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Hi, I'm on a couple of car specific forums and have seen the forum traffic go down significantly because people have gone over to facebook pages. Thy only come back to the forum to get technical questions answered properly because all they get on facebook is loads of misleading or completely wrong answers. This is just a further dilution. I don't use social media because I'm an old grump, so I certainly don't need this Diretribe or Diatribe or whatever it's called.
Colin
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Last Edit: Dec 1, 2016 12:39:30 GMT by colnerov
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ian65
Part of things
Posts: 276
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I'm an admin on the RX7fb forum after I started it off 6 years ago. Up until about 18 months ago the forum was really active with great build threads and plenty of posts..... since then it's really dropped off.... we started a Facebook page linked to the forum hoping to drive traffic from FB to the forum but it had the opposite effect.... we get plenty of forum members who never bother to post on the forum but post all the time on the facebook page. Forums are still the best place for enthusiasts as it's easier to index information and put it into easy to find catagories... info on Facebook is only really accessible until it drops off the page. The RX7 forum has a small enthusiast base as the Mazda is a niche car.... even so, it used o be really active.... those days are long gone now.
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I'm an admin on the RX7fb forum after I started it off 6 years ago. Up until about 18 months ago the forum was really active with great build threads and plenty of posts..... since then it's really dropped off This one? : rx7fb.com/** Unsolicited advice below ** You suffer from the problem a lot of forums suffer from, you've got so many sections. The reason Facebook can appeal is because the conversation is compacted. Part of what I've tried to do here is to keep the section volume down, I've added a few sections over time to see if they take hold and to reduce noise in other areas. If I were to look at rx7fb.com and redo it I'd have a General RX7fb chat, Readers Rides, Tech, Classifieds and your Library (and its subforums as its own section). I'd sticky something in general about motorsport, and keep an eye on how active discussion is around that as it may be something you'd want to break out into its own board later. I'd utilise the Facebook page to highlight threads that are already active rather than using it to start/encourage contribution to new threads. You want to turn forums into a habit, even if it is weekly rather than daily, spreading the conversation so wide stops that habit forming as easily. Interestingly traffic and contribution here have risen over the last few years. Facebook certainly takes some elements away, but I think some newer forum tech (easier photo sharing etc.) could definitely solve that. Just waiting for some updates.!
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ian65
Part of things
Posts: 276
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thanks, you make some good points there... perhaps I'll have a bit of a revamp
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horney™
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,289
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I run Mighty5s.com, a small MX5 forum. We have a Facebook page but it's closed to only Admins to write posts. That way the Admins are in charge of the content and can point to the forum. There's already plenty of other MX5 Facebook groups for people to ask how to weld their diffs or which BGW is best. lol.
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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One more member and we can go "public" ! ... Yeah the journo thing is interesting considering there is already at least one disgruntled person out there : photofeature.co.uk/drivetribe-an-open-letter/It feels a bit like Ello to me, which is pretty cool in its own way, but just hasn't happened exactly. As a Journo, albeit a crappy low-rent sort of one with an unhealthy interest in mostly unpopular cars, I am astounded at the amount of professionals who have signed up to create content (most of it for free) to help Amazon to flog advertising. It's insane. I think so many signed up thinking that writing a few good features and JC himself would be on the phone inviting them to screen-test for telly. Amateurs, too, bloggers, vloggers, all these people rushing to create content for free. There are some great names signed up, all their efforts drowned by the huge amount of people creating 'tribes'. Everyone set to transmit. Where is the quality? Where is the USP? Balls to this. I'm off to make a cuppa and read a 1987 copy of Autotrader I just found.
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bloggers, vloggers, all these people rushing to create content for free. I'm giving it a try, using stuff that I'd already shared on my (admittedly quite niche) blog. Might have a wider audience on DT, might not. *shrug* If anyone wants to join mine, it's here - drivetribe.com/t/ZfJBwcktRM2PjoWDjsd0ZA/ahHBCFXLTm2xSdNyARXd-w Hasn't got enough members to go public yet, because I'm pretty dull and unpopular
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Last Edit: Dec 5, 2016 12:02:22 GMT by dbizzle
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I am astounded at the amount of professionals who have signed up to create content (most of it for free) to help Amazon to flog advertising. Yeah I'm tentatively starting a new project in the whole online car content area (in so much as I've spoken to a few people and registered a domain name). I'm looking at paying for content so trying to run the numbers on that. Then there is this thing that has some great professionals just throwing their content at it for free. It is a little galling, but such is the world we live in.
