We've all gotten them. Those mass invitations by a Facebook friend to "Like" his/her band, company, brand they're working for, cause they're working with, etc. I get the sentiment behind it - in an effort to amass support for something you care about, you appeal to those you call friends on Facebook.
These invitations are conflicting to me, and a bit off-putting if I'm being honest. First, there's a difference between a good friend suggesting that I Like something that I would actually like, and a distant acquaintance suggesting that I Like something that's completely irrelevant to me. The mass invite approach is like a random spraying in the hopes that some actual fans will receive the message (PR people - sacrilege, no? You would never blast press releases to every and any editor you know). I'm not saying that each invite should be hand-crafted and tailored to me. The effort just comes off a little...ungraceful.
Second, there's an unstated expectation that people's friends will Like their cause irrelevant of whether they actually like it or not, but simply because they support them. For example, I may not really like "CANCUN PARTY BUS 2010" but may be inclined to click Like anyways to support the person behind the party bus effort. To me, this creates a conflict of interest. I think a person's collective Likes are a reflection of him/herself. The music, brands, books, movies, celebrities, causes, etc. that we opt into paint a picture of ourselves. If, among those, there are these friend-induced Likes, the reflection is somewhat inaccurate.
Random photo. I "Like" Kyli and she likes the sun. Taken earlier this year.
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