Reaction to our change to Facebook commenting
I posted a few weeks ago about our switch to Facebook commenting on NewsOK.com articles.
Using Facebook commenting is not new to us. We’ve used it on select stories and pages for a couple of years. We used it when we launched the LOOKatOKC website. We used it when we launched the Oklahoman.com website. And we used it when we launched our NewsOK Photos upgrade.
But now it’s on every NewsOK.com article.
The response has been mixed. The general tone of responses on my blog, on the articles and on Twitter has been positive. I won’t share all those. They just praise us too much. It’s embarrassing.
But the dozen or so users who took the time to email me have expressed general displeasure with the change.
Here are some excerpts from some of the emails:
This person doesn’t like Facebook in general …
As one who refuses to participate in the marketing and personal information selling website called facebook, I am certainly questioning why you are doing this. I know I will spend a lot less time on your website as I imagine a lot of others will as well. Seems like a perfect example of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
This person doesn’t want to use Facebook either …
I don’t use Facebook because the guy at the computer store told me that is one of the best ways to get malware on my computer. There should be other options for leaving a comment.
This person considered it a freedom of press issue …
There are ways other than using Facebook membership as a screen to ensure that posters exercise the responsibility required to participate in public discourse. I have never even so much as looked at a Facebook page. I have no intention of doing so. Facebook is a commercial enterprise that I do not wish to participate in. You are requiring participation in one medium in order to participate in yours. That decries the principles of free speech and a free press.
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