TO add to this Facebook discussion ( I hope this is not too off topic, but it is relevant to any plant society). 1. Anyone can create a Facebook page about anything. In fact, most organizations and brands, encourage it in any form. We should try to own our own name, but after that, we should hope to see fan pages like "John's PBS page, Matt's Bulb PBS page) etc. 2. A 'fan created page' is NOT a website. We can, if we choose to, create our own 'Official' Facebook page, but I'm not convinced that we need to yet, or, if we are ready to. Clearly, this group would not know what to do with one anyway, so don't worry about it. 3. If there is a page, embrace it. It's OK. Or, create a new one. We should be hoping that there might be 65 pages someday, not just one. The web is inherently participatory, not just interactive. It is constantly encouraging you to comment, to contribute, to join. Organizations and businesses who realize this new phenomenon, use Facebook in a most effective way- rather then shutting down fans who start their own pages, rather, they encourage participation, and if anything, inspire new ways for new members to join. My company used to sue anyone who opened a page with one of our brands or feature films, particular if they posed as a character on Twitter or Facebook. Today, we count how many and use it as a marketing tool. Engaging your audience is the goal, today. Not rejecting them. Wonder how hot ad agencies suggest we work with Facebook? Take this example. Cascadian Farms Wild Blueberries knows how to use it....they are working with Zynga, a startup company in SF. This little Blueberry company knew that over 65 million regular users play on Facebook's digital game Farmville every day. They have now introduced a digital crop of digital blueberry bushes for 'in-game crop integration'. Compared to television in North America with major networks reaching 18 million adults 18-49 in 2010, that 40-60 million user base surely must have reached some new customers. There are greenhouses ( alpine houses?) in Farmville......It's not out of the question to see NARGS troughs and pots, right? Afraid of attracting too many posy pushers and tulip growers? They may be our future, if we offer them a PBS-lite membership-could be our bread and butter. All options should be left open if we want to grow carefully. Does PBS need to do this? Of course not. But, my point is that we should not be so quick to say no, when the internet is fragmenting to quickly, redefining how audiences work - the idea of memberships and exclusivity is evolving faster than we think. 4. fear of loss of control - It's OK, don't worry. What is wrong with having a lot of 'Friends"? Really? What's the harm? No one is getting emails from our Fav list on Facebook. It's just a free ad to join, if they want to. Look, Facebook is NOT a website, it's like an entire network onto itself. As new companies and organizations begin to use it, they are learning that just 'making a Facebook page' means nothing at all, unless you link to content somewhere else, or have engagement on it. Sure, 'Friends' can Fav it, but it still means nothing at all - no harm, no benefit. So why is everyone here so worried about it? I would have hoped that there was more than one Facebook page for bulbs, with maybe one for each genus and species, it may happen one day. Still, I can't see how a Facebook presence can hurt un in anyway. We could only hope that we get 1500 Fav's ( there are no friends on fan pages) ( or, we can change what we want to call friends, most organizations choose the word, RECOMMEND). One benefit might be that once we have a lot of "favorites", we might end up higher on the Google search engines when someone enters in the word 'BULB'. Amazing opportunities exist for those willing to step out there and use social media sites effectively. It take a load of creativity and money, however, to do it right. Anything else, is harmless. Matt Mattus Worcester, MA On 7/31/11 11:38 AM, "John T Lonsdale" <john@johnlonsdale.net> wrote: > Yes, all it needs to be is a reasonably attractive placeholder managed by > the PBS that points interested people in the direction of more resources. I > don't know much about Facebook but the page might also need a PBS > administrator if it is to be used actively (so that is more work for > 'someone'). If someone with the permission of the PBS wants to develop it > further under the auspices of the PBS then that would only be a good thing. > > Best, > > J. > > John T Lonsdale PhD > 407 Edgewood Drive, > Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA > > Home: 610 594 9232 > Cell: 484 678 9856 > Fax: 315 571 9232 > > Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ > > USDA Zone 6b > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/