Facebook rant

[Gareth]

It's always seemed strange to me that the MMA Facebook page is restricted even to fully paid up members. Lots of ex MMA members have migrated to MoparsUK on Facebook presumably as it's convenient and free whereas we pay £30 a year and our Facebook page does not allow us to post new topics. Our memberlist is falling year on year with just a handful of regular posters keeping conversation going and I can see that trend continuing. It's also worth noting that a significant proportion of our membership have never posted on the forum! Maybe it's time to rethink our offering to attract a larger user base? Rods n Sods has 21,000 members presumably helped by the fact that it's free! Is it time to junk to the club magazine to reduce costs and thus reduce membership subs? Are we stuck in the past producing a magazine for people who never speak to one another instead of engaging a wider audience on social media like other groups are these days? We have an excellent forum here, it just needs more traffic to put the life back into it.

Out of the 21,000 members on Rods n Sods how many would know each other if the past them at The Mopar Nats, Chryslers at Brooklands or a show somwhere, I bet half of them don't even own an American car or a Hot Rod. even on Facebook some of the car groups members don't own cars related to that group

Very true, Derek. I just used Rods n Sods to illustrate the fact that forums in this hobby are alive and kicking and lets face it if only 5% of their members talk/meet/own cars then that would still be more than three times our total membership.

Our Facebook page was set up to try and attrack new members and direct them here.

Sadly it hasn't had the success that was hoped for. Maybe opening our up Facebook page to allow members to post new topics along the same lines as the forum would be more appealing to new members?

The club magazine was junked for a while but was voted to bring it back, I love our magazine and I know of members from another club that would like one as good as ours.

The mag is very well put together but it's what necessitates the bulk of the membership subs. Unfortunately we are living in the smartphone era and hardcopy in general is in rapid decline.

I agree we could do with more traffic, but how do we do that if people don''t want to post here but post it on Facebook.

Just got to move with the times I'm afraid, but if they want to use Facebook at least get some of them using our Facebook page. Maybe we need to find a way of promoting the Tapatalk forum access too possibly via our Facebook page?

BTW, not trying to argue with you here, Derek. Just debating the issue.

[Derek]

It's always seemed strange to me that the MMA Facebook page is restricted even to fully paid up members. Lots of ex MMA members have migrated to MoparsUK on Facebook presumably as it's convenient and free whereas we pay £30 a year and our Facebook page does not allow us to post new topics. Our memberlist is falling year on year with just a handful of regular posters keeping conversation going and I can see that trend continuing. It's also worth noting that a significant proportion of our membership have never posted on the forum! Maybe it's time to rethink our offering to attract a larger user base? Rods n Sods has 21,000 members presumably helped by the fact that it's free! Is it time to junk to the club magazine to reduce costs and thus reduce membership subs? Are we stuck in the past producing a magazine for people who never speak to one another instead of engaging a wider audience on social media like other groups are these days? We have an excellent forum here, it just needs more traffic to put the life back into it.

Out of the 21,000 members on Rods n Sods how many would know each other if the past them at The Mopar Nats, Chryslers at Brooklands or a show somwhere, I bet half of them don't even own an American car or a Hot Rod. even on Facebook some of the car groups members don't own cars related to that group

Very true, Derek. I just used Rods n Sods to illustrate the fact that forums in this hobby are alive and kicking and lets face it if only 5% of their members talk/meet/own cars then that would still be more than three times our total membership.

Our Facebook page was set up to try and attrack new members and direct them here.

Sadly it hasn't had the success that was hoped for. Maybe opening our up Facebook page to allow members to post new topics along the same lines as the forum would be more appealing to new members?

The club magazine was junked for a while but was voted to bring it back, I love our magazine and I know of members from another club that would like one as good as ours.

The mag is very well put together but it's what necessitates the bulk of the membership subs. Unfortunately we are living in the smartphone era and hardcopy in general is in rapid decline.

I agree we could do with more traffic, but how do we do that if people don''t want to post here but post it on Facebook.

Just got to move with the times I'm afraid, but if they want to use Facebook at least get some of them using our Facebook page. Maybe we need to find a way of promoting the Tapatalk forum access too possibly via our Facebook page?

BTW, not trying to argue with you here, Derek. Just debating the issue.

Debating the issue is one of the reasons I put it here mate.

[MattH]

This is a very important topic I feel, and needa as much opinion from as many members as possible.
The topics raised have been discussed at committee before, and I am sure this affects all "traditional" car clubs i.e. not just FaceBook groups.

I do find FaceBook useful but impossible to find things twice, as mentioned above.
the forum is a much better repository and is much more searchable, but not as quick to access or use, even with the Tapatalk phone app (which does work i used it this week!).

