Forums vs Facebook

[AZhitman]

So, we've started posting some of our more popular tech articles on the 240sx Owners Group FB page, to draw in some new traffic and spread our knowledge base a bit...

Maybe I'm getting old, but some of the FB meme-racer kiddies are dead-opposed to learning, even reading.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

[slagithor]

Not a fan of the Forum-like social media apps either. There is a difference.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The internet has a strange way of bringing all the crazies out.

[AZhitman]

Not a fan of the Forum like social media apps either. There is a difference.

Totally agreed.

If someone else can't find it in a Google search later, it's not useful.

BTW, you and my wife are from the same neck of the woods - She's out of Greeneville.

[slagithor]

we really are, I am from Greeneville. South greene area specifically.

[LSDrift]

The sad truth is that modern youth look to Google, or probably more commonly Facebook as it is where they live their lives, for instantaneous answers. Researching and contributing to a cause of learning is lost on them as instant gratification is the name of the game. I don't myself yet have children but I can't help but make the observation and statement that lots of parents these days simply don't care to teach either.

I think sharing tech articles and such are good to bring traffic to Nico but it should be expected that the large majority of folks that decide to become members and post in the forums are going to be those that are looking for an answer right here and now so they can go back to drifting their wrecked stock KA 240 with welded diff and no interior "because racecar".

I think that the most productive and best members of a forum get there naturally by their inquisitive nature regardless of how much they know about cars at that time...but that's just my $.02

[centralcoaster33]

FB is a different animal from Forums. FB seems kind of like a cork bulletin board in a central location. You can post your flyer, leave comments on others, announce things. It's not a place for conversation. It's almost as if it's a look at me, listen to me but don't expect me to look at you or listen to you place. There is no requirement for reciprocation and that's okay. People like FB and I'm glad they have a place they like online. I had an FB account back in the aughts. All these 'friends' that I never really see, talk to, hang out with, or barely remember because I hadn't seen them since high school. It just never really clicked with me and was deleted.

Among other hobbies, I'm a kite flyer and have joined the 'club' being the American Kitefliers Association. I was mostly interested in their awesome forums with lot's of knowledge, articles, and of course meeting others interested in kiting. I lurked for a while, but was restricted in movement as they required a membership to the club to join and post in the forums. So I joined just at the beginning of this year. It was a nice Christmas gift for the member dues ($50). Well, guess what, they've 'Modernized'. Their forums are gone. They strictly use FB for announcements and likes and photos or whatever. Supposedly this is how you can 'meet' other members as well. I guess you would 'like' other members and do some 'networking'. I'm guessing because I don't have a FB account, so I haven't looked really. I missed out on the Forums. As much as I like kite flying, I'm not sure how long I'll be a member of their club. I'm trying it for my gifted year. Not a big price, but what am I getting? Access to FB? No, I could have had that for free I think. Access to a forum or knowledge database? No. 10% off of kites at many stores, yes! But I'm not buying $500 in kites each year, or even every two years. They have a nice magazine each season that I like to read. I met some people in person. Their nice and skilled with kiting. I'll probably keep in touch with them. I didn't need or use FB to find them. I don't know how I feel about this membership yet. What I do know is that I have no real interest in getting on FB and that I was really disappointed in them not having a forum to be a part of.

I know that's a lot about a kite club on Facebook. The point is that it's different from these forums. There I am a member and I have nearly zero connections. I think AKA screwed up a bit. Here, I feel like part of a group. Here, I get help. Here I can have a conversation. Here I can post look at me photos and threads. It is here that I got so much help, I actually felt obliged to help out others if I could. Ooh, and I can get a member discount without having to pay dues!

Ultimately, I think having a quality FB page is a great enhancement to the NICO Club forums. It's different. It's not a replacement.

[Hijacker]

I've been waiting for this talk. Forums will always outstrip Facebook in long term engagement. Knowledge retention is much higher here just from the forum's innate ability to archive experience and discussions. I think people also can take longer in their rebuttals here than on social media. Social media is essentially knee jerk reactions. Especially with Facebook. While it's essential to promote the site through social media, the core of what we do should stay here. We just need to encourage members to engage here rather than easily tapping away at their phone screens via their Twitter or Facebook app.

[AZhitman]

This. All of this.

For me, the most frustrating part is the overt selfishness of FB.

Someone can ask me a question - right off the bat, their expectation is that I reply. To them. Just them. My reply, no matter how detailed or helpful, is for one person only. It's not archived, it's not preserved for later access, and it's not beneficial to anyone else because it is a reply at a point in time.

We've got content here that dates back to the old 240sx Mailing List in 1996. We have web posts from 2002. Theoretically, we could be reaching two generations of enthusiasts already. And the content here is, for lack of a better term, "eternal." Long after we're gone, my intent is for this repository of information to remain for as long as the Internet exists... Kinda cool - and I'm stoked that you guys are part of it.

[2_Liter_Turbo]

I am a huge proponent for forums in the struggle against facebook. I feel you build stronger "online" relationships/friendships with fellow enthusiasts on forums vs facebook. There's one thing above all else that forums have over facebook in my opinion. Build Threads! I love build threads. To go through and read the evolution of unique projects and see how the owners tackled problems with their own particular methods and creativity is my absolute favorite part of the online automotive scene. Also, I can honestly say at least 80% of my good friends I've met via forums. I can count on my hands the amount of friends I've met on social media, lol. I will always be on many forums. NICO was actually my first forum! So it holds a special place in my digital heart, ha ha!