Apparently the first and last things that I said in my new year’s post were controversial (or at least discussion-worthy). For those who don’t want to scroll down, I said that Twitter was stupid and that Facebook fan pages were, to recycle the ridiculously over-used term, the “next big thing.” I’ve had some in agreement and some dissenters, so I figured I’d bring the conversation forth into its own post.

First off: Twitter.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t have called it stupid. It’s not stupid, I just don’t see a very practical use for it in my life. Here’s why:

  1. I haven’t actually benefited from Twitter in any way. Karen Russell (bless her) linked back to my post on Idetroce, but because I wasn’t following her at the time I didn’t see it until I did a Google search for the term.
  2. For some reason I like the mundane status updates on Facebook, but not on Twitter. This is just a preference.
  3. I haven’t found anything on Twitter that I wouldn’t have found on a blog sooner or later. Information becomes redundant when you have too many channels.
  4. I’ve never felt the need to share something exclusively on Twitter (besides my reply to Paull, which I did for sheer irony).
  5. I don’t have mobile Internet. It’s much easier to update when you’re constantly online.
  6. I don’t have unlimited text messages, therefore I don’t receive or send updates unless I go straight to the site. I hate extra steps. For me, using Facebook is easier for short updates because I’m constantly signed in and if I want to share a link or comment on something, I either get involved in a blog conversation or write a post of my own.

It’s amazing how much division one simple little site can bring on. I’ve always hesitated to write a post about Twitter simply because everyone else has already said everything that needs to be said. People who love it will defend it to their dying day and people who hate it will tell you why over and over and over again. One blogger likened it to Marmite, which is just perfect because I don’t like Marmite either.

Ok, now on to Facebook Fan pages.

We all know that it costs a lot of money to get coverage on Facebook. A sponsored group or gift on Facebook can sometimes cost more than the entire budget of a campaign. Of course there are free groups, but creating a company-backed free group on Facebook can be dangerous territory for backlash if you’re hawking it from your personal account. Even more, messaging members to let them know about the group (even if they are sincerely interested) is construed as spam according to Facebook policies.

Enter Fan pages: the nice middle-of-the-road alternative. Here’s why I like them:

  1. They’re not spammy.
  2. They don’t have to be super-branded.
  3. They still add in that “viral” element that’s oh-so popular these days.

My Brit Out of Water friend, Dylan, doesn’t agree with the potential viral aspects of the Fan pages. In an earlier comment, I cited how I became a Fan of The Daily Show after having it pop up in my news feed. He replied,

…you joined the Daily Show group because you’re already a fan. But is somebody who’s a friend of yours and has never heard of the Daily Show (a small subsection of your friends list, I’d imagine!) going to investigate further at any point other than the moment they see in their news feed that you’ve joined the group? And even if they DO investigate at the very moment they see you’ve joined, is the knowledge that you’re a fan (however much they trust you) going to convert to a new viewer for the Daily Show?

If I have a friend who hasn’t heard of The Daily Show, I agree that he or she may not do any investigating as soon as it pops up in his or her news feed. However, the next time that friend is channel surfing, he or she might land on Comedy Central, and think to themselves, “Hey, that sounds familiar! Where have I heard of this show before?” It doesn’t have to be about conversion right away. We have to remember that we’re planting the seeds of awareness as well. If my entertainment-deprived friend does eventually become a Daily Show convert, it’s probably due to a number of different factors, but what matters is that Facebook was in there somewhere.

In any case, these are great discussions. If anyone has something to add, please feel free to chime in.

(I can almost feel the Twitter-lovers coming to tell me off)