[LINK] The ABC of Facebook

[David]

While listening to Life Matters on ABC Radio National  this morning I was struck by the number of times the presenter mentioned Facebook - it's Facebook this, and Facebook that, and what listeners can do on Facebook...

Towards the end of the program Michael Mackenzie briefly described a project which seems to involve integrating all Radio National content on Facebook.  He wasn't clear about the details and in any case I may have the bull by the tail, but I think this will allow ABC listeners to see what other listeners to other RN programs (or maybe _all_ ABC programs) think about the same issue.

What's going on here?

Will the ABC wind up selling their status as a respected and reliable source of information, properly researched by responsible journalists, in return for cut-price program distribution?

Surely such a project could provide Facebook with a completely integrated database of RN listeners, and an absolutely priceless laboratory where the mind of Australia's thinking electorate can be researched?  Does the ABC not understand Facebook's business model?

If the ABC must use a third-party like Facebook for distribution, why not other corporate platforms?  Could the ABC register a domain with a catchy name, demand a common GUI, and then load-share, which would also introduce an element of competition and reliability?

Others have commented that Johnny Howard sold Australia's publicly owned PMG-Telecom-Telstra, which the public already owned, back to them on the idealogical principle that anything owned by a private corporation must be better.  And what a success that was...

I do not understand any detail regarding the enterprise Michael Mackenzie alluded to this morning, and I hope I'm over-reacting.  But this does remind me of Howard's clever privatisation of "our" assets.  Maybe we need Senate scrutiny.

David Lochrin