Facing FACEBOOK

I had a long and quite passionate discussion with Catherine Crowe at Goderich this summer. It rolled around Facebook, and its possible utility for information and networking. Frankly, I still hold to my original position : I have a large web site, which serves as a 'publication', plus this blog for shorter (?) and more timely articles. (I think of these as the 'book' and the 'magazine'.)

Two days ago (Thursday December 4) I took the plunge and registered on Facebook.


Now, after two days a couple of things have become obvious:
1) You can easily spend massive amounts of time
2) Huge amounts of traffic can be generated if your network is any size at all
3) Mostly the content is trivial at best
4) The system is both smart and stupid (very automatic to a certain point, then dead)

My 'Official Policy' for Facebook

The Darrell Markewitz / Wareham Forge Facebook 'wall' will be intended for the following:

- Primarily a Networking resource for the Wareham Forge, to generate a large contact list and broadcast timely information.
- There will be ongoing notifications of events, work in progress, other published information.
- Currently anything published here (on Hammered Out Bits) will be mirrored over, in the form of automatic 'notes'
- Notices will be made of major additions to the main web site (the Wareham Forge) and new video clips (YouTube)

The most difficult balance is how to manage the collecting of network contacts (Friends). Since my intent is to use Facebook as a kind of interactive mailing list, it makes best use of the service to expand that list as large as possible. To that end:
- Anyone who requests to be added to the 'friends' list will be so added.
- I will only directly searching for and recruiting people who I know well enough to have had past associations with (either in person or via e-mail conversations)
- I intend to make only limited use of recruiting from other people's lists. If I can not put the legal name to the photograph (thus proving a certain level of past association) I will not attempt to do so.

Part of the profile of any artist is based on personality. Good work is certainly key, but 'you have to sell the sizzle as well as the steak'. To that end, I will be making some more personal commentaries on Facebook, certainly more spontaneous and open ended topics than found on the Blog.

Facebook 'Friends' listings are a two step process. Someone has to ask, then the other has to approve. In this way there is a certain intent which has been expressed by both parties.

SHOULD YOU WISH TO BE REMOVED - Please just contact me via the Facebook system or directly via e-mail at : facebook@warehamforge.ca