Are forums old hat?

[Horus]

I subscribe to several forums including this one, but lately it does seem that with all the linking to the likes of Twitter & Facebook is a double edged sword. By that I mean, if you dont link to them, half your members would not bother to use the forums, but if you do link to them a lot of activity seems to be carried out on those sites instead of the actual forums.

I have never been a fan of those so called social networking sites and have managed quite well to avoid them. Some sites, especially the photographic ones usually only link to things like Flickr for viewing more pictures, but tend to keep the main conversation contained to the actual site itself. Quite often I find that on these forums there is as much going on elsewhere as there is on the forum itself and this often results in references to so and so's wall etc, or some other link that you may or may not wish to follow. So my impression is that most members actually use Facebook or other media to socialise and then drop into these forums occasionally just to see what it going on or to play games, what do you guys think?

[Jayway]

Yes Horus, I come here to play the games but really to see other people opinions and info on a variety of subjects. Facebook and Twitter I use mostly for petitions and live news. I certainly wont be joining up to FB from here.

[Winged Isis]

H, I have always used this and the 2 related forums initially and still mainly for information on the specialised subjects related to Egypt. I find no need for Twitter or Facebook or similar, or other forums. I either meet, Skype video, phone, email or text my family and friends regularly and they do back. Those take up enough of my time and money, and no-one seems to feel neglected or missing out on anything VITAL, and nor do I. I like my space and peace and quiet, and do not feel the need to be constantly in touch or available to all and sundry, just to those who mean the most to me. Nor do I feel the world wants or needs to know my EVERY thought or action (a bit of an ego trip for some, I think). It's worked fine enough this way for decades for me! I can see the need for some, especially professionally, but not for me and most of my network. Nor do I download music or movies, buy apps or use anything on my mobile that costs, other than texts and minimal calls, and no longer have a landline. Somewhere, someone is making an awful lot of money out of an awful lot of people, and minimal from me, yet I still have a very full and functional professional and social life! I am neither a hermit, social outcast or Luddite! b:)

[Grandad]

I resisted joining FB and regarded it as intrusive and something that I didn't want to be part of. However I was finding that close family were using it to share pictures of outings and family events and I was missing out.....so I relented and signed up.

I do not use it for general chit chat and I am amazed at times with what some people post on their walls etc, even my own family members.

Apart from our L4U sites I also use Tripadvisor for first hand answers to questions I might have about travel details. But these are the main forums that I use at present. I am signed on to a number of other forums on motoring, photography etc but rarely visit them.

I think Twitter is the most infantile form of 'social network' in existence and like other SN's can be used for criminal and subversive activity.

Should add of course that the most useful means of communication IMO is email.

So to sum up, I think that forums that offer good advice and answer genuine questions are most valuable.....anything else is of little or no real value.

[Morgita]

I don't think I'll be joining the tweeters any time soon! My mobile phone is so basic it doesn't even have a camera. Like Grandad I tried FB just to access some family wedding photos but found that I can't deal with the baring of the soul that some family members indulge in with no regard for privacy. Some things I don't want to know and I certainly don't want my private life out there for all to see and discuss. I need to keep my private and professional worlds separate. My youngest who is just finishing his PGCE found out the hard way when some of his students were asking to become "friends" on FB. That's the last time he'll post pictures of his drunken nights out with his mates! He has ramped up his security and rarely posts these days. Instant information has positives and negatives and I think we haven't sorted out adequate protocols as yet as to what we need to know and how to decide as to what belongs in the public domain. I like the forum as a means of speaking with people with a shared interest. I can choose how much or how little I want to share. I hope it lasts a good long time.

[Horus]

Well surprisingly all you guys seem to share my own views of Facebook & Twitter and sum up your involvement in them quite interestingly. I have never found the need to bare my soul to the world and much prefer to share my experiences with people I want to and whom I know have similar interests to myself, not necessarily hold the same views, but at least a similar interest.

These sites to me do seem to have an undue influence on other forums and most will link to them, usually slowing things down in the process. We had many complaints on one photography forum that I use which is run by a large camera company for the benefit of owners of their products. They recently added these links to an ‘upgraded’ forum and the complaints rolled in, many asking how they could delete the embedded links on the pages. I have not tried it myself, but am led to believe that it can be done, so I shall look into that in the future.

One example of how Facebook can have an undue effect on such a site was the picture ‘Scroller’ which displays members photographs that they have submitted for comments by other site users. If you make it onto the ‘Scroller’ you feel you have done well as many fellow photographers felt that your picture was worthy of looking at and maybe even giving it a ‘Like’. There is some automated software that attempts to be fair by registering the amount of interest shown (by viewing) for each photograph and also the amounts of likes (usually registered over a short time) to indicate its popularity with other members. The most popular will be added to the main page scroller and some pride may be had from “making it” so to speak.

Most pictures will have had several hundred views and maybe 50 likes which would be a good result on a global site that has thousands of photos submitted each day. So when some started to appear with 4,000 to 5000 views and were instantly added to the scroller, people wondered why. The answer was that they were linking the entry to Facebook and by doing so all their ‘friends’ and I use the term loosely, were nipping over for a look and so adding to the views for that picture. Most of course probably had very little interest in the actual photography site, but were just curious to look at their ‘friends’ picture, but in doing so they distort a voting feature of a forum they have no real interest in which then annoys that forums regular users.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I can honestly say I've never "Tweeted" anything to anybody and am not sure 'how' I could this anyway NOT that I have any desire to 'tweet' to the world anyway.

My reasons for joining Facebook are much the same as Grandads. My daughters post photos of the kids, holidays etc. and the only way I could see these is to join FB. I rarely post comments other than generic "Merry Christmas and all the Best for 2012" type posts. I sometimes 'like' photos but I have heard that if you happen to "like" something commerical then this commercial enterprise can use your 'like' to their own benefit. Since learning this I really limit my 'likes' to personal friends photos etc.

I really only post on E4U and L4U and rarely sometimes RS4U. I've tried a few of the photo blog sites but - hmmmm - never kept up with it AND I do occasionally post on BYC forum which is "Back Yard Chicken" forum. Usually I'm asking a question about something related to my chickens.

I think that socially we're at the beginning of a totally new way to exchange information. Social Media is allowing people to communicate who would never before even be aware of the others existence. I often think that many people do not realize how 'available and accessible' their information is to the world. I'd hazard that most of us in my generation were used to a fair amount of privacy and I know I have tendencies to want to hang onto this. Kids nowadays are growing up in a really open world. Hopefully they'll learn how to use discretion in what they're posting/blogging/sharing/tweeting. I know that I quite selective in who I chose to share what with and really don't want to just post something personal in cyberworld that is now open to all and sundry. When I think back to my youth about all I used to share were library books.

I do love email. It is exactly up my alley and I love the speed of being able to jot off a quick message to my daughters and have them get it almost instantly. I do text some and find it a nice way to drop quick messages to friends who live far away. Don't think I've written a letter since forever except to a couple of my older Aunts who have never used a computer (mostly I phone 'em)......

Ahh - aren't we facing a Brave New World? "Social Media" and those who want and like to share!!!!! WOWWWWWW