Facebook TOS
are really pretty clear.
Don’t spam.
Don’t upload viruses or malicious code.
Nothing that is
hateful, threatening, or pornographic;
nothing that incites violence
or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
You can sell stuff on Facebook,
but FB has a few rules about that, too.
Mostly to protect
buyers and sellers from fraud.
It’s really pretty basic.
Use your common sense.
So,
what does Facebook
have to do with Liturgy?
Facebooks
is actually a wonderful tool
for Electronic Evangelization.
I applaud those who are getting online
(finally)
and using the internet to promote The Word,
using Facebook to inspire, nudge
and just plain get word out to people
about events in their area,
about mass times,
about special services
and a whole host of other things.
And not just facebook.
Myspace, Twitter, Photo Bucket,
Flickr, Youtube, . . . .
. . there’s a whole world out there,
a sea of online possibilities
for sharing the faith,
PR for our worship and church events, etc.
The way I see it,
Facebook has a lot to do with liturgy.
Why, among my contacts at facebook
I have liturgical composers
and publishers of Catholic Liturgical Music.
Among my contacts
I have clergy and others, who,
like me, are pastoral musicians
and choir directors.
Facebook is a great way
to know what’s going in your community.
(As well as the larger community.)
In recent weeks
I was invited to join in a novena
to St. Augustin, which I did.
I was invited to an event
to help raise funds
for Detroit’s Clark Park.
I was invited at an event
held at the same Clark Park
regarding immigration.
I was invited to a church festivals
in my area.
As a church musician
I’ve even received invites
to lead music for different events.
It’s really a great tool.
I can post videos on facebook
of music I want to teach the choir.
Several of the members of the parish choir I direct,
the women’s choir I direct,
even of the children’s choir I direct
all use facebook.
What a practical and wonderful tool!. . .
. . . .until we get controlling.
If I posted something on facebook
that has value to the community
you can and should go ahead and re-post it
to you wall.
That’s the gift of viral that social media has.
You could/should/ought to comment that it is a good thing.
Or post the URL to your wall.
Don’t get mad
and tell me to take it off of facebook
because you were going to post it.
That’s classic “id” behavior,
classic “I want, I want, I want”. . . .
. . . “I want to be the first and only person
to post that on facebook.”
Well, too bad.
That’s life.
We really do need to get over the control thing.
So many just want to control.
If it’s a good thing,
if it’s something the community should know about
does it really matter
who is getting the word out?
“.. . .John said to him,
‘Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.’
Jesus replied,
Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.’”
(Mark 9:39)
Yeah,
Mark 9:39.
Jesus gone viral.
And isn’t it better when a good thing
actually goes viral?
I would think so.
And let’s think about this a bit.
When it comes to sharing the faith,
shouldn’t we all be telling the world?
Not just one of us, or two of us.
Not just the committee chairperson
or parish council president.
Not just the choir director or pastor.
But shouldn’t we all be shouting from the rooftops?
Does it really matter
who gets to the rooftop first?
I mean how many stupid videos go viral?
How many times have you forwarded
the video of a dog
or the kid who did some trick on his bike?
Just think if Jesus stuff would go viral. . .
.. . . ah, the possibilities!!!!
But, no.
We (at least some of us)
get upset
because
“I should be the one posting that. . .”
Ugh. . .
Sometimes I just plain wonder
about people like this. . . .
Would that the “superego” enter in
and referee the whole thing,
that would be great.
Let’s face it.
Social Media is all about communication.
So,
why would anyone get upset
if information gets communicated,
especially
if it’s about Jesus, The Word,
Church Events, etc.?
The only reason I can think of is ego.
Just plain old fashioned ego.
And you know,
if you don’t know the following
you really need to go to class,
facebook 101, if you will,
before you start
criticizing the facebook of others.
TOS - Terms of Service
URL - Universal Resource Locator (basically, the web address)
Wall - on facebook, a section in your profile
where others can write messages to you or leave you virtual gifts.
Your wall can be private or public.
SPAM - unsolicited commercial message, sent to email
or social media inbox. . sometimes left as blog comment.
Embed - Embedding is a code for the video.
You take the embed code and post it on your website or blog
and then the video will show and people can watch it.
The embed code from youtube was used
to post the videos in this and other blog entries
here at Liturgy House.
Viral - when something online becomes popular
via sharing on social media sites or email.
Viral.
Now that’s word to remember.
If I post it in my facebook
and a friend reposts it,
it (whatever “it” is)
has gone viral.
And if that friend reposts it
and their friend reposts it. . . .
Well,
the possibilities are endless with Social Media.
Sort of like that old shampoo commercial. . .
Why don’t we (the church)
do this?
And why do we get upset
if someone else does?
Some interesting facts:
- Youtube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world
- Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the United States of America.
- 93% of marketers use social media for business.
Alas,
we (the church)
are sometimes still to territorial,
nay, neanderthal,
when it comes using social media.
I originally wrote this blog entry a few weeks ago.
I didn’t post it
only because I thought
the idea was too simple,
to use social media.
And I thought maybe I was only writing out of anger,
about being told to cease and desist
the use of social media
to PR a faith related event.
But you know what?
I was angry.
But anger can be productive.
If anger nudged me to write this blog entry,
that’s a good thing.
Because if you got nothing else from this blog entry,
I certainly hope you got the message:
Use your internet connection
and Facebook your Faith.
Facebook your Faith, people.
Facebook Your Faith!
p.s.
. . you can find me on facebook here.
