A book full of stories. From status updates to news feeds, Facebook
unfolds stories about the real-world, in real time. The authors all have faces
and names, but who had the idea first to make up a story, matters less. It is
just like how my grandma use to tell: the story is more interesting than
the author. This makes me believe that Facebook is a new form of folklore, a
digital lore: “Folklore (or lore) consists of legends, music, oral history,
proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales, stories, tall tales, and customs
included in the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group.” (Mayor, 2000).
Facebook is a fantastic journey. Challenging and immersive. I
am enjoying being part of it, participating in, and sometimes, creating it. I am
interacting with some of its authors, who happens to be in my friends’ list.
Sometimes we are using one picture or one word to tell an entire story. I enjoy
looking up for the story of the day. I am looking for it in the news, in my
friends feeds, and in their comments. When I find it, I like to put a little contribution
to it: a comment, a thumb up, a share. Facebook is changing its face every day.
I don’t remember the foreword or the first chapter, and I
cannot foresee how the book will end. I am just enjoying the online storyline.
Reference:
Mayor, A. (2000). Bibliography of Classical Folklore
Scholarship: Myths, Legends, and Popular Beliefs of Ancient Greece and Rome. Folklore, 111(1),
123-138. doi:10.1080/001558700360924
