Liz’s rant: Social networking undermining craftdown

OK, so maybe I exaggerate. But the verdict is still out. Regardless, here’s what I know.

Shortly after our now-famous craftdown to Christmas began, I wrote a post on Facebook, as to the next step in submitting a craft, recipe, etc. for this grandest of grand ideas. Things went downhill from there.

A reader had submitted a recipe by clicking onto the Facebook link to this site. But not only could Kate and I not see her her comments, her recipe was nowhere to be found.

So I decided to click on the link to Coffee Break that I’d offered up on Facebook. And, voila – her comment was there. (Although I still didn’t see her recipe). It was only after several hours of time and a lengthy email exchange that I had the recipe.

Frankly, I played it off as a fluke.

Until today. When I got another email via Facebook, from a friend wondering whether I’d received her suggestion, which had gone not only unanswered, but undiscovered.  After going through every possible avenue to find her suggestion, I still remain clueless. Can’t find it. Wouldn’t know she’d as much as left a comment had it not been for an email.

As all writers know, silence is far from golden when you’re pitching a story. I suspect it’s no less traumatic when submitting a craft or recipe to share with both friends and strangers. Because in the end, it’s all about acceptance or lack thereof. About knowing that someone sees your ideas as worthy.

What I can tell you is, here at Coffee Break, we like input (good and bad – remember the responses to Kanye West is an idiot? On that note, I’m still waiting for Jesse to submit a craft idea…) But more than that, we want to be a place you feel comfortable coming to for a laugh or a cry or an idea or gripe (not that I ever do that…). This should be the one place you come to where everything is okay, even if the world around you has gone mad.

But it would appear that sanctuary we’d like to create is now compromised, because of social networking, aka Facebook.  It would appear that information meant for us is not being properly channeled back to us. And it seems as if the very people we are trying to bring into the circle of all things coffee may sometimes wonder if we really exist.

Could it be that a social networking site is truly out to undermine the craftdown. Say it ain’t so! For now, the jury is still out. Facebook, however, has been put on notice.

-Liz

All you dear readers, please submit all ideas to lizandkate@live.com for certain inclusion in the Craftdown to Christmas. or leave a comment while on the site. But don’t depend on a link from Facebook!