Facebook slowly strangling this site?

[In2bmx]

Vote in , and my vote was YES  shut it down ...

[That Swan Guy]

I'm an advocate of Facebook and even I voted to shut it down.

It's full of idiots that are not members on here who are gaining a free audience for their ridiculously over priced tat!

Get rid of the FB page and police the sales better on here. There are lots of thinly veiled sale threads by newbies on the BMX Chat and Welcome pages.

[stidds]

Ok, how about a compromise, NO sales on the FB page, ALL sales must be via the forum and MUST be completed by SST holders using the forum?

We could at least trial this.

My choice also, no sales on the FB group.

[dinglem]

I use both. However, I have been a regular member on several forums over the years, mainly car restoration clubs and so on, and I can honestly say  is by far the best forum I have used. As a point of reference it cannot be bettered and Fb cannot rival that. Posts on there are easy and quick, but are just as easily lost down the list of posts. Good for making a quick sale but lacking when it comes to research.

I have seen one of the old forums I was a member of completely collapse as the Fb version thrived.

I also don't think closing down the RAD Fb group will make any difference on here as there are now too many BMX a Fb groups to attract Fb users. Fb can be used to your advantage too though; I set up a closed Birmingham WHEELS page a couple of months ago and have since found and contacted the majority of the old WHEELS team, managed to speak directly with the old team manager, several if the Dutch team, have located numerous more frames and managed to buy two more myself.

Fb has a massive global footprint and I would never have managed to find all of those people without it.

Fb and  both have a place I think.

[Tel-boy75]

Have never registered on Facebook so couldn't comment, but what I can say is this site has been invaluable to me in terms of research and peoples helpfulness in answering queries I have posted.

If the facebook site allows people to buy and sell without an SST then I am sure that some people will take that option, thus denying this site funds towards running costs etc. If the facebook is closed down then these people may well go to another facebook page, but they wouldn't be trading on the goodwill and reputation that has been built up by RADBMX.

The SST is a bargain in my eyes, if there was an old school BMX magazine for sale at £5 issue I would buy it every month and still not have access to as much material that's on here - all for a contribution of a tenner!

[Julian347]

I use the forum and FB as they both have strengths and weaknesses.
I'm not sure banning sales on the FB will help. Many of the sales that are on the RAD FB page are also on quite a few of the other FB pages that many of us also follow as well. It's not unusual for the same item to appear on my timeline two or three times.
Perhaps only allowing sales to be posted if they have a link to the item when it is posted on the RAD forum. That way the item has to be posted on the forum first, giving Site Supporters a slight advantage. Not sure how easy to police it would be though.

[That Swan Guy]

It was originally stipulated that sales threads were to be only forum links but this seems to have lapsed a little.
Ditch the bitch

[Retrodan72]

It was originally stipulated that sales threads were to be only forum links but this seems to have lapsed a little.
Ditch the bitch

It's too hard to moderate due to its instant accessibility, and I wouldn't even attempt to try tbh. 

[That Swan Guy]

It was originally stipulated that sales threads were to be only forum links but this seems to have lapsed a little.
Ditch the bitch

It's too hard to moderate due to its instant accessibility, and I wouldn't even attempt to try tbh. 

Slacker

[58 delray]

there is a place for both imo, for quite some time i had no laptop and so couldnt get on here (coming on here on a smart phone is a nightmare) so my only link with RAD was through the FB page  If the RAD FB page was closed down it would not mean more people would come on here, in fact it would probably mean the complete opposite as people would just use one of the many other FB pages that exist and not get to hear about RAD at all because at least a couple of them are ANTI RAD anyway and the only mention of it on them is a slagging off.
Like it or not social media such as FB is here to stay, stop trying to be like King Canute by hold back the tide and instead use both, they both have benefits and used together would ensure that Rad survives where other forums have died.
as for not allowing people to sell on the FB page, wasn't that tried before ?
there are many pluses to the forum over the FB page and viser versa, the forum is good for info and as a referance tool, it keep posts in sections that are easy to use and dont vanish after a day or quicker.
the FB page is good for real time chat and putting pics up quickly and for instant sales/purchases.

if you shut the FB page someone will only start it up again but it wont be linked to the real RAD and then you will lose it as a tool 
someone mentioned that it should be shut because people post photos on there that should be posted on the main site and they dont get to see them, my answer to that, join the FB page !
as Griff has said most people that use the FB page use both so no one is being lost to it.
The statment that the FB page is only used by flippers etc etc is not only untru its an insult to the many members on here that do use it.

