Facebook but for writers
I know a place
Where the posts are really pleasant
Smart syntax shows
There must be something in the authors
Thinkin’ muse and prose
Writing underneath a long thread
The fans
Read their posts
Try’na to gleam a little insight
You could travel the web
But nothing comes close
To the stunning prose
Once you subscribe with us
You’ll be reading all day
Ooh oh ooh oh oh ooh…
California girls!
No, it’s a website called Prose.
***
In my quest to spread my humble writing kingdom, I stumbled upon an impressive realm called Prose. Essentially it’s Facebook, but for writers and so much better. Here are five reasons why:
I took a 20 post sample, starting from the top of my feed, and the post to advertisement ratio was 15-5. On Facebook it’s… also 15-5. Welp, that doesn’t support my point, but at least it’s honest. Every post on Facebook looks like an ad though. The original content to advertisement ratio on Facebook is 3-17 versus 15-5 on Prose. If you don’t have anything original to contribute, if you’d rather repost, reshare, regurgitate the mumblings of the masses, look to Facebook. In contrast, I admire the creativity on Prose.
On Prose you don’t have to choose a side. It’d be a lie to say the social climate on Facebook isn’t hostile. The other day, while walking the streets of Facebook, I saw a man being assaulted. Granted, it was verbally, but that seems bad as well. On the other hand, a hand attached to an entirely different organism, an organism that’s both healthier and happier, most the comments on Prose encourage or support or positively challenge the writer.
Did you know that an excessive amount of options can cause fatigue? Too many options is bad for you. My girlfriend said it, so it must be true. On Facebook you’re surrounded by the following options: read posts, write posts, watch videos, join a group, play computer games, buy furniture, or date. And coming soon, Facebook church and Facebook government, because if a small networking website for college students can transition into one of the web’s leading dating sites and e-commerce marketplaces, surely they can transition into every aspect of our social lives. They already have the data; they just need the public buy in! Prose has less options, so it’s better.
On Facebook, have you ever left feeling: Wow, if I extrapolate from these photos, my friends spend 75% of their time in [insert vacation destination]. Or maybe: Wow, [so ‘n so] spends a lot of time skiing, hanging with their too-perfect family, going on pricey dates, or DIYing their nth-teenth home improvement project; how do they have time for the mundane parts of life? It’d be nice to see more posts which make you think about positive stuff and not how, by comparison, your life sucks - kinda like what’d you see on Prose.
The user interface on Prose is simpler.
***
Not to bash Facebook too much, I’m just happy I found a social website for writers. Highly recommend. In a throwback to a rule from Sunday School, way back in the day (but a rule I stand by) whenever you say something mean about someone, you have to say seven nice things about them. So here’s some nice things about Facebook. 1) Facebook serves a large audience, including all my friends and family; it’s nice to see their photos. 2) Facebook has dark mode, so I don’t burn my eyes when I read late at night. 3) Facebook reminds me when I forget my families’ birthdays. 4) Facebook helps me promote my blog. 5) Funny Memes. 6) Interesting videos. 7) Cheap furniture.
