The Rise of Fan Pages: Are They Not Too Much and Some, Useless?

             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.

            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.

They continue:
“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 4^th, 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.