[MartyC]

Just stop the sale on there, or start linking pages from here to it and only allow comments not new posts.

I voted No to shutting it down as I think it's a good entry point to get people here but if that's not happening then maybe it should be shut down.

[BMX1973]

I am a member on Facebook but have not logged in for over a year. Don't like the site really. People are on Facebook 24-7 and get addicted to it.

I would let the FB page stay its only fair for those who use it. I guess they don't have to pay the £10 subscription fee so many like that.

I think For Sale post should be banned and kept to the Forum only as it keep the site alive otherwise it could disappear.

 

[griff]

If most people want sales taken off (apart from links to here) that's easy to implement very quickly

Just moderating it as it is, to ensure people only sell BMX stuff/put a price up etc is already a pain in the arse so in terms of workload there's not much difference - in fact it would probably save a bit of work and would mean only people with SSTs can sell stuff

The only reason that that restriction was removed before was due to people complaining that it's too difficult to post links to the site or difficulties accessing the forum on phones etc. Personally I would prefer this option but this needs to be your call too, don't want to keep chopping and changing as it will confuse people/piss them off

[That Swan Guy]

If most people want sales taken off (apart from links to here) that's easy to implement very quickly

Just moderating it as it is, to ensure people only sell BMX stuff/put a price up etc is already a pain in the arse so in terms of workload there's not much difference - in fact it would probably save a bit of work and would mean only people with SSTs can sell stuff

The only reason that that restriction was removed before was due to people complaining that it's too difficult to post links to the site or difficulties accessing the forum on phones etc. Personally I would prefer this option but this needs to be your call too, don't want to keep chopping and changing as it will confuse people/piss them off

How fooking difficult is it to copy and paste FFS!

[58 delray]

a lot of people are saying ban sales on the FB page so they have to bee on here......thats not going to happen, people will just sell on one of the many other FB pages out there like they already do, most sales pop up on my news feed on 3 or 4 different pages at the same time.
you cant make people buy/sell on here and there are way to many outlets for sales now to even hope people will only use RAD.

[stidds]

a lot of people are saying ban sales on the FB page so they have to bee on here......thats not going to happen, people will just sell on one of the many other FB pages out there like they already do, most sales pop up on my news feed on 3 or 4 different pages at the same time.
you cant make people buy/sell on here and there are way to many outlets for sales now to even hope people will only use RAD.

They can sell wherever they want Andy, fine with me there are as you say loads of places to sell.

If people are only using rad FB to sell then I don't care if they leave the FB group as they are not contributing to the site.

Our SST's are our life blood not some random con artist on FB.

Personally I would like to make MK weekend SST only(or maybe SST +1 guest), too many times I see people that contribute nothing to the site all year and then turn up at MK and drink free beer and have a great time.  When MK is over they just go back to either not contributing to Rad or even worse bad mouthing the site.

[ED209]

This all reminds me of that King Canute fella ... he had about as much luck.

I don't see any problem at all with the forum 'being quiet' ... I don't think it is even ... but it is what it is! ... I certainly would not want to encourage some of the twats I see on facebook over here.

We just need to keep on doing what we are already doing and linking things in to RAD and let things happen if they want to. Stopping sales on the RAD facebook page just gives SkywaySteff more ammo to have a pop with ... personally I'm about on both sites and don't really see that there's any problem. Old Steff said he was gonna blow us out the water with his forum which went down in flames before it even started ... we are still here doing what we do ... nothing is going to stop that 

Let just let it all be what it wants to be ... everything irie.

 

[CustardLips]

We have plenty of users online on a daily/nightly basis but half the time nobodies saying fook all. Think more effort is needed from all of us. 
It's good to talk. 

[stidds]

This all reminds me of that King Canute fella ... he had about as much luck.

