TTAC’s mission is to call it like we see it, pulling no punches. Even on Facebook, because we somehow wound up there. No really, who knows why or how we got there, it just kinda happened. While other autoblogospheric Facebook forays occasionally leave something to be desired, that doesn’t explain why we’re taking Social Media seriously. At least now.
So let’s talk upgrades. For all those slackers who should be prepping for midterms or doing their NSFW-ing jobs at work, we’re transitioning our Facebook “group” page into an official “fan page”. If that makes sense to you, you’ll find the new page by the time this sentence ends…now. If that sounds like gibberish, just know that TTAC is giving their fans the same social media goodies that the big boy manufacturers have.
We’re talking about a places to discuss topics, upload “truthy” photos or videos, letting people on Facebook speak their mind in true TTAC style. And with that, a question: what else do our Facebook users want on the fan page? More to the point, what makes a Facebook user excited enough about TTAC to click back to our website?
Not that I know what I’m doing, but I do care enough to listen. So here’s the link to our page: http://www.facebook.com/TheTruthAboutCars
Oh, we’re on Twitter too, but we’ll talk about that later.
Although I understand the realities of the modern interwebs, please remember that a substantial portion (maybe even most) of your readership does not use facebook, does not want to use facebook, will go elsewhere for entertainment if facebook is the sole/best means of acquiring it.
So please don’t forget about us who like having the illusion of our interests being remotely private.
Yeah. What he said.
The inane-chattersphere is not a marketplace with actual value, any more than you can build a market around people who BS at the company break room. (Hey, wait a minute…)
My home and office are adorned with my automotive photography and artifacts. My interests in automobiles is very public, and I’m proud to be able to stand up and say that.
It does not appear that TTAC as a stand-alone website is going away, merely that it is staking a spot on another bit of virtual real-estate with perceived value. We can choose to participate here, or there, or both. Our choice. Simple as that.
In my opinion, in either space you have control over your privacy, the difference being that on Facebook you can not opt for anonymity. I have no interest in remaining anonymous, which is why I have always used my real name here and other places online, always will, and also have no issues with being on Facebook.
Full disclosure: as of 8/2/10 Facebook is my employer. I am not speaking for them, nor are my positions stated above anything but my own, and I’ve held them for years prior to taking this job.
Facebook doesn’t have the best privacy record. As you work for them perhaps you could pass the message on: Until I can have greater confidence in the privacy policies (current and future) associated with all Facebook content, I have no intention of changing what I currently do.
Chuck –
Anonymity is almost a prerequisite for privacy in the internet age. With many employers googling potential employees these days one never knows if something said online might potentially sabotage job prospects in the future.
I used Facebook in college when it first came out, and it was OK back then. I have since deleted my profile because it just opens up information for far too many people. IMO if I want someone to know what I am up to, I will tell them, I don’t need to post it for the world to see.
Good luck in your career with Facebook. I know plenty of people who seem to love the site, but in the end, it just wasn’t for me.
I don’t think my google machine has facebook.
“TTAC’s mission is to call it like we see it, pulling no punches.”
…Soooooo, It’s your mission to be anti-social, which you are now going to do on a social network?
Isn’t that like mixing pasta and anti-pasta?
;)
To be pedantic, antipasto comes before the pasta — it translates as “before the meal”, based on Latin “ante” (before).
So we can have ttac.com before the meal, and then the fan page with the meal, no conflict …
ok, make it matter and anti-matter then.
To the contrary, we are being anti-social with other anti-social people. It’s kinda like most of my life in grade school…but on the Internet!
Twice when I’ve browsed TTAC’s homepage I have noticed something quite bizarre. In the upper right hand corner of TTAC’s homepage I am notified that I am logged in as some Facebook user (different FB users both times) whom I have never heard of. What concerned me most was that by clicking on the FB user’s name link I could view his FB profile, which is private information. Both times I logged bugs to TTAC’s technical contact site, and the technical staff informed that the privacy breach was at FB not TTAC–which indeed seems the reasonable conclusion. But I am wary of FB now.
If I recall correctly, in the first incident I provided a screen shot as proof.
I too had this happen and afterward locked down my facebook page and deleted most of the information there. If people really care enough to want to know what I’m up to they can call me. As long as there will be data there will be data leaks … I see no need to help make it worse by providing a bunch of info that nobody really needs…
@robert.walter: I don’t blame you. BTW, in both incidents it was unclear whose TTAC ID corresponded to the FB profile I was viewing. If I had been “logged in” as FB user Robert Walter, I would have told you.
Whoa…maybe I better clear something up.
1. TTAC’s website isn’t changing AT ALL. Not one bit.
2. If you are on Facebook on a regular basis and you’re a reader of TTAC.com, you are gonna enjoy having a our fan page to enhance your time on Facebook.
3. @TelegraphRoad…I have noticed that too, which is why I rarely (if ever) use Facebook connect. It’s scary stuff, if I had anything on my profile that I would mind sharing with others. And I’ve yet to have my account hacked, at least that I can tell. Such is life in Social Media.
Sajeev: I completely agree. I use FB every day despite these concerns. And I hope FB fixes its technical issues. These privacy issues are completely FB’s problems, not TTAC’s, and they are limited to the FB connect to TTAC.
FB users such as me who access TTAC directly (e.g. https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com from IE/Firefox/Safari/Opera/Chrome) should not worry. And FB users who access the TTAC fan page on FB should not worry either. Heh, I’ll become a fan today.
Furthermore, no one’s TTAC profile has been compromised. It’s the FB profile that was exposed due to FB technical issues.
What is Facebook for? :)
Facebook is kind of useful for staying in touch with friends. It’s also a convenient way to get an informal group of friends together for happy hour drinks at the same bar. However I very strongly resist any effort to conflate friendship and marketing. It’s as annoying as having a friend who tries to sell Amway.
Do we need to start ‘The Truth About FB’?
Really?
Anyone foolish enough to sign up to a site that requires way more info than one would give to a really hot chick that bangs them freaky-stylie at whim, deserves what they get.
When the little scum punk who started FB tells you that you are a dumbfck for providing this info, and you still want a part of it – well, Darwin knows what to do with you.
“$5 whore huh? Didja wear a rubber?”
“Nah. I mean, when am I ever going back to Haiti?”
Personally, the free games on Facebook are nice and, finding friends I haven’t seen in literally 30 years is a pleasant surprise… Now, if only my posts did not suffer long-term moderation before appearing here…
Maybe on Facebook the content will load smoother than TTAC, which always sneaks in one last ad-load-full-page-refresh every time I think the front page has FINALLY loaded and I can scroll safely.
But I stil love TTAC and wouldn’t go anywhere else. The Facebook add-on will only make it better.