Monday, June 13, 2011

So I've Been 'Unfriended'!

… on Facebook!

Why? Well, there was a post by one of my “friends” that mentioned a “great story.”

So, because I had the option of commenting, I added “Here’s a great story for you ______: https://www.createspace.com/3507642

I saw the post live, for under a minute. Then it disappeared. Thinking that I did something wrong, I commented again.

Again, it was live, for about a minute. Then I went to my “home page” on FB and there was nothing under my “recent activities” to indicate that the comment ever existed.

So, I went to the home page of the person whose post I responded to, and sure enough, there was no evidence of the post. In addition, I saw the “Add as Friend” option. The person had been my friend. I had worked with her for AOL. Although we never physically met in person, I'm still interested in what former co-workers are doing with their lives outside AOL.

 It’s evident that her displeasure with my post caused her to “unfriend” me.




I can only conclude that my “advertising” as a comment peed her off and she removed me as a “friend.”

I’m trying to sell a book.

In posting to Facebook, everyone is trying to sell something to someone

"XXX likes a link," has XXX wanting the reader to check out that link ... thus, trying to sell that link to anyone who reads it.

"YYY" posts a picture of their trip to Italy. Why? They want to "sell" it ... that is "share" it for others to enjoy. If not, why bother posting it?

Knowing how Facebook works, I know that my “feed” isn’t the same as hers. My replying to her post means that all of her hundreds of  friends could see my reply and, if they are interested animal lovers, could have checked my link, read about the book and possibly have ordered it. Thus, a sale ... or remotely possible, several!

Isn’t that what “networking” is all about?

Methinks that it would have been just as easy to “Hide all” posts by me. That way she’d not see my “shameless” ad, but her friends still could.

So I went through the “Add as Friend” routine, adding a personal note to it, apologizing for having offended her. The response: none. I really don’t expect one.

So what do you think? Do you think my post is worth tossing a “friendship” of many years away? Or do you think that I took “networking” too far by “imposing” on a “friend’s” friends in the hope of more successfully marketing my book?

Seriously: Thoughts and opinions are welcome!

2 comments:

Kn said...

Well Mr.Scott, maybe there was some other reason for her "un-friending" u??
I mean its very common for people to advertise their business on social networking sites. There is nothing offensive about it! Even my friends do it all the time, I would not delete them even if I weren't interested in their things.

RJScott said...

I agree with you, Kn, however since we worked together (though never met) for years; never had any "words" between us; got along well, I cannot think of any other reason for her 1) deleting the entire post, including others' replies and 2) failure to respond to my mail/friend request.