I used to love them from my Psychobilly days, can see what reference they have to this conversation though Ed

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Oh Sorry I thought you wrote King Kurt 

[Retrodan72]

We have plenty of users online on a daily/nightly basis but half the time nobodies saying fook all. Think more effort is needed from all of us. 
It's good to talk. 

Agreed Nick, far too many lurkers on here, not contributing enough, only getting just over 100 votes in the BOTM comp when there's 20 bikes entered is proof of this.

As a member, now as a Mod, I always try to start new threads whether BMX related or in the non BMX section, just simply to generate activity. It's the simple threads 'coolest TV/film cars' for example, that people loved and got involved with.

[Jaan]

Lets talk about the elephant in the room...

If most folk on this site spent more time contributing towards what this forum is meant to be about "BMX" rather than "what silly things annoy you" (25 pages FFS!) there would be no competition, you wouldn't even worry about FB.

There are some folk in this thread that have been on here longer than me but I can only conclude that they don't actually own a BMX - well you can't do right?  I can't see anything from you in the parts reference section of this site. I gave up adding parts as I ended up feeling like a fookin show off.

TO BE CLEAR, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the lounge and banter, but (i say) contribute first, talk sh1t later. Imagine if say... since the forum rebuild, every member had added 1 OS ad or 1 OS part a week (whats that a 5 minute investment?) imagine what this site would be like now... We wouldn't be having this discussion...

[20to26]

Personally the only stuff I see appearing on my newsfeed from the Facebook group page are dominated by silly for sale posts...so I ignore it.

I much prefer coming here and experiencing the madness & enjoying the hobby

[58 delray]

a lot of people are saying ban sales on the FB page so they have to bee on here......thats not going to happen, people will just sell on one of the many other FB pages out there like they already do, most sales pop up on my news feed on 3 or 4 different pages at the same time.
you cant make people buy/sell on here and there are way to many outlets for sales now to even hope people will only use RAD.

They can sell wherever they want Andy, fine with me there are as you say loads of places to sell.

If people are only using rad FB to sell then I don't care if they leave the FB group as they are not contributing to the site.

Our SST's are our life blood not some random con artist on FB.

Personally I would like to make MK weekend SST only(or maybe SST +1 guest), too many times I see people that contribute nothing to the site all year and then turn up at MK and drink free beer and have a great time.  When MK is over they just go back to either not contributing to Rad or even worse bad mouthing the site.

this is the first year i haven't had an SST and i didn't go to MK this year either before anyone say about the free beer 
the reason for not having a SST this year is simple, to have one you need to have paypay, paypal is insecure and easily hackable as i found out when i lost £550 a year ago which i have still not had returned to me by PP, so i dont have a PP account anymore and just transfer money direct into peoples bank accounts.

[griff]

Lets talk about the elephant in the room...

If most folk on this site spent more time contributing towards what this forum is meant to be about "BMX" rather than "what silly things annoy you" (25 pages FFS!) there would be no competition, you wouldn't even worry about FB.

There are some folk in this thread that have been on here longer than me but I can only conclude that they don't actually own a BMX - well you can't do right?  I can't see anything from you in the parts reference section of this site. I gave up adding parts as I ended up feeling like a fookin show off.

TO BE CLEAR, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the lounge and banter, but (i say) contribute first, talk sh1t later. Imagine if say... since the forum rebuild, every member had added 1 OS ad or 1 OS part a week (whats that a 5 minute investment?) imagine what this site would be like now... We wouldn't be having this discussion...

This is a nice idea Chris - with regards to the talking sh1t/posting valid stuff about BMX ratio I will freely admit to being very biased towards the former though A lot of that is either due to lack of knowledge (while I will freely share what I know I'm mostly learning from others) or not having a vast collection of things to photograph (my 'collection' of 3 bikes has already been fairly well documented)
Please don't ever think that you shouldn't post for fear of being branded a show off - is always nice to see pics of the shiny things!

Probably my favourite types of threads are the 'How-to' restos (or even how not-to), would love to see more of these as they are always really useful when you've got a build on

[Taipan]

This site had nothing to do with F*ckbook when it started and was a hive of activity? It didn't need it then and in my opinion it doesn't need it now