Thanks to Anita Thompson, editor of Costco Connection, for sharing this great example of how the “community building” features of Facebook will likely be used in the future, and how important it is for those who tap into them to understand the rules.

The first link is to a Canadian newspaper reporting on a mayor who established a Facebook page so residents could express their opinions on the site that had been chosen for a new Costco store. His enthusiasm and excitement almost jumped off the pages.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/601959

Then check out the second link. Opponents of the project quickly mobilized and began overwhelming the site with their votes. His experience, as shared in the second article, makes it clear he didn’t understand social media and failed to use it as one of a range of tools to gauge community opinion. How about you—what do you take away from these two articles? We’d love to hear.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/canadaworld/article/605631