What do you think about Facebook?

Today's brief update is a question, and my own answer: What do you think about Facebook?

It's not the first time I've thought about it.

Background

In episode two of the Rhythm Changes Podcast, I was stunned when Ilhan Saferali – then a teenager! – sold Facebook hard (time of the episode: 17:00):

"Every time I meet a jazz musician like around my age, or a peer, and they don't have Facebook, I'm like, 'Yo dude, you've got to get on Facebook.' Because I've gotten so many gigs just through Facebook messages. I've networked through Facebook."

And last summer, I wrote about a negative interaction where someone discovered that I had no Facebook account.

As you can see from the screenshot at the top of this post, I have one now, so that I can post a little bit on a page. I have zero Friends. (I know that at least one subscriber here doesn't have an account today. Nice work!)

Forget about Instagram, WhatsApp, or anything else right now: just the big blue app.

The only reason I still use Facebook

It's the Jazz in Vancouver group.

Not only has it delivered hundreds of visitors to Rhythm Changes over the last month, but I had a moment in the group last night which demonstrates why I can't quit FB just yet.

You see, a musician subtweeted (probably by accident, meaning to tag me for real) me in a post about Oliver Gannon.

She basically exhorted local writers to interview people like Ollie while they're still here – and shouted me out with the subtweet (sub-post? sounds like a music genre). She said that I should do it.

Yes! I yearn to make that step and cover all the local legends I can...

I've just been shy, getting my website and podcast off the ground. But I want to. And I wouldn't know that anyone else wanted me to, if not for Facebook.

Facebook made me feel good. Curses!

So, what do you think about Facebook: do you get gigs or opportunities through it, do you network through it – does it make you feel good? Your response is safe with me.