Facebook: Lessons From Outside the Glass House
Dr. Delaney Kirk asks in a recent comment about my thoughts on the Facebook issue. I'll share them out loud - so to write.
Looking at a Technorati search for Facebook, we find a lot of people talking. Much from upset customers. Changes were made without enough explanation or instructions on how to use them. Lots of questions, mostly about privacy.
Some great lessons here:
- Nothing you put on the Internet is ever going to be 100% private. A good lesson for young Internet users (no matter what age) to learn.
- Two posts from creator Mark Zuckerberg: An Open Letter... and ...We Hear You are great examples of open response and crisis communication.
- As both company and users travel through this fire together...they'll become stronger and more loyal. The keywords here are "both" and "together" - if it becomes "us vs. them" - all parties lose.
- Doing business in a glass house isn't a bad thing. If you've got nothing to hide, show what you've got - tell it to the world.
Relationships will strengthen. Everyone grows with the experience. I wouldn't be surprised if the biggest detractors of today become the most loyal enthusiasts in the near future.
I've seen this in several communities I've worked with. The commonality of a crisis often brings a community closer together. That's not to say you should design a crisis, but don't hide from one either.
When a business tells me they don't want to open themselves up to negative comments (like they would stifle the conversation if they don't?), I'll look forward to sharing the outcome of this situation.
I'm confident Facebook will be better than ever - and it's due in part by the conversations taking place.
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