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| Graphic by Scott Beale, Laughing Squid |
Recently I’ve been inundated by “Like” requests from Facebookers. “Like” my page! “Like” my product! “Like” my book! Like me! Like me!
I used to be a promiscuous Liker. Show me your Like button, and I’d press it. Why not? I figured. There’s little enough like in the world, say nothing of love. I was a one-woman sunshine squad, spreading the Like around.
But then I read that if you Like something, your endorsement might turn up in a Facebook ad or Sponsored Story. I started worrying about my lengthy trail of Likes. Egad, what if my mug wound up in an ad for Jello(R) Chocobeasts? I moved quickly to counteract potential damage; first I reset my Privacy options so that my name can’t be used without specific permission. Then I went through the products that were hawking messages in my timeline; I must have liked those products sometime in my glad-handering past. I Unliked all the ones I could track down.
Nowadays I seldom press the “Like” button. Like Sally Field, I have to really, really like you. To “Like” you, I mean. And I’ve started to pine for a “Dislike” button.
It’s not personal. It’s business. But isn’t that what all the Like-mongers are after, after all? Our business?
Am I the only person who has grown wary of the Like button? Have any of you wound up unintentionally in an ad, simply because you Liked something?
Kathryn, I “like” this post. I’m with you–I get like requests on FB everyday along with game requests. Fortunately, I can block games, but the like messages keep coming. I’ve pretty much stopped clicking those like buttons unless it’s something I can’t live without such as Krispy Kreme or Jack Daniels. Those guys don’t even have to ask.
I use the “like” buttons if I happen to agree with a post or a comment, but I pass on the posts that urge the beholder to “like” or “share” something to make a point. I’ve never to my knowledge had my “like” used as a commercial endorsement, however.
Wonder what would happen if Facebook added a “dislike” button?
I’ve got to say I’ve never ended up in an add for “liking” something, but I was once a promiscuous “liker” too. I actually ended up reaching my maximum “likes” two years ago. But it wasn’t so much products… more funny quotes and such. Anyway, I started going through and unliking pages.
What I’ve been finding lately is that I’m getting statuses from “like” pages in my newsfeed that I HAVEN’T liked. I go and unlike these pages straight away. I don’t understand why they are in my newsfeed when I never “liked” them.
Now I rarely “like” anything. Unless a friend makes a page for something – and it has to be a something I’m very much interested in – I won’t press that button unless it’s for a status or a comment.
I totally see where you’re coming from.
I came to FB way late (as in a few months ago) and I hate it, so from the start I haven’t been a big liker. The extent of my likes has been swapping likes with fellow authors.
It’s hard for me to even drag myself over to FB to log in.
Joe, I’ve totally blocked games, too. I hate online games, and got insane over the requests. Bonnee, I didn’t know there’s a max for Likes. I think there’s one for Friends, too–5000 I think. Joe H., I made a huge mistake by ever pressing Like for products. Back then, I didn’t know one was tacitly agreeing to be in a future ad! Watch out BK, it’s easy to get drawn into the FB world. My usage has crept up slowly over time, to the point that I now feel compelled to check in at least every other day.
I’m not even sure I get the point of the “Like” button. But I hate Facebook anyway, so I avoid it.
Though if anyone wants to “Like” my Amazon page, please go ahead…
When the promotional push for DAMAGE CONTROL shifted into high gear, my publisher pretty much insisted that I establish a “Fan Page” (johngilstrapauthor instead of–actually in addition to–my personal page, johngilstrap). Apparently, there’s more flexibility with a fan page and you can do more with it (oh, that I knew how).
Thing is, fan pages don’t take “friends;” they take “likes.”
As a reasonably public person, I guess it makes sense to have a fan/business page in addition to a personal page, but for me that genie is long out of the bottle.
None of it makes much sense to me, but please “like” my fan page . . .
John Gilstrap
http://www.johngilstrap.com
I don’t LIKE the LIKE thing, don’t see the point except that it’s a buy in to Big Brother crowding me.
I “like” indie authors books from the loop I’m on to help them in their rankings, even though I know all my random likings are being compiled to haunt me in the book recommendations Amazon is considerately collecting to help me buy stuff. When that perfect storm of a book about a homicide detective psychic turned gay vampire werewolf hybrid shapeshifter bondage sweet romance comes along, I want to get spammed about it, for sure.