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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I am astounded at the amount of professionals who have signed up to create content (most of it for free) to help Amazon to flog advertising. Yeah I'm tentatively starting a new project in the whole online car content area (in so much as I've spoken to a few people and registered a domain name). I'm looking at paying for content so trying to run the numbers on that. Then there is this thing that has some great professionals just throwing their content at it for free. It is a little galling, but such is the world we live in. Galling, indeed. Monetising online content is very tricky, as you probably know, I've done quite well with MotorPunk but in a way that's not immediately apparent to users. It doesn't pay my mortgage, though.
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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bloggers, vloggers, all these people rushing to create content for free. I'm giving it a try, using stuff that I'd already shared on my (admittedly quite niche) blog. Might have a wider audience on DT, might not. *shrug* If anyone wants to join mine, it's here - drivetribe.com/t/ZfJBwcktRM2PjoWDjsd0ZA/ahHBCFXLTm2xSdNyARXd-w Hasn't got enough members to go public yet, because I'm pretty dull and unpopular Good luck, Sir
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Monetising online content is very tricky, as you probably know, I've done quite well with MotorPunk but in a way that's not immediately apparent to users. It doesn't pay my mortgage, though. I need to find some way to finance some kind of lavish yacht ... I think online stuff for shonky old cars may not be the most direct route
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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Monetising online content is very tricky, as you probably know, I've done quite well with MotorPunk but in a way that's not immediately apparent to users. It doesn't pay my mortgage, though. I need to find some way to finance some kind of lavish yacht ... I think online stuff for shonky old cars may not be the most direct route I know exactly which yacht I'm having when my numbers (visitor/lotto) come up. If Retro Rides did yachts.... www.motorpunk.co.uk/features/simplicate-and-add-lightness-and-a-lifejacket-the-boats-that-lotus-built/
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Good luck, Sir Just went public. Might have some sort of massive party. (With my, er, nine other members.)
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'The reason i have pulled you over is to say how incredible and absolutely awesome that is'
Mercedes W109, Mercedes W140 S280 SWB & S320 LWB, W201 cosworth kitted, clk230 Kompressor, w109 300sel, Lincoln Continental 1964, BMW E30 Tech II tourer, MK1 Golf Clipper, BMW E31 840ci sport, JAGUAR XJ40 3.6, Kangoo van, Volvo 740GLE estate, Maserati Quattroporte GTS
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munky
Part of things
Posts: 462
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The whole Failbook thing is really killing a lot of excellent forums. The local Honda Forum to me was invaluable when I was building my Atom. Now it is nothing but a domain name advert Shame as there was tons of great resources on there. Either way, just joined RR on DTribes - member 41.
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 958
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Either way, just joined RR on DTribes - member 41. Can I ask a question to you, and any of the 40 others who have joined the RR Drivetribe thing? - Why do it? On RR you get all the content and interaction from fellow members already, what does a RR tribe on DriveTribe give you that you don't already have? I'm not being narky, genuinely curious why anyone would bother. Ta.
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The whole Failbook thing is really killing a lot of excellent forums. Ultimately the lack of mobile usability will kill forums unless they adapt regardless of what happens with facebook/instagram etc. I don't just mean the ability to view from a forum, but easy navigation, easy posting, easy quoting, easy image uploading etc. all need to be improved if forums wish to continue, it is part of why I'm attempting to have different styling available on mobile, tablet and desktop devices (which is in the very early stages of work at the moment).
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Last Edit: Dec 6, 2016 10:37:30 GMT by HoTWire: accidentally a word
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horney™
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,289
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The standard ProBoards mobile experience is pretty woeful isn't it. Tapatalk isn't that great either.
The reason I went with ProBoards for my forum though was that it's fairly input light, I don't have to worry about hosting blah blah blah and the fact this place is stonkingly good on that platform.
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vanpeebles
Part of things
I am eastbound in pursuit of a white Lamborghini, this is not a recording.
Posts: 978
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The funny thing is that mobile phone screen resolutions are getting better all the time, and are better than a desktop in a lot of cases. I'd rather have the full forum view, than a hacked about version with huge buttons and not a lot on it.
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