Notes re Facebook Pages - Web Team Procedures and Notes

This page is intended for use only by the Web Team.

The inconsistencies in Facebook drive me crazy. These notes will (hopefully) prevent me from going insane.

Posting Facebook Events/Notes URLs on the Wall and Resulting Problem on Twitter with Facebook Shortcut URLs

(Dated April 15, 2011.)

This will be edited if other or different scenarios are discovered.

Summary

Using the Facebook Twitter app, a Facebook Wall post is automatically posted on Twitter. The shortcut URL auto created by Facebook (http://fb.me/something) does not go to the intended Facebook web page from the Twitter post. It will go to non-Facebook web pages, but not Facebook web pages.

Problem Description

Let's say you have a Facebook Event or Note you want to post on the Wall. You can copy the Event/Note's URL and paste it into the status box on the Wall. Content info from the Event/Note's web page auto displays (note that the info is not editable from the Wall).

Now, if you save this, the Facebook Twitter app does not include info from the Event/Note's web page - it will post only the Event/Note's URL and/or a Facebook shortcut URL in the Twitter post. The Event/Note's URL goes to the correct web page, but the Facebook shortcut URL does not work properly. Another problem is that a Twitter post of just a URL is not very informative or user-friendly.

If you enter a short title/date/description into the status box before the Event/Note's URL, the Facebook Twitter app will include what it can of that info and also convert the Event/Note's URL into a Facebook shortcut URL, but the Facebook shortcut URL does not work properly.

A Facebook shortcut URL of a Facebook web page does not go to the correct web page from the auto post in Twitter. Instead, it goes to the Wall of the profile account associated with that Facebook Page [confusing, yes, but just trust me on this].

Resolution

Do not paste Facebook Event/Notes URLs into the status box on the Wall. If you do, I recommend posting on Twitter a correction with the correct URL - something like "Sorry. Fb shortcut links aren't working as expected - here's a working link: [paste the correct non-Facebook URL]."

1. Instead, if there is information on the Ohlone website about the Facebook Event/Note (say, it's Welcome Day or some other event):

   • Copy the Ohlone web page's URL and paste it into the status box on the Wall.
   • Before the URL, enter a short title/date/description into the status box on the Wall.

   The Facebook Twitter app will auto post what it can of the descriptive info and the Ohlone URL on Twitter. It will probably convert the Ohlone URL into a Facebook shortcut URL, but that shortcut URL does go the correct page on the Ohlone website.

   And, besides, linking to Ohlone is better than linking to Facebook - since it drives traffic to Ohlone's website.

2. Or, if there is no information on the Ohlone website about the Facebook Event/Note (but, there should be!):

• Create a page on the Ohlone website and do to (1) above.
  or
• Enter a duplicate post in Facebook Notes (ugly to have duplicates, but I think it's OK here). However, do not enter a duplicate event in Facebook Events (too ugly and confusing for site visitors).
  or
• Post a summary of the Event/Note in the status box on the Wall. Don't include the URL of the Facebook Event/Note web page because of the problem with Facebook shortcut URLs of Event/Note URLs in Twitter.