Blogs
MY LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH FACEBOOK
By P.T. Bopanna
The good news first. Facebook recently designated me as a ‘digital creator’ and I have been given a ‘professional dashboard’. I have no clue what the new designation means.
Maybe, Facebook thinks I have considerable presence on Facebook when it comes to Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka. I have three groups and a dozen pages. My Coorg-Kodagu News page alone has over 17, 000 followers. My footprint is quite high on Facebook. Probably, that was the reason I have been given the new designation which I did not ask for.
This sudden love for me on the part of Facebook is surprising because I was thrown in the doghouse by Facebook several years ago.
Though initially the going was smooth, I got into trouble with Facebook a few years ago after the new digital media rules framed by Modi government came into effect.
Taking advantage of the rules, people close to a former deputy commissioner of Kodagu, complained to Facebook against my series of reports on the concretization of Raja Seat at Madikeri, where she had deployed a bulldozer. And supporters of previous Virajpet MLA also complained when I wrote about his shenanigans.
Based on the complaints, Facebook blocked my news website www.coorgnews.in. Consequently, I was unable to share news from the website on Facebook and this affected the traffic to my news site.
A couple of months ago, I suddenly realised that Facebook had lifted my blockage on my news site, though I was not informed about it.
As usual, I have no clue as to why my news website is back in favour. Frankly, it does not matter to me whether I am in favour or not. As long as I am able to post news/features, without fear or favour, I will continue to do my job.
There is a new trend I have noticed in the last couple of months. There are more ‘outsiders’ who have no stakes in Kodagu, taking interest in my posts on Facebook. I have started enjoying the positive vibes.
Photo: Author and journalist P.T. Bopanna
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