Using Facebook as a blunt instrument 101

[Posted at Bene Diction Blogs On May 17, 2011] What could be the harm in having theocrat Christians take over Facebook? Well, you could look at the instructor of the course... As we have recently mentioned, evangelist Particia King is offering a $20 webinar for Christians on how they can use social media such as Twitter and Facebook as a good witness. Sounds like a good thing, until you read of King's idea to "take over" media--even social media, which my earlier post discussed briefly. Faytene Grasseschi (the newly married evangelist Faytene Kryskow) is to be one of the instructors of the internet webinar, which gives me pause. She has a history of being a bit overbearing on Facebook, and if she teaches webinar participants to be thuggish on Facebook and Twitter, it won't be good for anyone. Thanks to Bene D, we even have a clear example of bad Facebook manners, on Faytene Grasseschi's part, that I can point to. Last September, BD was contacted by a lady whose daughter had tried to ask Faytene some polite, but pointed, questions on Faytene's Facebook Wall. Faytene reacted in a huff, later thinking better of what she had written and deleting both question and response. She then rhetorically attacked the young lady with the questions without giving her a chance to respond. Bene D wrote an excellent post--Don't question Faytene Kryskow--on it all, so if I may suggest that you read it, that would be great. What I would have to add are comments to the effect of "If Faytene thinks it is all right to do this..." Bene D summed it up well. He wrote: Faytene’s responses can be, um, interesting. You get flattered and slammed, often in the same sentence. There have been a few of those exchanges here at BDBO, and I gave up. There is deflection, accusations and the conversation becomes circular. I don’t really care, passive aggressiveness isn’t a leadership trait. All anyone can do when confronted with passive aggressive patter is call double bind no win; but it continues to strike me as odd that someone who portrays themselves as interested in young people misreads sincerity so badly. BD quoted Faytene's response to the young lady, where she whinged that her questioner was, in her opinion, just interested in being "rude, bitter, critical and dishonouring" and not interested in getting honest answers. [You could perhaps address older folks, such as myself, in that way. But this is too heavy handed for a 19 year old woman.] Added Faytene: "...As for my wall, just as I would not allow a person to behave in a spirit of dishonour, bitterness or repeated hard hearted criticalism in my own home – I won’t allow it here either...." Hmmm....I agree that it is her right to ask that people play nice on her Facebook Wall. But, as she is a public figure, shouldn't she err on the side of being very patient with people who are trying to respectfully bring things to her attention and make her think about what she is doing? After all, what happens in public, should be able to be observed and commented on in the same way. The young lady who Faytene tried to take behind the woodshed replied ,in part, "Nothing in your response demonstrated a Christ-like mentality." Hear hear. Bene D doesn't know that I am writing this, but he offers a much better example of responsing to criticism. Blog...Facebook...it applies in the same way, I suggest. Last fall, he reported on David Mainse's comments on how evil and irresponsible he thought bloggers were. Instead of ignoring the comment, he reported on it, so that everyone could discuss the validity of what Mainse had to say. Dialogue. Give and take. Things that Faytene, I fear, may teach in her upcoming shouldn't be necessary in the "taken over" Facebook and Twitter of the future. After all, if she has expressed an opinion that bloggers would have nailed Christ to the cross back in the day, she will no doubt find much to sniff at on Facebook and Twitter. It's one thing to ask people on her Facebook wall to have good manners (which is ultimately her right), but, as we have seen, there is talk of 'taking over" Facebook and Twitter for her side. Would we then see censorship of Facebook and Twitter? People being censored, or not allowed to share at all? I do remember what Faytene has said about the media. Although she eloquently explained her point of view at BDBO that she wants to avoid media disruption of her work, she retained a policy where no reporter can cover her without her permission. Reporters, she once prayed, are possessed by demons. She talked about censoring the release of information that could hurt the Conservative party's government. I hope that the upcoming webinar is innocent. I pray that it is. But I thinking I can fairly wonder if Faytene, given how she has used social media, and her ideas of media in general, can avoid having a bad ulterior motive in these matters. And as I noted in my previous post, there may well be unfortunate thinking on the part of Patricia King as well. Use social media wisely, fellow sheep. While the wolves are not causing havoc in the lush and sociable pastures of Facebook and Twitter, that is.