Forums vs Facebook groups

[minh-thanh]

Hi ALl !
I have joined a few facebook groups about model engines , but I have a feeling that it is not "appropriate" ( I cannot describe ) about homemade engines or model engines , and searching for information ... on the group is also a part problem, maybe it's appropriate for a photo gallery of engines or ads, sales
I don't know why but I still like forum - this forum. Everything is neat , clear , easy to find ... and much more ..
How do you think ?

 

[Shelton]

Forums do have a different dynamic than FB. We like it as you can find things better. The search or just looking in a forum for the topic you are checking out.

 

[deverett]

There are several former groups that I belonged to that have gone FaceBook only. I don't use FaceBook or any other similar communication so have lost contact. I hope this forum keeps going in its present form.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[mcostello]

Facebook can get nasty with much misinformation.

 

[Shelton]

Oh yes. It can get quite interesting.

 

[stevehuckss396]

I have never been on Facebook and never will. If the engine forums move in that direction I will be content to build my models and see everyone at the shows. I can't see social media making a great impact in my life for the better. Think I'll just stay away.

 

[wespete66]

I see nothing good about facebook, or any other social media for that matter. I was a user, but couldn't get away fast enough when the "organized bias" became the norm. And as stated, it's near impossible to find anything.. Long live the forums!

 

[Oldiron]

Forums like this become a encyclopedia of knowledge. I have often searched back to see an old build or technique. As far as I know you can't do that with Facebook. Social media may be good for showing off your latest finished project but are useless for interactively sharing a build or obtaining help. Bob

 

[GreenTwin]

I see nothing good about facebook, or any other social media for that matter. I was a user, but couldn't get away fast enough when the "organized bias" became the norm. And as stated, it's near impossible to find anything.. Long live the forums!

I was on FB for two days, and realized that it is set up to allow you to share your material with a close knit and often controlled group of people.
The organization as far as I can tell is non-existent; sort of like scrambled eggs, but not as organized as scrambled eggs.
I have never been able to find anything on FB, and have often been told "you must be invited into that group to see that material".

The original concept of FB may have been ok, but it is a mess as far as my needs, and I would never use it.
And as wespete alludes to, there is intentional bias, and outright censorship of ideas that are not politically correct-speak.
FB in my opinion has become the thing they warned us about in the book "1984", with "groupthink" and such.

One can very quickly see where FB has gone by posting something on there that is not politically correct.
Your post will either mysteriously vanish, you will be permanently banned, or the other FB members will come after you with torches and pitchforks. You can also experience some rather nefarious stuff such as shadow-banning, where you become invisible to others, without anyone informing you of that. Seriously sinister what happens behind the scenes at FB.

Being on FB to some extent is a display of your social cedibility, and people will go along with anything, as long as they can climb the FB social ladder.
I don't have any social credibility. I just speak my mind, and if people don't like it, well that is too bad; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and we do have freedom of speech here.

Edit:
I have been on some forums where the operators maintained a political slant, and any thoughts expressed outside of that political spectrum could get you banned. I have been banned from one forum for daring to suggest there may be more than one way to look at things, but my thoughts are that if a forum owner has to ban people that don't agree with him, then that is not a forum you want to be on anyway, so no loss at all, but rather go find a better forum with better people, such as this one.
.

 

[stevehuckss396]

That's the great thing about a forum. I go to a forum to discuss model engines. That's why I'm here. If you want to discuss your political views go to another forum. I don't come here for politics I come here for model engines and related topics. If there isn't a specific section for that topic don't post about it. Maybe it wasn't that they didn't want to here your side, maybe they didn't want to hear either side. Here at the Metro Detroit Metalworking Club we have a motto. "No politics or religion, just chips and sparks". People don't come to a metal club meeting to discuss politics. They want to talk about, teach, and learn about working metal. Forums are the same. If people come here to talk about model engines and keep getting clubbed over the head with politics or any thing off topic they are going to quit coming. That's why there are rules and moderators.

I have seen your post Greentwin. You are obviously an intelligent person who is more than willing to to share your knowledge and an asset to a forum like this one. You have to agree that there is no time and this is no place for political battles here. This is where we come to escape it when we are tired of hearing it. I personally am glad it isn't tolerated from either side here.

 

[Tim Hooper]

As an avid aeromodeller, I'm a member of a couple of large forums. I'm also involved in several aeromodelling FB groups.

Both have their strengths and weaknesses;

I'm guessing that a lot forum users tend to access the net via a PC. The responses seem to be more considered and composed. Photos are often historic, fished out of the depths of a hard drive.

FB groups are far more immediate, accessed by phone or tablet. Topics and responses can be instant, accompanied by a quickly taken photo or two.

I'm happy to use both. I'll dip into the FB groups on my phone during the working day, then settle down to a spot of forum browsing on the PC in the evenings.

So, for me, it's not an either/or situation.

Tim

 

[lee webster]

I have no intention of joining or using facebook, and have asked my sisters to never put information about me on there.

