. On the last question. Obviously those are discouraged.

GO!



16 comments:

  1. I love the idea of your blog having a fan page...it's likely the closest we will ever become to IRL friends due to the CC discovery!!! Plus, you could friend request me then post/tag pictures of my boys eating CC while I vacation on your dime!

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  2. I'm a big fan of your surveys! My feelings towards fan pages are the same as yours!

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  3. I feel you on being the real me on facebook! And there are so many people in my "friend purgatory". I just can't say no, but the madness has to stop somewhere!!

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    1. Ha!! "Friend purgatory" is a perfect description!!

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  4. I love your surveys!!! And I also love that even when I feel like I know nothing about the survey topic, you still want me to ignorantly voice my opinion!!!

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    1. This is America!! We always encourage the ignorant to voice their opinions EXTRA loud!!! Hence, Facebook was born....

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  5. Well, I filled out the survey. But you are the only blog I ever read, I don't even know how to 'follow' your blog and I feel old and lame b/c I didn't even know that blogs had fan pages...clearly I'm not your target audience.

    Now, if you were to have a survey about who would win an alpha competition - I'm pretty sure I have all the answers there!

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    1. WHY DO NO PICTURES EXIST of the alpha competition OR the amazing chart/rules on the wall? Because that would be the best blog EVER. People would probably die of amazement. I love you and one day I will give you a tutorial about how to not be old and lame about blogs. Right after I alpha you.

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  6. Ummm, I guess the people who I consider more than friends from the blog world, like in between real life friends and blog friends, I've already friended on facebook (like how many times I said friend?) or they just don't use FB (looking at you Aubrey). Sooooo I guess my feelings have always been that it's kind of redundant.

    Plus, I don't know if this makes sense, but I have always felt the opposite... that the individual's FB page would be more "real" than a blog page... I don't know why, like a blog page is only focusing on one part of your life, but the regular page encompasses all of you. Does that make sense? Yes? No?

    Last negative and then I'm done: I've never done one myself because I think "fan pages" are kind of lame when there are only ten fans. I don't really need another place for my mom and all my mothers-in-law to comment, chat, junk up my FB. Is that mean? It obviosuly wouldn't apply to you... you'd have a zillion fans in no time.

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  7. So I'm probably the ONLY one to check the box "I don't use facebook" soooo I won't be much help to ya. HA!!! Can I just totally change the subject here for a minute and just tell you how fabulous you are?! It occured to me the other day that you make me forget not only that I am dealing with IF but that you are too. I don't mean that in a negative way but in a way in that you totally enjoy life every single day and spread your joy to all of us :) You are an inspiration to me and I'm sure to so many others and I just want to thank you for that. Back to your surveying, carry on haha!

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  8. I think your FB blog page would be totally awesome to follow because all the things which annoy me about blog FB pages annoy you too. Therefore, you should have a blog FB page. Also, I had like hundreds of friends when Facebook first came out and now I have unfriended a ton of people because I thought, "If I didn't stay in touch with you IRL, why would I want to stay in touch with you through FB???" I've even unfriended some of my cousins because they were really annoying. I'm so mean.

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  9. Have to agree with all your same likes and dislikes for FB blog pages. If you're gonna tell me something more than you have a new post & actually interact = awesome! But just telling me again, for the 500th time, that you have a new post = not so awesome.

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  10. I don't love blog FB pages either, but I realized I DO like them for blogs that I don't read regularly. Then 'liking' them on FB let's me see if they post something I am interested in, like a good looking recipe or something. If it's a blog I always read then I get overwhelmed by all the repeat info in my life. I don't like being friends/followers of someone who posts the same pictures, etc, on all their social media sites, so I usually just choose one method of following them. I think it's fun when people (like you!) post extra stuff on Instagram (or where ever) that they don't always blog about. It's so exciting. So I think I would probably 'like' your blog FB page because you've proven yourself to be such a good and not annoying Instagrammer. :)

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  11. OK, I feel like this entire post was directed at me personally since you JUST liked my blog's fan page a day ago (talk about rampant narcissism, amirite?!)

    At first I thought it was totally redundant to make a fan page BUT THEN I stopped sharing my blog links on FB because... well, because of a lot of reasons you mentioned. I figured my quasi-friends weren't necessarily interested in my self promotion via blog links all the time, yet I had some none-bloggy friends who did want to keep seeing links. Know what I mean? So all the bloggers who have since started double following me did so at their own risk. Yeah, there is major potential for being annoyed with double updates. But as for my real life friends, I lost some of them when I stopped posting on FB... a situation that I remedied by creating the fan page.

    Of course I intended to post "extra content" with pics and comments and stuff, and sometimes I succeed, but mostly I'm lazy with it. You're inspiring me to be better. And as for other bloggers I follow on FB who post their own links so I end up seeing them twice? Eh, who cares. Less annoying than seeing who just gave life in Candy Crush or who is currently eating taco salad. You can't expect your news feed to always be fascinating (or maybe you just have really awesome, interesting friends. You know what, you probably do.)

    The biggest MAJOR DOWNFALL of the whole operation is when people comment on Facebook and not on the blog itself, so I can't go back and re-read all my comments in an organized fashion. But then on the plus side, the Facebook commentors are less likely to have made a comment on the blog anyway, so maybe I'm better off getting just those comments than getting none at all, if that makes sense.

    Yup, so I'm quite opinionated on the subject, clearly. I'll sum up by saying I think you should go for it, and I would "like" you. Phew.

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  12. Nothing like a good survey in the morning! Even if i'm a few days late to the party. haha. I'm a facebook kid so I don't see why a facebook blog page wouldn't be a great addition!

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  13. I went through and unfriended the people I NEVER interacted with and had only friended because we went to school together many moons ago. I figure that if I can't talk to them now, they also don't really care about how I'm doing.

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