This has nothing to do with The Oscars, as they’re rather boring to me. I haven’t seen the movies and usually like the complete opposite of “The Academy.” However, “The Social Network” was nominated for a few little statues, which brings me to my point today—Facebook.
Let me give you a little background by saying the fact that I have a semi-functional blog is no minor miracle. While I am quite sharp in certain cognitive and creative realms, technology is not one of them. SEO, HTML, JPEGS—to me it all looks like a bad Scrabble draw.
Dump the letters, try again.
So it’s a good thing I hold no delusions of my blog leading to fame and fortune, because I would have no idea how to even attempt to pimp myself out and maximize SEO or cater my writing to keywords. I think I would have to be rich and famous so that I could hire someone to do it for me, at which point it really would serve no purpose other than to feed my ego (or my id, depending on the day.)
I write because I feel like I have something to say and if I don’t get it out, there is the possibility of spontaneous combustion—or at least increased crankiness. Writing is the best way I know how to get things out and for some reason, I like the security of knowing I have the chance to go back and edit before exposing it all to the world.
I often wish for this feature when I open my mouth.
For me, written communication is how I best express myself so I go with it. The fact that I figured out how to start a blog is still kind of amazing to me, even more so is the fact that other people take the time to read it.
So what does this ramble have to do with Facebook?
I’ve been on “The Facebook”—when you hang out with old people they put “the” in front of everything—for years, but have resisted making a blog page. First of all, we know all about my technical difficulties. Second of all, I don’t really get the whole point.
I’m told it’s necessary to socially network these days past a simple Facebook account. But to me, creating a blog page kind of feels like nominating myself for Homecoming Queen or entering into some popularity contest that is rigged to be won by the girl with bigger boobs and talents, both of which half the football team has witnessed first-hand.
Plus, I know I don’t like feeling obligated to “like” things I kind of just feel “meh” about. If there was a “meh” button, I would feel much more comfortable with the commitment. The last thing I want to do is make anyone feel obligated to “like” my little blog when I probably don’t like half the people who would “like” it anyway.
But I decided to give it a shot.
It ended up taking me a ridiculous amount of time and a bit of trial and error, but there is now an “Abby Has Issues” fan page on Facebook for no reason other than I’m stubborn and my failed attempts simply pissed me off enough that there was no way I was going to NOT make the damn page.
I told you I have issues.
Creating the page was no big deal—a picture and a link—but the Facebook badge thing on the actual website was another story. A few Google searches revealed that it wasn’t operator error—success!—but that certain WordPress blogs do not allow certain Facebook code (blah, blah, blah) for Facebook “Like” boxes.
You can skirt it by putting in a Facebook Page Badge, which is what I did over there on the side. Consider that my public service to anyone else who might encounter the same issue.
Whatever.
I don’t know how I feel about it. It feels weird and self-serving. I hate advertising and it feels like I’m campaigning for popularity when all I want to do is ramble on about things that are spewing from my overcrowded brain.
So “like” it if you want. Don’t “like” it if you don’t want. Heck, like it and then “unlike” it just to mess with me if you want. Depending on my mood and level of unwarranted insecurity, I might decide it’s lame and delete it in a week (the Facebook page, not the blog.)
And just for the record, I feel the same exact way about this post. However, after spending the time writing it and sharing my plight through the world of technology, there was no way I was NOT going to publish it.
Like it or not.
Meh.
So enlighten me here. What is the benefit of having a page for your blog on Facebook? Isn’t it essentially the same thing as linking your posts to your own profile?
Can I just delete the thing or does it serve a purpose that I’m missing?
Abby Has Issues 
I’ve been debating putting my blog up there with its own facebook page. I think its enough “advertising” for me to just post my post in my status every so often. The thought of “advertising” my blog maked me cringe like when I hear styrofoam rubbing tomorrow. And as you know, I’m awful at technical things and I think the fact I was capable of putting my “foodbuzz” badge deserves some sort of award. I tried to put my twitter account but failed miserably. So I abandoned ship.
Anyhow, I think you should advertise the hell out of your blog because I think people need to be educated by you. The world would be a much better place if you my dear would enlighten even 1% of the population.
And I vote we write to Mark Zuckerberg a stern letter about the creation of the “meh” button.
PS, I feel like if my life were a movie, it would be the “socially awkward network”.
I’m cringing even now when I read your comment, only because the word “advertise” is in there (not because you said it.) Like I said, I might just delete it and move on with my life. It seems too weird for me.
However, I would TOTALLY like your page (obviously) and lobby for a “meh” button.
