It only came to my attention today, but GMP have decided to start using Facebook to provide updates to Mancunians, and their recently announced application even has an ominous looking tab titled “Submit Intelligence”. I’d click it, but I’m worried the room will darken, a spotlight will get turned towards me and DCI Gene Hunt will start shouting at me to “Tell us what you know, or I’ll get you as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot”.
If you should meander over to http://apps.facebook.com/gmpupdates you’ll find yourself being asked whether you want the GMP to “know who you are” before you can add the application – the first time in all honesty I’ve stepped back and thought about whether I really want an application’s creator to know who I am and who my friends are – before you get a list of updates from the force and the chance to comment with other local Facebookers.
Qutie frankly though, it’s clearly a gimmick. Right now the application provides nothing more that a blog couldn’t provide, and at least a blog would allow you to semi-anonymously get an RSS feed. GMP are touting their pride at being the first force in the country to use Facebook, but they actually, you know, need to start using Facebook rather than just using it as another broadcast medium.
Out of curiosity, what do Mancunian Way readers think GMP should be doing with Facebook? Should they even be there at all in the first place? What would you want to see them adding to this application to make it more useful to you and your community?
Dim Sum Digital 
Pirates, clearly. They need to be pirates.
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Pirates, clearly. They need to be pirates.
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How about something to name & shame coppers that behave badly?
Last July I was pulled over in central Manchester. Turns out the anti-terror officers in question thought that a car full of brown people might yield a useful lead.
The officers in question then proceeded to complain that I had 6 passengers in a four-seater and that it was beneath him to have to deal with such misdemeanours as an anti-terror specialist.
More GiMP than GMP…
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How about something to name & shame coppers that behave badly?
Last July I was pulled over in central Manchester. Turns out the anti-terror officers in question thought that a car full of brown people might yield a useful lead.
The officers in question then proceeded to complain that I had 6 passengers in a four-seater and that it was beneath him to have to deal with such misdemeanours as an anti-terror specialist.
More GiMP than GMP…
LikeLike
How about something to name & shame coppers that behave badly?
Last July I was pulled over in central Manchester. Turns out the anti-terror officers in question thought that a car full of brown people might yield a useful lead.
The officers in question then proceeded to complain that I had 6 passengers in a four-seater and that it was beneath him to have to deal with such misdemeanours as an anti-terror specialist.
More GiMP than GMP…
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