I don't have the answers, I do see facebook as a potential threat, but also a good tool if used correctly.

I welcome more comment on this.

[ScottyDave]

For myself I find this forum a far more important resource than Facebook. Facebook has its uses I guess pictures of cars/shows UK and abroad but for information and access to it its not a patch on the forum.
For example I often reference back to DaveT81's workshop thread on his Dart, small block with a 904 because my Charger is a small block with a 904.
This is just one of several threads that I could have mentioned.
Also how could you follow Will's crazy builds if they were not on the forum.

[cadboy]

I am on here every week morning before starting work, yes it is on PC so it is great.

I have not used this forum on mobile, as the screen is too small, so difficult to read

and may be that is the reason for forums like this dying out, no one uses PC as much as the mobile.

FB yes good for quick look (less than 5 min) and move on loads of stuff but not much reading or writing in my case, just a LIKE now and then.

May be I just like old ways of doing things and old cars!

[Dom66]

I'm not a Facebook hater, It is what it is and very much depends on how you use it.

Forums are totally different though and imho. much better. This is a very focused forum, which in many ways is its' strength, but by not having much of the broader random chit chat element that you get on Rods'n'sods it can appear a bit 'unused' at times I guess. One of the reasons I try and post a new pic up every day.

I seldom get to any of the big shows so have only met a couple of you guys in the real world, but there's still a good feeling of camaraderie with the regular posters. It is a shame more folk don't chip in though, given the membership numbers.

I'm old and traditional, so I love getting the Mag. As I've said to a few people, you only need to get one good bit of advice a year and it will probably save you the cost of the subs.

[latil]

Derek,it might be worth asking on UK Mopars why their 5500 members don't want to use the MMA forum.

[Dave999]

don't worry guys
people will come back

facebook provides a way for people who know there is no comeback to talk rubbish to a wide audience

and steve in some ways i'm happy some of the members of UK Mopars don't want to post on here


the best facebook groups are the semi closed groups that operate more like this forum. good stuff gets made into group documents or the membership is small enough that everyone know everyone else

while many of the people i know are in UKmopars group and i like them very much, if find the noise from the rest all too much.

the best bit about trying to help someone comes in 2 parts 1) getting put right and learning something when your advice is off the mark 2) when you advice is useful, or the experience you outline from your own car nightmare trips the right thought process..... seeing a positive impact and the frustration in the "posters" "CAR" life removed.

both sadly lacking on facebook
nobody learns anything on facebook
its a race to the bottom


the same can be said for general chat we do it cos we like it, it is for enjoyment and amusement, like minded people, common goal if you can't see the effect or impact, take the well meaning jibes get a good handle on the context and sentiment in what is said, what's the point.

its easy to have an argument or talk at cross purposes on email no context provided no emotion implied....and you can keep the email and re read it.

if the content keeps moving and different aspects of it are displayed to you and other people every time it is viewed where does that leave you..

none the wiser, and talking at cross purposes, arguing over a situation manufactured by an algorithm becasue the pertinent parts of the conversation where hidden behind "show the other 93 comments" which when shown end up illustrating that 80% of the commenters had not expanded the other 93 comments

Dave

[MrNorm]

I agree the forum is a far better format than FaceBook. Yes I have a Facebook account and hardly ever use it. It took a year or two of light use to realise that every second I waste scrolling past endless dross about where someone is or what they ate is a second less to do something interesting or worthwhile. You have to trawl to through much crap to find any pearls. I imagine a dedicated group has less noise, but the premise is the same. Almost as importantly, as others have also said, this is a much better format to read things through, navigate around to where you want to be, and find useful information without wasting time.
Now that I think about it, from a technical perspective I've always wondered why a company with billions of $$ at its disposal couldn't come up with a better format than Facebook has, it really wouldn't he hard to improve it so that it is easier to use and get what you want without all the other stuff. Now I think I've answered my own question - it's not in their interests to do that - the longer they can get you on the better for them, the more ads they can show, and the more other dross you get sucked into.

So for my money, I'd far rather have a smaller group of mutually interested individuals talking about stuff I am interested in, than double the traffic by filling it up with arguments, point scoring, narcissism, and stuff I am not interested in!!

I always use my PC, I could use another device but a decent screen size is hands down the best way. Why be proud of using an inferior experience?

[Faux-7-0]

Personally, I don't use facebook. Never have (probably never will) so I can't really comment upon it's pluses/minuses.

What I do know is that I'm frequently in awe of some of the technical advice which is posted here - irrespective of whether it has relevance to my particular application - and that alone is sufficient to guarantee my usual lunchtime visits. Chapeau to those concerned.