Shit, I just liked you on the face book, and you don’t even know me. Another notch in Zuckerberg’s creepy lipstick case. But seriously, I do like you, and you deserve more than a badge for showing wordpress who’s boss.
If you had a page, I would like you just for the fact that you used the phrase, “another notch in Zuckerberg’s creepy lipstick case.” I guess I don’t really get the “like” thing, but then again, I don’t get a lot of things. I suppose it’s another notch in my belt of naivete. I can deal with that.
I’m new to blogging, so my take matters little, but I can tell you what I know.
I don’t have a “fan” page for my blog. I did list my blog as one of my websites in the information section of my facebook. I also wrote something on my wall with a link when I first started it.
I’ve have 2,000 views in my first two months, and 40% are from facebook.
Let me know if the fan page is successful.
Facebook…sigh. I’ve never gotten into it. It seems so…creepy to me. I have one that I check once or twice a week, but all my privacy settings are way up, which probably defeats the purpose of having one if no one can read about you!
In one of my classes we are actually discussing how Facebook impacts your sense of self and your social skills – research on this is really interesting.
Good luck with you “like” page!
Sigh…I know. My personal Facebook account has all the crazy privacy settings and I actually do enjoy the (minimal) social interaction that it facilitates, seeing as everyone there is a “real” friend. I guess I figure the blog is totally public, so a page is just another way for friends to connect. Then again, I’m already thinking of deleting it 😉
I think it’s incredibly brave of you to put your blog out there on your Facebook. Personally, I’m WAY too private to have any of THOSE people reading my stuff. My blog is already a little out of my comfort zone.
I have never been into facebook very much. I don’t care about ANY of the ‘friends’ I have on there. I went to school with the majority and don’t talk to a single one of them. If they were my ‘friends’ then they’d be my FRIENDS. Obviously, there is a reason why I don’t talk to them. The whole thing just seems so fake to me. I don’t care about when so-and-so went to La Madeline for the 20th time. I don’t care to watch their music videos. I don’t want to read their horiscopes OR want to play farmville. The only reason I keep my account is because my sister is 18 and my brother is 17 and live in the next state over. I can keep up with them and talk to them (chat/msg) on there much better than phonecalls/real emails.
Boy this comment sure is a debbie downer…lol. Sorry about that!!
Actually, it’s not a big deal at all because I was already linking my posts from my personal Facebook account, so it’s not like it was a secret blog or anything. It WAS a private thing until a couple months ago when I started sharing with people in “real” life and at that time, it was a big deal to me 😉 I’m glad I did it though. This whole separate blog page is just weird to me.
I like Facebook in general because it does give me a way to stay social without having to put too much effort into it, but I do nothing related to farming, mafia hits, astrology, chatting, etc. Just snarky updates and observations no one probably cares to read but me 🙂
I did have a Facebook for awhile and a Myspace way back when 😉 but I have since deleted them both. I felt like such a fake when I had them. I mean to say I like blogging, but I realized i didn’t like those social sites. It feels like a compitition to me where people are constantly showing off their lives and how awesome they think they are and the awesome things they’re into. I just didn’t get into it. I don’t even have an anonymous one to stalk people with! But I’m much more confident now in saying that I don’t have one because I’m aware that it’s just not me, and not what I’m interested in. And if that makes me a loser than oh well!
As I’ve said, I actually like Facebook because I don’t ever feel any competition or anything. That’s just silly. I connect with my “real” friends and get news from some sites/blogs that I value and like (and “like,” I suppose.) I’m not hooked on it or anything, but I can see where people get weird about it. You can’t tell me someone really has 999 friends. Please.
Don’t feel bad–I had to change the settings on my blog fan page to even fit on my blog & the fact that I managed to do it without a server error is a miracle. I’m a little jealous that there’s a thumbnail of your blog on your page. I couldn’t figure out how to do that on mine. I don’t know that it really serves a purpose–I just wanted one b/c lots of other people had them–And then felt kind of stupid when I had to go and beg people to like it (just friends & family, and that was more so I could get the official Facebook blog name or whatever for it). I link to my posts through Networked Blogs as well as my blog page, and I feel kind of bad b/c anyone who’s my Facebook friend (I think) gets double postings whenever I have a new post up.
I had no idea that creating a blog site on fb was such a challenge! However, I’ve already seen you’ve made it and liked you page. 🙂 And I totally agree with what you said above – writing is freeing the mind.
It’s really not a challenge, I’m just challenged.
facebook = coming out of blog closet for me. i have issues with it *only* because i’m not sure i want the rest of the world knowing i’m a shit show.
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