A listener in Peterborough posted a picture up onto the BBC Peterborough Breakfast Show Facebook wall. In order to see the content on that BBC produced site it is necessary to register an account with Facebook, a private company. In this case, the listener’s point seems to be that his/her next door neighbours have erected a structure in the garden, and he/she believes that this might be used as residential accommodation for Eastern European migrant workers.
The photograph was referenced in the programme, but I can’t communicate an opinion, for what it’s worth, back to the programme, unless I have had a squint at the evidence, and for that I have to have an account with Facebook. Unfortunately, because of the registration requirements for that BBC Facebook page, that listener’s communication is not generally available on the Internet, neither is it indexed by search engines.
Despite an ongoing request to the BBC mediawonks, they can’t give a sensible explanation for why all of their “walls” aren’t open to the public. Everyone should be able to read the info., shouldn’t they, just as they can on Twitter?
Why is the information closed away? Why are those pages run as a private members’ club, owned by a private company?
If someone knows why this arrangement is necessary, please advise. The fact is we’re paying their wages, so we should all be able to enjoy the fruit of their labours.
There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
(note: Just been to have a look at Chris Moyles’ Facebook page, and the BBC Today programme, and they’re both open to read without Facebook registration. Could be a local issue.)
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