In Vanuatu, many of us rely heavily on Facebook to share our thoughts, tell our stories, document events, and express our opinions. While it’s quick and convenient, we must now stop and ask ourselves: What happens when Facebook disables your account, removes your posts, or even gets banned altogether? The answer is simple — everything you’ve written, shared, and built is gone in a second.
My Personal Experience: A Wake-Up Call
Just two weeks ago, Facebook suddenly disabled my account. All my posts, thoughts, pictures, and years of group discussions — gone in an instant. I had to create a new account and start over. Thankfully, after appealing, I regained access. But the experience left me thinking: What if I wasn’t able to recover it? What if everything I had ever shared just disappeared forever?
This is the harsh reality of using a platform you don’t own. Facebook has full control, and if your content is flagged or you violate (or are wrongly accused of violating) their “community standards,” your account can be shut down without warning.
The Risk of Over-Reliance on Facebook
Imagine if one day, the Vanuatu government decides to ban or restrict Facebook — similar to what has happened in other countries. What then? Overnight, our entire online history would vanish — personal posts, community discussions, educational insights, advocacy efforts, and more.
This is why we need to stop using Facebook as our only platform for publishing important information or documenting our ideas.
Own Your Content: Use Blogging Platforms That Are Built to Last
If you care about your stories, your work, your community projects, or your thoughts — preserve them. Use platforms that are designed to store and organize content over time.
I use WordPress.com and I’m happy with it. Even when my domain expired, my content was still there. That’s because blogs are designed to last. They act as a personal archive, available to anyone, anytime.
Here are some free and reliable blogging platforms you can use today:
Free Blog Sites for Vanuatu Writers, Activists, Businesses, and Creatives:
- WordPress.com
- Blogger (by Google)
- Wix
- Weebly
- Medium
- Substack – great for newsletters and opinion writing
- Ghost – minimal and clean, good for serious bloggers
- Write.as – simple, distraction-free blogging
- Notion (for advanced users who want to publish pages)
- Tumblr – especially for creative writing and art
You don’t have to be a tech expert to start a blog. Most of these platforms are user-friendly and mobile-friendly, and some even let you connect your own custom domain when you’re ready.
Why a Blog Is Better Than a Facebook Post
| Blog | |
|---|---|
| Controlled by a company | You control it |
| Can be disabled or deleted anytime | Content stays online for years |
| Hard to search or archive | Easy to organize, tag, and search |
| Limited formatting | Fully customizable |
| Social platform | Publishing platform |
Use Social Media to Spread, Not Store
Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter (X) should not be where your content lives — they should be the tools you use to share your real content, which lives on your blog or website.
Think of it like this:
Your blog is your house. Social media is the road you invite people down to visit your house.
If you’re a business, church, youth group, political advocate, musician, or even just a concerned citizen — start building something permanent today. Write articles. Share community updates. Document village histories. Discuss important topics. Create something that lasts.
Start Today. Preserve Your Voice.
The internet gives us the power to speak to the world — but only if we use the right tools. Don’t let Facebook be your only microphone. Because when it’s gone, your voice is gone with it.
Let’s encourage each other to:
- Start personal or community blogs
- Create simple websites for our businesses or projects
- Share our content across multiple platforms (Facebook, X, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, etc.)
- Use blogs as our source of truth and record-keeping
- Help others set up their own blogs
In the end, your ideas, your voice, your stories — they deserve more than just a Facebook post that could disappear tomorrow.
Let’s take control of our content. Let’s start blogging, Vanuatu.
Mattdotvu 
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