Bulletin Boards (Udon Map) vs. Social Media (facebook)

[rexall]

Mon 19 Dec 2022, 12:39 pm

Hi, I'm Rex. The last time I posted here was 10 years ago! Long time no see! Time flies when you are having a good time, right?

For many years, I was owner/admin of the old Khon Kaen Forum, similar to UdonMap. However, about 5 or 6 years ago, we retired the website feeling that the bulletin board format was obsolete and had been supplanted by newer social media such as facebook. Since then, I have been admin of the Khon Kaen Forum facebook group => https://www.facebook.com/groups/KhonKaenForum/ However, I am in the process of reconsidering that decision. Bulletin boards are pretty "old school" but have may features and capacities that social media does not. Facebook is not good at serving as an archive/catalog of goods, services and topics. They are also not a good format for longer-form discussion, just to name a couple.

Anyway, as you guys are all diehard bulletin board fans, I was hoping for some discussion of what you see are the relative advantages and disadvantages of bulletin boards vs. facebook. If UdonMap were to suddenly morph into a facebook group, would you still support it?

Thanks a lot. Looking forward to some interesting discussion.

Cheers,

Rex

[jackspratt]

G'day Rex

Good topic.

The main difference, and shortcoming of Facebook from my perspective, is that I have chosen some time ago to delete my membership.

While I understand you can read Facebook if the relevant page has been made public, in my experience there are limitations and different levels of access if you don't login.

With UM, anyone can read, and become a member if they wish to access the wider features, without it taking over and intruding on your entire online presence à la Facebook.

So no, I would never support an UM version of Facebook.

[noosard]

Udon thani expats has this facebook chat /bulletin

https://www.facebook.com/groups/412620165936924

seems the same idea

[rexall]

What's your evaluation of that fb group, Noosard?

[noosard]

I am not involved with them, but they do post stuff to my home page
some of it is interesting
Question of which places have music and types of food avaliable

[Earnest]

I was hoping for some discussion of what you see are the relative advantages and disadvantages of bulletin boards vs. facebook. If UdonMap were to suddenly morph into a facebook group, would you still support it?

I probably wouldn't support a move to Facebook.

Advantages
This board is targeted, it has a 'local' feel
No 'in your face' advertising
No political agenda as I can see
Shadow banning not a problem here (as far as I can see!)
I see all sorts of opinions posted - no problem with that
Easy access to archives, UM let's you access right back to around 2005
The chaps get away with alot on here, I don't think they'd be able to to on Facebook.

Disadvantages
The bulletin approach can seem very clunky, bugs seem to be an issue
My Facebook membership is under my real name so I'd have to create another handle.
Facebook moderation would kick in if UM moved across
Facebook advertising based upon your tastes would become visible
There's a greater discussion in train following Musk's acquisition of Twitter and the shadow banning issue. Is it right that Meta controls whose opinion you see?
What's Meta's strategy going forward? Does Facebook get dropped in favour a move to virtual reality?

[sometimewoodworker]

FWIW. @rexall though I do have a FarcBook account I only ever used it to get pictures of our build while I was in Japan, I have only logged in 2 or 3 times in the last 4 years. So no I would absolutely not support, and do not support, anything that requires me to use it.
I only haven’t deleted my account because I virtually never log in.

[jackspratt]

Unfortunately (IMO), if you have a Facebook account you will still be tracked by Meta, even if you are logged out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=can+fac ... +logged+in

[sometimewoodworker]

Unfortunately (IMO), if you have a Facebook account you will still be tracked by Meta, even if you are logged out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=can+fac ... +logged+in

While that maybe true, having read the particulars I seldom interact in a way that I can be tracked (I almost never see the like or share buttons as I have them and the add trackers blocked) but even if I am being tracked why is that a problem?

[jackspratt]

............ but even if I am being tracked why is that a problem?

It's not, if you are OK with it.

[mak]

I used to use the Khon Kaen Forum on a regular basis. However when the format changed to Facebook I stopped.

[Khun Paul]

Move to FB that is a no no in my book, lose the local feel, Not worried about tracking by anyone, I tend to follow the rules FB has more problems than positives.

[rexall]

I used to use the Khon Kaen Forum on a regular basis. However when the format changed to Facebook I stopped.

I have pretty well decided to move ahead with this. Setting it up will be fairly straight-forward once I have do a good comparison of the various options, products available. My skill set has much improved since the last Khon Kaen Forum. II won't make the same mistakes, and will stive to keep everything lean and mean and simple. Y'all are more than welcome. Stand by!

[tamada]

I would think UM members are comfy with the current bb software platform despite it's dated functionality and limitations.

When ThaiVisa migrated to a newer bb platform, there was a lot of dissatisfaction from the longer term members. It's subsequent reinvention as AseanNow has seen another exodus of old timers but maybe their OTT moderation drove more away? An example of a cleaner, more user friendly bb forum with moderate moderation and less intrusive advertising is Thaiger Talk. I'm sure the OP will be using something similarly powered.

[sometimewoodworker]

I used to use the Khon Kaen Forum on a regular basis. However when the format changed to Facebook I stopped.

I have pretty well decided to move ahead with this. Setting it up will be fairly straight-forward once I have do a good comparison of the various options, products available. My skill set has much improved since the last Khon Kaen Forum. II won't make the same mistakes, and will stive to keep everything lean and mean and simple. Y'all are more than welcome. Stand by!

Since you are talking about a new, or at least newly launched, forum if you have decided that it will me a Facebook one. I wish you well but I will not be seeing it even as a sample run as the platform is one I will not use more than about once a year. So “good by and thanks for all the fish”

[rexall]

Not sure I completely understand what you are saying, Sometime. Just to clarify, we have had a fb group for 4-5 years which replaced the old bulletin board Khon Kaen Forum. It is the bulletin board I intend to revive. There is no conflict between the two, and there might be a way to pipe the bb posts onto fb and vice versa.

[sometimewoodworker]

Not sure I completely understand what you are saying, Sometime. Just to clarify, we have had a fb group for 4-5 years which replaced the old bulletin board Khon Kaen Forum. It is the bulletin board I intend to revive. There is no conflict between the two, and there might be a way to pipe the bb posts onto fb and vice versa.

It seemed that you were proposing a new forum. That you have had one on FB will be the reason that I have never seen and will never see it.

If you have a way to pipe the forum onto a different platform, such as phpBB or XenForo to name 2, I would certainly be interested as I only just live outside KK Province and in Udon Thani province so I reasonably often visit KK and FWIW my major supplier of high quality plywood is in KK, and a couple of really good restaurants that we visit.

I have been a frequent contributor to forums since well before the internet was even a concept in Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee’s mind and he first proposed the concept. The FarcBook platform has never been of much interest and the money grabbing concept of the users being the primary product was always clear and unappreciated.

However as I said I wish you well and if ever there is something outside FB will be interested

[rick]

Facebook is fine for posting one liner comments and photos, anything else it is too disjointed and plagued with fake friend requests and adverts. If Udonmap converted to it, i will be gone.

[nutosf]

I use UM for information in the Udon Thani area. It was a great tool during COVID. I'm not an active user of FB or other sites.