Why have we got a Facebook group?
Maxine Clarke
Thursday, 17 July 2008 08:00 UTC
Hello, I have joined this forum and the Facebook group, but I don’t understand the point. Isn’t Nature Network a social online network? I am probably being dense, but why do we need a group on Facebook as well? In any case, I think I posted an “event” on Facebook about the Science Blogging conference (if I got it right), but I am still not sure of the function of the group there – or indeed, this group here on Nature Network. Craig, can you explain what we are going to do in them? Many thanks!
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If nothing else, you get to see what other Nature Networkers actually look like. Facebook has larger profile pictures than NN.
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Unless it is like mine, which just gets blurrier the bigger it gets!
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Hi Maxine,
As the groups creator I think you have asked a great question. However, I think the answer is somewhat included in Matt’s response, but not fully.
NN has a current utility for connecting people who are engaged in the “Nature” community. However, Facebook introduces new “community” members who may be unaware of NN. In general I thought that cross-fertilization of social networking sites may prove to be more helpful (to what end is still up for debate) than the individual sites themselves. I know that the information in Facebook helps me better locate people and does add some context to who they may be. All of this reinforces connections and enhances the feeling of community.
But that is just my opinion.
Craig
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By the way we now have 42 members on Facebook!
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I understand these reasons and I think it is great that we have 42 members already – it would be interesting to keep track of how many of them are also registered here, or who register as a result of joining the Facebook group.
My main concern with all these groups, whether on NN, Facebook or wherever, is that they get set up and then nothing happens (apart from people joining). It takes a lot of work to keep a group going. So my question is a more general one: what are these groups for? In the NN Facebook group, for example, I have made one or two posts (to the Science Blogging 2008 meeting and a couple of blogs) but nobody else has done anything. Am I missing the point of these groups? Is the “point” in fact not to do anything but simply to sign up? (I regularly get messages on Facebook to join various groups but I ignore them because I do not understand this fundamental question.)
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I don’t think that, at the moment, there is a clear point to many of these groups. Rather they are just what they are – social networking sites. Much like a big party you are going to have extroverts and introverts. Just because a post doesn’t get comments doesn’t mean they aren’t being discussed or, certainly, thought about. These networks are still in such an infancy (young with amazing potential) that people are still trying to figure them out.
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This is still a silent group – one forum post (July). What is this particular NN group for? (I understand the general points about online groups. But what is this actual group doing?)
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Maxine
I think that is just the nature of Web 2.0. It is like a city with big skyscrapers with many users, but that may also contain remote areas with derelict houses that noone visits anymore. They just are there somewhere.
I just dropped by because I was following you… let’s get out again quickly :-) -
This is probably an unnecessary sidetrack, but this question made me curious: Are there any science-related facebook groups that have lots of members and lots of activity.
I found this one: When I was your age, Pluto was a planet.
Someone has written about it here
Another one is: I enjoy corny science jokes.
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Facebook groups are not very good for discussions, but their main advantage is that a group can send an invitation to an event. However, I’m a member of a group for Cafe Scientifique that sends me a gazillion invitations a day for events in other cities. Pointless! It’s all about how you use it.
As far as the NN group, I see it as extra publicity. When people join it, and it shows up in their newsfeed, their curious friends will have a look. It might work better at getting attention than actively telling people about it. (“Oh! They joined some kind of group…what’s that, let me see…”)
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