Take Down That Damn Post!

In a previous post, Facebooker Fingers Heckler, I documented how a musician/open mike host used Facebook to tell his story about being heckled by an off-duty Plattsburgh City Police officer at a downtown bar.

I gathered the information he posted before friending him. His posts about the incident were there for anyone to find through signing in to FB and doing a quick search. Anyone with a Facebook account -- including the police officer he says heckled him and then was escorted out by bouncers -- could find the same info without being his friend. It was public info.

The Facebooker, Mike Pedersen, has messaged me on Facebook to take down my previous post. I messaged him back and told him why I was in the right to keep it up. Also, I heard the story first offline; it's circulating among the meatspace public so it's not as if only a select few are aware of the matter.

While I consider Facebook messages more or less akin to email -- they should be regarded with some privacy -- I don't regard a post on my wall the same way when anyone can read it. Once again, it's public and I can republish it. Here's what Mike Pedersen wrote on my wall:

"Luke, I'm going to ask you one last time to take this down. Perhaps you like to read the first line of your own blog, of you have no idea what the hell your talking about, again. You add me as a "friend" and the next day you pull this shit with no consent from me. YOU ARE BEING A MORON. Why don't you post a picture of yourself and stop hiding behind your camera. Next time I see you in public I'll be sure to take your picture and post it in a blog for everyone to see. This whole issue is none of your god damn business"

I don't know why a photo of myself is germane to the issue. If Pedersen didn't want anyone to know what he looks like, he shouldn't have posted his visage on Facebook. Just because an image is on Facebook doesn't mean only a select few can view it, unless you have the proper privacy settings.

As for the issue being none of my business, it is. In the past on this blog I have mentioned some problems with the Plattsburgh City PD and also discussed how that department is perceived by the public. The intent of my post was to show how someone can use Facebook to address issues that the mainstream media sometimes won't cover. I also noted that while he wanted my post deleted his were still up at his Facebook page.

I friended Mike Pedersen because I couldn't find an email address for him. Facebook was the only way I could inform him that I had put up the post. I gave him the opportunity to add or comment to what I wrote as I did with the police officer. So far his only comment is to delete the post as if the whole thing will fade away from reality. Instead of venting at me, maybe he should be spending energy addressing the issue he says he has with the police officer, i.e., filing a formal complaint.

I stand by my words. Do you, Mr. Pedersen?