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Bringing comments back to MFN

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It’s disappointing to watch MFN readers post their contributions to stories on MFN on social media services instead of on the MFN story pages. As a result many other readers never see them and when posted on Facebook, many on Facebook will not even see them either due to how Facebook operates. It would be nice to get the entire community involved in these conversations and everyone had the benefit of all the contributions. So let’s have a little fun with this.

For those of you who have been inclined to post comments on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. instead of here on MFN, please take a moment before leaving this story and post a comment below. Of course, everyone else is welcome to chime in as well.

Use the comment fields below to share with each other, where you were and what were you doing (school, job, travel, etc.) 20 years ago on January 1, 1999.

Be sure to use your first and last name so your comments will be shared. You only need to do this once.

23 Comments

  1. Melissa Lange January 1, 2019

    Sorry, Joe! I totally disagree. The conversations in the fb comments are much easier to post and see, without having to click through to the site every time. I understand needing the click through for advertisers, but this is the first and last time I’ll post a comment this way. Commenting on fb just makes more sense.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 1, 2019

      Thanks for commenting Melissa.

      It may be hard to believe, but this is not an advertising-based concern. This is more about increasing MFN’s value to the community, all the community.

      I just know that a large portion of the community does not spend time on social media but they do read MFN on a regular basis.

      I’m not sure I understand why there’s a need to “click through the site every time,” since commenters receive email notifications whenever there is a reply to their comments. Perhaps a forum type environment would be better? I can do things such as making recent comments more visible on MFN to make it easy to follow the conversations, wherever they may be on the site.

      Thanks again. I appreciate your feedback and time.

      -Joe

  2. Dave Brumbaugh January 1, 2019

    Was editor of Business Pulse magazine when it was a monthly.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 1, 2019

      I remember that! Soon after I joined the ranks of the Bellingham Business Journal. Good times!

  3. Janine Lamb January 1, 2019

    I was 15 years old and living in Vancouver, WA

  4. Andrew Gustafson January 1, 2019

    Jan 1 1999
    I was finishing my last year at UW, working part time for the Ackerley Group radio stations and the Seattle SuperSonics.
    Good times.

  5. Andrew Gustafson January 1, 2019

    I agree with the spirit of your post Joe, and would encourage folks to share their comments on BOTH your articles here on your site, AND on social.

  6. RedPathWalker January 1, 2019

    Gayland Gump

    Gave up on Facebook long ago and social media in all forms long ago. On the other hand I’d be willing to comment here on occasion.

    As for Jan. 1, 1999, I believe I was working my last year at Washington State University in Vancouver, WA. A sad time in my life but opened my world to new adventures which ultimately led me to Ferndale and eventually to the gratitude that fills my life today.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 1, 2019

      Thanks for commenting Gayland and for your ongoing support.

  7. Brian Jones January 1, 2019

    Working at U.C San Diego in SUNNY San Diego!

  8. Ellaina Cope January 2, 2019

    I don’t comment all that much, on anything. For one, you never know who’s going to “come at” you on pretty much anything you say. And, working where I do; I have to be mindful of everything I post/comment. I’ve gotten out of the habit of commenting. A lot of times, I have nothing to say.
    I read your articles(and others) and read comments and click like or not.
    I will work on saying something.
    I do appreciate all you do for Ferndale and the awesome support you give to it.
    The Ferndale Senior Center, I know, is grateful.
    Jan. of 1999, I lived in Bham.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 2, 2019

      Thanks for commenting Ellaina and for all you do for the Ferndale Senior Activity Center.

  9. Riley Sweeney January 2, 2019

    I was out at a cabin near Forks, WA awaiting the massive impact of Y2K on our national infrastructure. Needless to say, I was drastically underwhelmed.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 2, 2019

      Thanks for commenting Riley. I had spent the previous year selling piles of technology to companies who I assured did not need to replace their older equipment since the industry had been dealing with calculations beyond the century mark for decades. But did they listen to me? No. Perhaps it’s because of their inability to take direction that nothing happened.

  10. Bruce Jorgensen January 2, 2019

    General comment about events: On many previous stories the body of the news does not list the location of “well known” events. Please include the addresses for new members of our community. Also, many local advertisements do not have contact info for the businesses, just the name of the business and the current deal of the day.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 2, 2019

      Thanks for your feedback. I will try to provide details for those not familiar with “well known” events and locations. That’s a good idea.

      As for the advertisements, perhaps it is not obvious to readers that clicking an ad directs you to lots more details relevant to the brief information in the ad. This is a common online advertising convention but perhaps a line under each ad stating “Click for more information” is needed.

      Thanks again for your feedback. Feel free to email feedback directly to joe@myferndalenews.com.

  11. Amy Harman January 2, 2019

    Twenty years ago I was 18 and attending WCC. Probably working at Arby’s too. It would be the fall of 1999 that I left this beautiful area for the great adventure: university!

    I had never scrolled though a story to see that there is a comment section! I’ll be sure to engage as I’ve done away with social media for a while now.

    • Joe Beaulaurier January 2, 2019

      Thanks for commenting Amy.

      Is life without social media as wonderful as they say? I’d be done with it in an instant if my work didn’t require monitoring it. 🙁

      • Amy Harman January 3, 2019

        Life without social media … I’m less “in the know” with family and friends which has forced me to pick up the phone and write emails again. I’ve also had more time for my family especially my spouse. And, most important, people aren’t so mean after all. It’s just on social media. So it’s been a good change for right now.

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