 

[GreenTwin]

That's the great thing about a forum. I go to a forum to discuss model engines. That's why I'm here. If you want to discuss your political views go to another forum. I don't come here for politics I come here for model engines and related topics. If there isn't a specific section for that topic don't post about it. Maybe it wasn't that they didn't want to here your side, maybe they didn't want to hear either side. Here at the Metro Detroit Metalworking Club we have a motto. "No politics or religion, just chips and sparks". People don't come to a metal club meeting to discuss politics. They want to talk about, teach, and learn about working metal. Forums are the same. If people come here to talk about model engines and keep getting clubbed over the head with politics or any thing off topic they are going to quit coming. That's why there are rules and moderators.

I have seen your post Greentwin. You are obviously an intelligent person who is more than willing to to share your knowledge and an asset to a forum like this one. You have to agree that there is no time and this is no place for political battles here. This is where we come to escape it when we are tired of hearing it. I personally am glad it isn't tolerated from either side here.

I have been banned from another forum just for disagreeing with someone else's statement, with no politics involved at all.
Politics are a no-win situation/discussion, and so I don't get into those on forums.

The good news are there are lots of forums on the net these days, and lots of good folks out there such as the folks here.
We can choose to post in places where others appreciate the material.
I have seen forums with intolerant owners/moderators that have their membership drop like a rock, to pretty much no activity at all.

Nobody likes a heavy-handed forum operator, and there are a few of those out there.
Those forum operators are their own worst enemy.

There is good balance here, and good folks, and so I post here.

Edit:
There is one forum I am on, and its title is "The Friendly .......Forum".
Friendly forums get formed because there are many unfriendly forums/people.
It all works out in the end.
The friendly folks all end up congregating together, and the unfriendly ones do the same, and everyone is happy.
.

 

[stevehuckss396]

I agree, this and the other model engine forum are both great places and I visit both every day. I am able to dodge the off topic stuff and stick to the engines, machining, printing stuff. From what I'm told that isn't possible on Facebook. The Facebook people start feeding unsolicited content into you direct path. I don't need that crap. If I don't specifically go looking for it, don't try to push it on me. Forums don't do that and I hope they never do.

 

[GreenTwin]

I read a number of forums every day, and post on more than one.
I have no qualms with anyone on any forum.

I do prefer the more user-friendly forums of all types (machinging/foundry/model engines, etc.).

There are forums that only allow the photos to be seen by members, and that seems totally counterproductive, but again, to each their own.

The general trend though seems to be a wide variety of good forums and good people these days, and I am thankful for that.
In the beginning there was not much choice between forums.

.

 

[Tim Hooper]

Just as an aside, over the years I've heard a lot of comments (both online and in real life), from individuals who have had no actual experience of FB, but who decry it out of hand.

My own real life, 20 year, experience of FB has been very positive - both on a personal (family) level, and also on specialist groups that cater for my various interests. I have my family in easy reach, and I also have fellow hobbyists to exchange chat with.

Basically, you're in no position to judge FB unless you've tried it yourself.

Tim

 

[kuhncw]

My only experience with FaceBook is the Taig Lathe and Mill Owners Club. The group was on Yahoo until the Yahoo groups disbanded. The Taig FB group has a good set of rules , members follow them, and threads stay on topic. The members are helpful and active.

I still prefer the forum format like HMEM and MEM as it seems easier to follow a thread.

Chuck

 

[GreenTwin]

My initial objection to FB was twofold:
1. The organization of things did not suit me.
2. Anything I said was taken in so many different ways that it tended to divide people, depending on what they "read into" my meaning.

I have talked to many who like FB, mainly because of the connections to family and friends.
More power to people who use FB and like it, but it is not my cup of tea.

.

 

[minh-thanh]

As an avid aeromodeller, I'm a member of a couple of large forums. I'm also involved in several aeromodelling FB groups.

Both have their strengths and weaknesses;

I'm guessing that a lot forum users tend to access the net via a PC. The responses seem to be more considered and composed. Photos are often historic, fished out of the depths of a hard drive.

FB groups are far more immediate, accessed by phone or tablet. Topics and responses can be instant, accompanied by a quickly taken photo or two.

I'm happy to use both. I'll dip into the FB groups on my phone during the working day, then settle down to a spot of forum browsing on the PC in the evenings.

So, for me, it's not an either/or situation.

Tim

I agree , I personally join several FB groups and have a lot of good ... in the group , as well as I learn , know more things related to model engines .
For me, forums, FB groups, Youtube, Google they all have strengths and weaknesses
And perhaps the strength of the FB group is the collection of images, but it seems difficult for you to find the information
That's normal, Because FB group is created so that anyone can create a group and it is suitable for a lot of purposes and needs to create a group..
Forums are completely different, forums are created and maintained for a certain purpose such as electrical, mechanical, motor...
And it is built according to the "form" of the forum, it has separate sections for needs such as: discussion, machine ... so finding information is quite easy and many other things.

 

[GreenTwin]

I think it is fair to say that FB is by design intended mainly for social interactions, and forums are more "how to make things" oriented.

I saw a foundry group on FB, and was able to borrow a link and get to that, but once in there, it was impossible to follow or find things.
There is no sense going back to something that you can't find what you saw yesterday, at least for my purposes anyway.

.