[Derek]

Derek,it might be worth asking on UK Mopars why their 5500 members don't want to use the MMA forum.

probably a lot of them would say it’s because they have to pay Steve, some don’t own a Mopar and I bet some don’t even own a American car. It’s a bit like on here some don’t post at all, its mainly the same one posting all the time

[kma176]

Yeah I love our Forum and look forward to the Mag - I look on here most weekdays and some weekends and find so much of interest.
I'm also on Facebook but don't find it anywhere near as Engaging and Informative as our Forum so lets not lose it !!!

Kev

[Dave81]

Derek,it might be worth asking on UK Mopars why their 5500 members don't want to use the MMA forum.

I'm a member of UK Mopars and obviously here.
Two different animals as has been pointed out elsewhere.
I certainly wouldnt want this place to dissapear as its been the biggest help with the Dart over what is now 10 years of membership and 8 of ownership.

I think its just a form of digital evolution.

10 years ago on here it was quite a busy forum.
I would say the majority of forum use/posts (90%) came from around 20-30 regular posters. So say 5% of the membership.
I can see the same with UK Mopars. They have 5500 members but i would say the regular posts come from no more than 1% of that. The rest just watch/read and like.

The real benefit with Facebook is the audience when selling items.
All the items i've tried to sell this year have gone via Facebook and not here. Thats where the 5500 is very helpful.

Think the economy/political farce/Pound to dollar exchange rate does not help.
Its certainly slowed the progress on the car for me.

What i will say is that i've met some fantastic people through the MMA.
I always attend the NATS on my own, and last couple of years i've camped up with Gary (Mossy) and his group. Have a great time chatting/drinking eating etc.
Most of the days i end up sitting in the stands or in the fields with Dave (999), Blue, Stu and Gareth, Martin, Mick, Chris and Rose etc. More drinking and social with some great advice on the Car and my general direction.

Some great memories over the years and hopefully many more.
Thats a massive reason why i'll always be a member and contributor to the MMA.
Just a great bunch of like minded people.

[Super Sloth]

I was cajoled into being one of the admins on the UK Mopars bookface group at the nats this year so I have a little insight as to what goes on behind the scenes... I approve at least 1 person per day to join the group. Sometimes it peaks at as many as a dozen a day. At the very least that shows there is a real interest in being part of a wider mopar community. Similarly that means there is the enthusiasm there that the MMA should be tapping in to.
The member base on UK Mopars isn't restricted to just UK members - there's actually quite a lot of overseas members. Whilst the MMA doesn't exclude international members certainly the core is made up of current or former UK residents. The point I'm making is you're not neccesarily comparing apples with apples if we talk purely about membership numbers.

Certainly it's true a lot of people lurk on bookface and don't post. However, the same is true of this forum. I read what sections I could on here for a couple of years before I joined up. From my point of view it was actually the forum that encouraged me to join up - it was much more active back then for certain. I didn't even know there was a magazine? A lot more people were "hands on" with their cars. Perhaps the cars have got to a price point where people just put their hand in their pocket when things aren't working rather than getting the spannes out? I know I've been guilty of that in the past.

I think the issue is multifaceted, in that I think we need to do more as a club to attract the member base that is definately out there and we also need to take advantage of what we have - a case of use it or lose it? The third point is member retention - why are the old guard choosing not to renew their membership?
We can't just go "ah, facebook - evil" some proactive changes need to take place that don't upset the nature of what we have - nobody needs half a dozen threads going up on the forum a-la facebook "fuel filter friday!" No thankyou. We can do without that.
I'm nowhere near articulate or erudite enough to come up with the answers, but if we could establish some goals that might be a starting point?

[Dave999]

we should also keep in mind...and this is an observation from my desk here... looking at the forum posts over the last few months

we seem to have done better on the new member front recently than we have in a long time...granted some are returners but we must be doing something right...or the free for all nature of facebook only participation is not fulfilling all of their needs

there are positive things happening

don't be down in the dumps

as far as i can see we do alright

and

i ain't doing anything with my car at the mo. i've finished the necessary end of season work i look forward to a winter of sorting out the annoying but not vital jobs (i'm sitting on the seat frame, it pulls to the left my washers and wipers do not work as i want them to i have a 5 speed to go in and i need to pull out the engine again) but i also have 2 lambrettas to do and a house roof that leaks and a garage door that needs replacing

can't bloody face it at the mo.

i can't be the only one it was a long and enjoyable summer but i need a rest. things pick up round here in the run up to the NEC and again after christmas when everyone wants to get stuff done for...... Their first outing of the year

always been the case.

Dave