[Lnc-business] Recent LP Facebook post - Our Continued Social Media Blunders

Sun Mar 1 17:57:33 EST 2015

Mr Wiener:

If you think the Rand Paul meme isn't being shared very much at this point
in time, then no one will notice if we totally remove it from all of our
Facebook pages.

It just takes one mention of that image on a web site like Drudge or The
Blaze to get thousands of hits to that meme.

If the image is totally expurgated from all LP Facebook pages, then if we
are ever questioned about it, we can admit we made a mistake posting it, and
that it was removed within 48 hours.   However, if the image is still
publicly accessible, we will not be believed if we say it was a mistake to
post it.

   Scott Lieberman

  _____  

From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of
Daniel Wiener
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 2:42 PM
To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] Recent LP Facebook post - Our Continued Social
Media Blunders

Following up on Nick's comment, I have been tracking the number of "shares"
of this meme since yesterday (see attached graph).  The question in my mind
was whether it was better from a public relations perspective to just let
the matter die out, or to entirely remove the image resulting in a "content
unavailable" Facebook error for those who had already shared it.  If I saw
that the controversy was continuing at a high level or even accelerating
("going viral") then I would absolutely recommend removing the image as the
least bad course of action.  However, as the graph shows, the average number
of "shares" (which are no longer coming from the LP's Facebook timeline) has
rapidly dwindled over the past day from an average of 45 an hour to an
average of just 3 an hour.  So unless something suddenly changes, I'm
inclined to let it die off naturally rather than risk re-igniting the
controversy by pulling the image.

Dan Wiener

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 2:26 PM, Nicholas Sarwark <chair at lp.org> wrote:

For the information of those who are not as familiar with the
specifics of how Facebook works:

Removing the post from the Timeline means that Facebook will no longer
push this to people who like our page as part of its algorithm.  The
only way to get to it is to go look through the photo album or
directly link from someone who has already shared it.  It fades away
naturally.

Removing the content from the entire Facebook account will delete all
of the comments and likes currently on the image, and anyone who tries
to access the image from someone who has already shared it will
receive a "content unavailable" Facebook error.  It will be very clear
that we removed the image under pressure.

As far as the negative feedback, page unlikes, and organized Rand Paul
campaign attacks on the meme, all of that has already occurred.  The
meme was not effective, but there's not anything in it that violates
the platform, bylaws, etc. Rand Paul has, to my knowledge, never been
active in the Libertarian Party and never campaigned for Libertarian
Party candidates.  To the contrary, I am aware of him campaigning for
Mitt Romney (R) against Gary Johnson (L), campaigning for Mitch
McConnell (R) against David Patterson (L), and campaigning for Robert
Cuccinelli (R) against Robert Sarvis (L).  His last name does not make
him a Libertarian, despite the good feelings many people have toward
his father.

After consulting with people within the LP who I trust about social
media, the quiet fading away of a meme that didn't accomplish its goal
appeared to be the better path.  The complete deletion would have more
negative than positive effects in my judgment, based on my review of
the Facebook inbox, activity on the post, and consultation with more
experienced social media users.  I still think that's the case.

-Nick

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 2:47 PM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with Scott that it should be removed not just from the timeline,
but
> from the entire Facebook account.
>
> I am willing to join with others under policy 2.06.5 to say this image
> remaining in our account in any publicly accessible way is detrimental to
> the image of the Party.
>
> The Streisand effect can happen if we try to make other people remove
things
> from accounts that they control, but we control our own Facebook account.
> Nobody is saying we should sue IPR to make them remove it.  We're saying
> that the LP should stop contributing to its propagation.  And why would it
> not allegedly cause the Streisand effect to remove it from the timeline,
but
> it might to remove it from our other listing of graphics?  That makes no
> sense to me.
>
> -Alicia
>
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
>
> On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 10:12 AM, Nicholas Sarwark <chair at lp.org> wrote:
>>
>> Dr. Lieberman,
>>
>> That step was considered during the confidential discussions among the
>> social media team and the APRC and after consideration, I decided to
>> pull the post from the timeline, but not delete the image itself.  See
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
>>
>> I understand that this won't be enough for some, just like pulling the
>> post from the timeline was too much for others.
>>
>> -Nick
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 7:28 AM, Scott L. <scott73 at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> > Mr. Chair:
>> >
>> > Please have our Facebook team remove the Rand Paul meme from the LP's
>> > Photo
>> > Album on Facebook:
>> >
>> >   https://www.facebook.com/libertarians/photos_stream?ref=page_internal
>> >
>> >
>> > TIA.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >   Scott Lieberman
>> >
>> >
>> >
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
>> >
>> >

>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of
>> > Nicholas Sarwark
>> > Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2015 3:18 PM
>> > To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>> > Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] Recent LP Facebook post - Our Continued
>> > Social
>> > Media Blunders
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > The post in question has been removed from the Facebook timeline on
>> >
>> > the official page.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > I've spoken to the social media team about the concerns that people
>> >
>> > have voiced about the meme and think we will avoid this type of
>> >
>> > misstep in the future.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >    Nick

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/attachments/20150301/513b012c/attachment-0002.html>