Liverpool wins its battle for Facebook network recognition

Feb 13 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL has finally gained recognition on social networking site Facebook.

Thousands of people have joined the group since its formation yesterday morning.

A campaign to urge the makers of Facebook to add a Liverpool network heated up earlier this week after the Daily Post reported thousands of users were threatening to abandon the site en-masse if the city was not acknowledged.

Last year, more than 30,000 Merseysiders had petitioned the site to no avail.

After seeing the most recent story, Radio City DJ David Johnson contacted the chief executive of the website via email during a show.

Mr Johnson said: “It's one of the most important cities in the north of England. Liverpool doesn't have a network group on Facebook, yet other much smaller cities like Portsmouth and Bristol do.

“So I'm emailing on behalf of my listeners who feel passionately about this and I've given myself a mission to get Liverpool its own network status by the end of the week.”

The approach seemed to work – as a spokesperson emailed back to say Facebook was working on the situation and Liverpool sounded like an “amazing city”.

Yesterday, Facebook announced it “welcomes feedback from users” and had created a Liverpool network, which allows members to see the profiles of other people in the group and promotes local events.

Previously, Facebook advised Liverpool users to join the Manchester network, as the city was not in its database.

Millions of people worldwide are signed up to Facebook, which allows users to share photos and information with friends.

Mr Johnson told the Daily Post: “I thought I’d set up the Friday deadline and 24 hours later, it was done – I’m still quite shocked.

“People have been contacting me at the station to thank me for my help but I can’t take all the credit.

“With 33,000 people petitioning, it probably would have happened sooner or later, it was just nice that I could take it to the top of Facebook.

“It’s just a shame that it’s taken so long.”

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