The
latest fan page I have joined is called The
Awakening. As I write this, it has 489 members and the number is sure to
grow. Welcome to the rise of Facebook fan pages. If you have not subscribed to
any group then count yourself left out of the train. Sorry. We are far now. You
can’t reach us. Forget Campus Divas For
Rich Men that raised a hell storm with almost 50,000 likes in about a fortnight.
It was apparently closed by Facebook Privacy team after 1,001 complaints of its
(mis)use of people’s pictures without their consent. On that note, you should
as well go live in Syria where the internet was shut down by their absurd
president called Bashar al-Assad.
Are these fan pages sprouting day and night adding any substantial
value to what they stand for? Is there an advancement of knowledge and proper propagation
of ideas from these groups that profess commitment and dedication to their set
goals and objectives? For instance, The
Awakening that I recently joined spells out the following about itself:
“Poetry, Dance & Music
We are a team of Poets, Musicians, and Dancers, who believe in the awakening of conscience. We enjoy getting caught up in revolutionary, missionary, and visionary thoughts.”
In simpler terms, the group deals with people who practice the craft of poetry, dancers and musicians or aspiring musicians. However, the nerve of poetry jerks me to uncomfortable ripples. Breaking News: Everybody is a poet/poetess. And everyone can write poetry. Every mushrooming fan page nowadays has a provision for poetry. Poetry is on its supposed deathbed and every Tom, Dick, and Harry is strapping it to a nearby a trolley for the ICU for prompt resuscitation. Young men and women are scrawling their hearts and even hurt away. Thanks to that ‘accidental billionaire’ who dropped out of Harvard. Run to Kenya Poets Lounge [the pioneer], Love and Life, CAN A POET LIKE I BE THE PRESIDENT?! Even at Sanaa Book Club, Creekside Reading Meadows, enthusiastic tender souls tap away their emotions freely with I suppose, extreme feelings of exhilaration. Writing poetry. The latitude provided by Facebook ensures even emotional junk passes as poetry. A flash of thought is condensed and hurriedly hurled to poetry readers in the aforementioned fan pages. Then friends like with the same vigor and ceremony as its new found self-crowned poet. Comments run in the thread as follows: “Great.” “You can do better.” It’s so deep.” “This is very deep.” And the deception snakes downward much to the false glory of our poet.
“Poetry, Dance & Music
We are a team of Poets, Musicians, and Dancers, who believe in the awakening of conscience. We enjoy getting caught up in revolutionary, missionary, and visionary thoughts.”
In simpler terms, the group deals with people who practice the craft of poetry, dancers and musicians or aspiring musicians. However, the nerve of poetry jerks me to uncomfortable ripples. Breaking News: Everybody is a poet/poetess. And everyone can write poetry. Every mushrooming fan page nowadays has a provision for poetry. Poetry is on its supposed deathbed and every Tom, Dick, and Harry is strapping it to a nearby a trolley for the ICU for prompt resuscitation. Young men and women are scrawling their hearts and even hurt away. Thanks to that ‘accidental billionaire’ who dropped out of Harvard. Run to Kenya Poets Lounge [the pioneer], Love and Life, CAN A POET LIKE I BE THE PRESIDENT?! Even at Sanaa Book Club, Creekside Reading Meadows, enthusiastic tender souls tap away their emotions freely with I suppose, extreme feelings of exhilaration. Writing poetry. The latitude provided by Facebook ensures even emotional junk passes as poetry. A flash of thought is condensed and hurriedly hurled to poetry readers in the aforementioned fan pages. Then friends like with the same vigor and ceremony as its new found self-crowned poet. Comments run in the thread as follows: “Great.” “You can do better.” It’s so deep.” “This is very deep.” And the deception snakes downward much to the false glory of our poet.
Let’s make
things clear. If you regularly post silly musings best kept in a personal diary
to germinate as serious works, then keep off. Constant ruination of the purity
of poetry is haunting its lovers to detrimental levels. Save me from an early
suicide.
Much fury
for the last born child of literature. There are also fan groups that excel
best in the breakdown of complex ideas and facts. The most notable group that
rushes to mind is Freethinkers Initiative
Kenya (FIKA). The objectives are tellingly clear:
“Freethinking is looking at new ideas and new information, being willing to re-evaluate your stance without letting your bias influence your conclusions.
“Freethinking is looking at new ideas and new information, being willing to re-evaluate your stance without letting your bias influence your conclusions.
They continue:
“Our perception of "truth" will change as new information is acquired.”
“Our perception of "truth" will change as new information is acquired.”
If your mind is closed and lacks dynamism then don’t
bother with this group. Here people openly question God, gays and lesbians proudly
admit their ‘unique’ sexualities and Jesus suffers constant rebuke. The bible
is subjected to ridicule and its authenticity demanded. In other words, if you
have hard questions come and ask them at FIKA but get fully armed with information.
Because its members don’t take debates for granted. Arguments are done with passion
and at time with emotion. Personalities are bashed here and there are no
chances taken for people who cannot ‘reason’ or ‘adapt’ to a line of argument. Expect
more complex links during discussions and as the post attracts more FIKAist, more
links follow. Subjects of discussion are hard because they require new
thinking. Not what conventional dictates expects. Scholars are profoundly
mentioned. However, there was a time when religion dominated and I raised my
voice so were other members. We got heard but with a fight from its honchos. In
a nutshell, if you want to go against the grain, welcome to FIKA. People rebel
with relish and without apology.
There are also the political fan groups that purport to
sell this objective, that idea or goal. For example, there is the Bunge La Wananchi. By the way, desist
from this group. It’s full of tribal venom. Members stoke ethnic tensions
recklessly. People rarely debate with sobriety and decorum and things are taken
personal. There is political worship and I bet the tribal gods who visit that
shrine grin with intense fulfillment. Even at a membership totaling 45,769, the
laxity of the administration to clump down on hate speech spewed chills to the
bone marrow. Please, keep away from
fire.
Another group that averagely generates interests especially
on the current political scene is NO
Pulling Kenya out of ICC Rome Treaty. Its objective is clear for those who
understand English:
“This group is formed to block Kenya on reneging from the ICC Rome treaty that it is part of.”
For those not in the know, two of Kenya’s presidential
contenders are ICC suspects charged with crimes against humanity and having the
greatest role in 2007/2008 post violence. According to the WAKI report, about
1,333 Kenyans were killed, 600,000 displaced and property worth millions of
shillings destroyed. Kenyans are at crossroads whether Uhuru and Ruto are
eligible to contest in March 4th, 2013 elections.
And more groups continue to be formed. If you do not join
under your own volition, then a friend risks adding you up. Then the same cycle
pops again. Bad poetry. Apple polishing from friends. Tribalism. Another fan
page steals our attention, we request membership, it is confirmed and the
dissolution of our lives skids to comical tomfoolery. Then Messrs Zuckerberg,
the young billionaire fond of grey t-shirts laughs all the way to the bank.
