The Facebook Ecosystem

Some people are just "Facebook people." They get it. They get the idea of interacting, contributing, sharing, connecting with people online. People they know, people they don't know, people they only sortof know, people they don't know well yet, etc. They are open to the possibilities of connecting online.

Others seem to be trying to get it but falling short. I’ve decided they tend to fall into two camps – Broadcasters and Blitzers.

The Broadcasters understand the value in using Facebook as an information channel, but they seem to think of it as single-direction. They are stuck in an old media model, only sending a signal out. They never engage via comments on others’ posts. Even when these Broadcasters receive comments, they rarely, if ever, reply.

Another camp is the Blitzers. They come through with a blitz of posting and commenting for a day, a week, sometimes even longer, but at some point their posting volume goes to zero (it doesn’t trickle, it’s either on or off with these folks.) I think these people get the value of Facebook, but haven’t figured out how to fit it into their day. Then once a certain amount of time has gone by, they remember and come back to it, but the Blitzers’ hallmark is their sporadicality[1].

And then there are the Facebook Ghosts. These people read EVERYTHING, but comment NEVER. They produce no content – no likes, no shared links, no comments. My husband is one of these. These folks are interesting to me, because they totally get the value of Facebook, since they consume the content therein, but they are not interested in participating. They see and hear all, but are unseen and unheard. I think for some it’s a self-conscious thing (“Nobody wants to see/hear what I have to say”) others it’s more about privacy (“I don’t want everyone to know my personal business.”)

It’s always a little disorienting to me to see an old friend or bump into someone after I haven’t seen them in a while, and they ask me about some silly thing my kids said or some activity we did weeks ago. Oh, you read that on my Facebook page!

Each one of these types plays a role in the Facebook ecosystem. If all of my FB friends were regular posters, I would have a much harder time parsing my newsfeed. And I don’t disagree with the various roles, though I do find some of their behaviors puzzling.

What all this Facebook Introspection has given me is an appreciation for my friendships, which are generally with those frequent posters and regular contributors. Facebook has helped me solidify some unlikely friendships. People I didn't realize I had so much in common with. People I only know online, have never met in person. People who are extreme introverts who aren't "in person" people who I feel very close to anyway because of FB, etc. It's given me the gift of more friends, and I'm thrilled about that.

 

[1] Yes I made up that word.

Comments

[Janean]

Karen, what a wonderful summary of Facebook World. Thank you for sharing the link to your insightful writing about the various ways people use Facebook. I love meeting Kindred Spirits and developing online friendships with the hope that someday we'll meet in person. Facebook is a powerful tool and you can really get to know people by piecing together their words, pictures and buzzed up data from the web. I'm glad our paths crossed at Tara's profile.

[Karen T. Smith]

Thanks Janean! I'm glad you found my blog, too! :) I have to say that one thing I've realized, after writing this on and off for a number of years, is that you *really* get a sense of who I am -- whether I want you to or not (have never been able to fake it to manipulate people's impressions of me, that lies beyond my skills.) I don't know that I knew that when I set out to write about life as a mom. :D

[Janet Riehl]

Dear Karen,

My niece Janean pointed me to your post on "The Facebook Ecosystem." So, let's see. We have the 1)broadcasters; 2)blitzers; and 3)Facebook Ghosts. As I follow your post I hear you talking about: 1)a value channel that runs both ways; and 2)adeptness.

Every person in the Facebook Ecosystem is there for a different reason and wants something different out of joining and their way of engaging. Your categories outline ways of participation from 1)regular one-way; 2)sporadic two-way or multi-valent. 3)receiving, but not producing participation.

Each of the three groups you outline participate and receive value in their own way. Each has a different purpose.

The big question for me then, is one of adeptness--skill in using the new social media. Each site has its own structure and therefore it's own strategy and skill-set. We still see the three types, say, in Twitter or Linked-in.

I would also propose that these three types can be found in face-to-face physical communication. The broadcasters are talkers. The blitzers are by turns social (outward looking or extrovert) and then private (inward looking and introvert). 3) The Ghosts are the world's listens. And that's a good thing.

In their own terms each type gets what they want..unless...the broadcaster or the blitzer wants to develop a following in order to market a service or product. In that case there's a new technology to master and s strategy of consistency to follow.

Janet Riehl

[Janet Riehl]

Karen,

I would follow you on Twitter or "friend" you on Facebook, but I can't find you.

My Twitter handle is Riehlife and my Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/?ref=home.

Hope to see you there.

Janet

[Janean]

Karen writing from the heart is the truest and best kind of writing. It resonates in a wonderful way with your readers who have had the same thoughts, though perhaps never articulated them as well.

[Karen T. Smith]

Janet, I see you found me on Facebook, but on Twitter I'm KarenTSmith. I don't tweet much, it's not my preferred interface, but my blog posts go through twitter.

Thanks for your comments! I should be clear that I don't have any problem with the various types of FB occupants I describe. I have a true appreciation for the blitzers, as life comes and goes in waves like that for me. The ghosts are sideline viewers, there's nothing wrong with that (though I wish they'd choose to interact SOMETIMES! lol) My least preferred is the Broadcasters, though, because they seem to indicate by their broadcasting that they are open to communication, but only on their terms? Or maybe they don't see the value? Some I know it's honestly a technology competency thing, they don't KNOW to go back and check for comments! But for others it seems rather selfish to throw out a lot of content in the world and expect the world to react, absent further involvement from you. Some of my FB friends who are published authors and have fans as FB buddies, that's fine, but the rest of them? It doesn't make sense to me. I prefer to have someone at least acknowledge that I was talking to them!