Censored by Facebook: the Reader's Digest of Culture

Yeah, so I'm not pleased today. There was a time when hundreds of folks followed the Tour on my Blog. Now a few thousand Follow along on Facebook. Sometimes over ten thousand people read a given post. But those are quick posts, for a quick read- and I always end up back here, to tell you what I really think and to put up pictures and stories. These days only about a dozen people follow the Blog.

This morning Facebook informed me that it would not allow me to promote my daily entry because it failed to meet their "guidelines for language that is profane, vulgar, threatening or generates high negative feedback. Ads can't use language that insults, harasses or demeans people, or addresses their age, gender, name, race, physical condition or sexual preference." This is negative feedback that threatens me. I think it's vulgar, demeaning to me and to my loyal readers, and implies that we may harbour negative (perhaps un-American?), perhaps secret opinions about age, gender, race, or physical condition. Some of us may apparently have... sexual preferences, too. God forbid that!

At the time of the Facebook intervention, over 5000 people had read my post, 22 had shared it, 125 had Liked it, and there were perhaps a dozen encouraging comments. The surprise refusal to distribute my post was a harsh reminder that our social media are not public forums, but privately owned and operated corporations who now control much of the public dialog. I've filed an appeal, but I bet it's lost in the Big Machine. I am very surprised at Facebook's allegations, so I've simply reproduced my post below. Eventually, it will join a more complete entry about the Maritime adventures. Here's what Facebook readers were denied-

Off the ship and into the blackness. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia at night. Kenny Rogers and the boys roar past in a cloud of diesel: a convoy of sleek busses, they're bound to make Cleveland, Ohio. Flying in fresh drivers like fresh horses, tonight they own this dark road. I'm three days behind from the storm, and since there's not a hope in hell I'll make the Gaspe, I pull the big Lincoln off the highway to wait for morning light.

It's cold now, and I climb into the passenger seat where the heat seems to work better. I can't find any radio, so I sleep in shifts- waking to run the heater. Dawn creeps in shyly to reveal my situation. Maybe I lost a few years, waking up someplace outside Reno, NV. Bad booze? A stroke? Shit happens. I'm not getting any younger. I woke up one time in a burning car in the middle of the desert. At least my car's not on fire today. My GPS says I'm in North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Fresh coffee and a full tank of gas. I'm headed west for New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. Atlantic Canada has been the last major leg of this year's National Steel "Big X" Blues Tour. From here on I'm counting down to the designated 1000th show under the National Steel banner. The tenth consecutive year of ten provinces, two territories. Spring will see me in Chicago, St. Louis, Mississippi, and Alabama. Like this Page to Follow along my adventures. Thanks for the company.