I’d LIKE that.
Pass the Krispy Kremes, Joe. Cheers, Kathryn!
Jordan – how did you guess the plot of my next release like that?
I hate Facebook – I don’t care to Like everything everyone else does – I set up the fan page too, and I see it’s value, but…
Now, especially since FB went public, I wonder what Big Brother is up to.
Great post Kathryn.
Pass the Jack and the Krispy Kremes, Joe and Jordan – it’s only a matter of time before they find out we don’t Like Liking them.
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Like many writers I’m something of a solitary person. I find that all this Facebooking, Twittering, and the rest of it is a time suck. The question I’ve asked myself is this: How many books have I sold due to all this activity? Very few.
Now I restrict my on-line sites where, if I don’t sell a book or two, at least I learn from writers are further along the success road than I.
I know what I like when I like it. Never been on FB or T or whatever. Already I HATE them, too. Like – LOVE – the KC and the JD. Like people who HATE FB or T or whatever. I’d like a [HATE] button way more than I hate a [LIKE] button. I LOVE the [BUY ME] button, but HATE to press it. There should be a [HEP ME] button where some CS person pops up and goes “No problem!” I’d LIKE that. I HATE this “robot” proving thing :0
John, I realized I’d been left in the FB dust when I saw that someone had set up a page for me–that I knew nothing about. All it has is some boilerplate from Wikipedia. And woefully few “fans”, I must say! I was sorry I even found it, because then I felt bad that so few people were “Liking” me. Hence, perhaps, this rant of a post, lol! I wound up begging my husband to Like me on FB, which I was relieved to see, he was pleased to do!
Jim in Miss., I would also love to have a [HEP ME] button on a regular basis!
Lol, am now going through and LIKING everyone’s pages who commented here (if I can find them), in case I did not do so before! I don’t want to seem too UnLIKABLE!
Brian, I keep coming back to FB, not so much for the books, but because it has helped weave a virtual way to keep in touch with my far-flung kin. We’re scattered all over the US, and I find that FB is almost the only surefire way to get in touch with everyone nowadays!
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Anyone who’s been to my FB page knows I like silly or interesting or weird pics and comments. They likely also know my several steps right of center politics. What I recently learned to be very careful what pics, jokes or political posters you like. IE check out the persons whole page before liking or sharing from them, they may turn out to be in love with F-bombs and genital humour, have semi-porn on their page, or be way fringe nutjobs in any number of political directions.
If you don’t want members of your church or your own kids clicking a link that takes them through a string of obscenity laced images of barely clad lasses or college boys making giant phallic snow sculptures my advice is this:
Right Click the picture you want to share / like, Save Image As, repost it as an original post from you. Therefore folks only see the string of your own photos if they click it, not some foul mouthed, nazi-commie, tinfoil wearing, nutjobs pics.
Oh…and if you have a professional presence or business FB page don’t put stuff not related to business on it, unless you want to scare folks off who hate cats, fear guns, or disagree with your desire to save red-tailed oscillating pygmy shrimp-crumpet-puppies.
Is 3 FB pages too many?
Basil in person
Basil the narrator
Basil the author
Impressive, Basil! Okay, now I’ve liked you TWICE on FB–how’s that for making me eat my blog post, lol!
I confess, I pretty much live on FB. It is where my circle of writer friends and where I can connect with like-minded several-steps-to-the-left political folks.
I have my personal page, which I’ve been told flat out is up for grabs to my employer. So while I portray my political agenda proudly, I sidestep one political entity that is a customer of my employer.
I also just set up a page for my new About.com gig, because you go where the crowds are. . . . Car buffs, feel free to “like” 😉
Now, on the page I’ve set up for the little newspaper I work for, I have about 20% of the circulation on board as fans. I consider that to be a win. I can indulge my photography habit and help the paper. Via the page I shared the local prom pics with family and friends all over the midwest. Again FTW.
But random products? I do go through and randomly unlike them from time to time.
And like Basil said, beware the cute kitteh pics, they are bait for FB spammers. Look, aww, but don’t share until you’ve checked out the source.
Still, it’s win-win for me.
Terri