Can Facebook be used for serious conversation?

October 21st, 2009 by Mike Knutson

Lately, I’ve held up the Miller, SD Facebook Fan Page as a good example of how rural communities can use Facebook. Because of the spiffy photos, engaging questions, and interesting responses that have been posted on the page, I feel like I’ve gotten to know Miller a lot better. And you know what? I like it! I think it is safe to say, the community of Miller should be proud of how community leaders are using Facebook.

But a recent article in the Everyday Democracy newsletter has caused me to wonder if Facebook (and other social media tools) could also be used to develop deeper conversations around the more complex, challenging issues. You know, the type of questions that make the mayor’s job tough.

That’s what residents of York, Maine (pop. 12,854) are attempting to do on a Facebook Fan Page titled “York Community Dialogue.”

York Community Dialogue - What’s important to you?

“Have you ever wondered,” the group asks on their page, “what sort of conversations communities might have if public meeting agendas were set by citizens rather than by governments?”

With that in mind, one of the first questions they asked was “What about York matters to you?”

That question, in and of itself, is a deeper question than anything I’ve seen on the Miller page. And it points to the desire of some community members to dig in and shape the future of the community.

Interestingly, residents in Howard, SD sought the same outcome back in 1997 when they developed a community dialogue process they termed “Community Vision Meetings.” As Lindsey explained last week to the folks in Pepin, WI, this process revolved around high school students leading small group discussions, which took place in individuals’ homes.

While I feel the York model is commendable, I haven’t made up my mind whether or not I think Facebook is a good place for the type of conversation the group seeks. I suspect two shortcomings. First, the way Facebook is structured makes it difficult for complex thoughts to be expressed. Experience suggests to me that a blog is a better medium. (Perhaps this is why leaders intend to create “study circles” in the future.)

Second, the biggest challenge in holding this type of conversation on-line is that it often degenerates into baseless name calling. (One advantage of Facebook is that residents have to own up their comments with their name, unlike many blogs and newspaper forums.)

Those questions aside, however, I applaud community leaders for taking on this challenge. Rural communities need dialogue of this nature, and I look forward to watching the York model in action.

(And if you are aware of other communities holding conversations like this on-line, I hope you will share.)

Photo credit - Bucklava - Flickr (the Nubble Light House is just up the Maine coast at York Beach)

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