Facebook is a problem.

It is a busy communications platform where millions of ordinary people see their cousin’s photos, purchase second-hand camp beds, and talk about what’s happening in their neighbourhoods.

It is also a place where anger comes first, complex situations are crushed into sneering soundbites, and small doubts are coaxed into full-scale fears.

Facebook’s algorithms and structure would make all this happen by themselves, but there is also a global cohort of malicious actors who are exploiting Facebook to make things even worse.

The hate machine is always recruiting.

As responsible members of society, we should consider staying on Facebook to push an alternative to the dominant messages of hate and fear, and stand against the radicalisation of our local communities.

If you decide to do so, it’s helpful to focus on the most effective forms of engagement. Below is the best advice I have.

I call this the Facebook Playbook.

The first version of this was the blog post, Facebook Rules of Engagement.

Since then I have distilled five key piece of advice into single shareable images, here. These are designed to be easy to share around. So please copy & share!

(I have two versions of the first one. Unsure which is best!)

I’m now considering what the Facebook Playbook‘s next five pieces of advice will be. Suggestions welcome.