Facebook: Heaven and hell for expressionists: Thai opinion

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STREETWISE
Facebook: Heaven and hell for expressionists
Achara Deboonme

Mark Zuckerberg may never have thought that his idea of a dating network could turn into heaven and hell for people across the world.

BANGKOK: -- According to Socialbakers statistics, Thailand has 14.6 million Facebook users, which makes it the 16th biggest Facebook country in the world. More than 1.3 million new users have signed up in the last six months, mainly people aged between 25 to 34. Facebook penetration in Thailand is 22.01 per cent of the country's population, and 83.60 per cent in relation to the number of Internet users.

There is only one reason to explain this: Facebook is a tool that makes the world smaller.

When the Internet was introduced in Thailand, e-mail was the first most popular feature. Search engines came of age later, with mega-tonnes of information uploaded from the Internet. But Facebook is a tool that allows people to share their stories with friends and the general public, no matter where they are on Earth.

Facebook is now widely used by companies to promote their products and disseminate corporate information. With Facebook, companies also need to improve their monitoring activities, to root out any postings that contain negative comments.

One of my colleagues is using Facebook to voice her grievance against a computer company. As her attempts to contact the company's help centre were useless, she wrote about her problem on her Facebook page: how the company reacted to her calls by transferring her to this and that department. Yes, the company's name was spelt out. Within the day, she finally got a response. Her problem was solved, after weeks of painful waiting.

Like a coin, Facebook has two sides, and carries perils. Having a platform of their own, many people feel a kind of liberty they have never enjoyed before. Aside from the posting of photos, Facebook is a stage where they can voice their opinions. And few care what reactions their messages draw - particularly in this era of "generation me".

At a session hosted by mediainsideout.org last week, Pirongrong Ramasoota, a professor at the Department of Journalism, Chulalongkorn University, made an interesting remark. She said there is a thin line between private and public life on Facebook. Some think that their Facebook pages are limited only to their friends, but once those friends share those thoughts on publicly-open pages, those opinions are put out there in cyberspace for all to read and react to.

Suthipong Thammawut, an executive at TV Burapa, learnt a lesson the hard way, following his accidental posting of a message. At the same session, he looked disturbed when talking about his experiences over the past few weeks. His Facebook page is open to all, as he intends to disseminate his Buddhist Dharma-based thoughts to the general public.

The havoc started with a message that had circulated for some time about the quality of packaged rice. He copied it to his message box. But as he was writing a comment on top of that, it was accidentally posted. Calling himself a technology illiterate, he said he should have known that the message could be deleted. When he got help from his company's technician for the deletion, it was too late. In a matter of minutes, he was condemned for joining the chorus of attacks on the government's credibility regarding the rice-price pledging scheme.

Making the matter worse, he reacted to some negative comments in an emotional way. He admitted that he should have followed what his children were told: in this world, we need to maintain our sense of proportion, no matter what our eyes and ears perceive.

The consequence was that he was liable to lawsuits, and he was told by his lawyer to keep quiet on the matter. Only recently did he decide to contact the owner of the rice company in question and apologise for his mistake.

This explains why I post only my own columns, some articles from The Nation, and photos of food and flowers on my Facebook page. At least I'm sure where these originate from, and that they will not attract too many negative comments or land me in court. Sincerely, in a world where everyone now enjoys full liberty to express their thoughts, no matter how offensive, I'm not quite ready to handle others' negative thoughts.

I am fascinated with Zuckerberg's product. But now I'm also wondering what the world would be like without Facebook. Would it be quieter and more peaceful, at least in Thailand?


-- The Nation 2013-08-06

[theblether]

Never mind that, it's hell when you get caught by the wife cos some drunk pal posted an incriminating photo

[Thai at Heart]

The issue is not Facebook, the issue is Thai law.

[theblether]

Eh, not merely Thai law, there are plenty of laws being broken by Facebook users Worldwide.

The issue is people publishing stuff which is illegal in their own country. That's the whole root of the article.

[Mampara]

Eh, not merely Thai law, there are plenty of laws being broken by Facebook users Worldwide.

The issue is people publishing stuff which is illegal in their own country. That's the whole root of the article.

Facebook is being used and abused by the Law, criminals, and businesses, surly this is not what Facebook has been originally designed for, that is why there is a migration to other more private safer "chat sites" by the people. who can air their fears, concerns, and other information in a more controlled manner.

[theblether]

Eh, not merely Thai law, there are plenty of laws being broken by Facebook users Worldwide.

The issue is people publishing stuff which is illegal in their own country. That's the whole root of the article.

Facebook is being used and abused by the Law, criminals, and businesses, surly this is not what Facebook has been originally designed for, that is why there is a migration to other more private safer "chat sites" by the people. who can air their fears, concerns, and other information in a more controlled manner.

It's also being used by idiots in every country that have no idea of what they are saying.

[trihent]

Facebook and other social media (hi5, Thaivisa, etc.) are subject to the same human propensities of misuse and plain stupidity. However they are a valid media for reform and should be respected as potential platforms for social change. I daresay I've seen thaivisa used in the same manner. The crux should be making people (the users) think before they type.

[simple1]

Facebook and other social media (hi5, Thaivisa, etc.) are subject to the same human propensities of misuse and plain stupidity. However they are a valid media for reform and should be respected as potential platforms for social change. I daresay I've seen thaivisa used in the same manner. The crux should be making people (the users) think before they type.

ThaiVisa will not permit itself to become a sounding platform for members to lobby other members to effect changes to or suggestions on political issues or Thai government decrees. This does not mean that members cannot voice a political opinion as ThaiVisa is first and foremost a discussion forum, but lobbying for any kind of action is forbidden.

[aechzen]

hey People here , you forget something !! who knews abouth facebook first ??? mark copy him !!!

All Propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach

Adolf Hitler !934

[Morakot]

Ahh... Bookface... here is something.

[CosmicSurfer]

Thailand's antiquated and barbaric Liable laws are a major cause of Self-Censorship and a way to control the dissemination of truth and information that is important to consumers!
Facts become irrelevant.. and opinion is disallowed!

CS

[Maggusoil]

hey People here , you forget something !! who knews abouth facebook first ??? mark copy him !!!

All Propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach

Adolf Hitler !934

Hark the herald angels. What if. Hitler had facebook?

I dont' think it changes anything. The bombers keep bombing. The bomb makers keep squaffing Chåteaueuf-du-pape. They just dress their protagonists and antagonists up in different clothes. The beat goes on and we the tax payers pay for it and think we're getting somewhere.

[Maestro]

I have removed an unintelligible post about "Ror Dor" and the reply to it.