We have a load of followers on Facebook, asking the normal questions of new owners. I try to help out form time to time but also point out this forum for a much easier access to skills, knowledge and general help.
I wonder why forums are not used so much now and why the hundreds of passing folk on Facebook won't log on?

One reason is you can monitor multiple groups with one app.

I never understood forums in the past until we got our Eriba and looked for a group to join through FB and discovered Eribafolk forum. I'm now addicted to the forum and log into it every day. It feels more "personal" being part of a forum.

I'm glad that i'm not the only one that has noticed this. It almost makes me want to tear what hair is left out when the same question is asked time after time.
The answer is invariably on the Forum and I have posted that once or twice. It's like having a set of encyclopedias but being too lazy to open them ! Rant over

I’m not sure that it’s laziness. More a fact of modern life that Facebook is a vehicle for short sharp statements and questions. Clearly many thousands of people live out their lives on FB. On one occasion we found out about a close relative’s hospitalisation only through a Facebook post. The younger generation may think that all their ‘friends’ are members so are neglecting to connect with us through the older channels.
Another issue may be that forums are seen as clubs and are therefore potentially more intimidating.
Whatever the reasons our Facebook group is huge and growing and we continually direct people here from it.

ps acceptance is not automatic otherwise we could be swamped with undesirables😇
Applicants are expected to show some interest in Eribas!

So, in reality, there are some fundamental questions to be asked. Why was the FB group started? If it was a communications tool to enhance forum members ability to communicate, then settings should be set so that access to the group is private and only obtainable to those who are on the forum. If there are other reasons then there are other levels of settings that give control over who has access to the FB pages. What I am saying, in essence, is that the persons who created the page and those who have administrator rights on the page have the ability to set who can see the FB pages. It does not have to be a free for all, as Frantone has indicated above.

If on the other hand, if it is a way of exposing the presence of the forum so to increase the forum membership than maybe there should be other incentives for those who find their way to the FB pages to move on and join the forum.

Unfortunately, modern-day life, in my opinion, and please accept the fact that it is my opinion, everybody wants instant access to what they want and they want it now!! This means people don't want to sign on to other application when all they want is a 30-second pictorial fix. Writing words is time-consuming and not 'in-vogue' all that is wanted is loads of pictures for people to look at that will quickly give an answer to whatever the problem is.

Again, in my opinion, FB pages are for those who have a passing interest in their busy lives, the real enthusiast will take time and make the effort to contribute to the forum and find out what others think and how that might benefit them.

Sorry if I am being a little blunt, as I have said it is just my opinion.

Clippie

Don't do Facebook. Never have, looked at it once with one of my daughters and thought No, no, not happening. I'm a dinosaur, sure, I accept that. I like this Forum, people on line are really helpful and friendly and if you do meet them so far they have all been lovely people. So I'm stopping here.

Quote: Frantone wrote in post #6

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The younger generation may think that all their ‘friends’ are members so are neglecting to connect with us through the older channels

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I think this thread has answered it's own question.

I wonder what the average age of the forum members is vs that of the FB group members.

I'm with Julie with regards to facebook. One of our nephews and his wife who live in the USA have nagged me to join facebook so that we can exchange news and photos etc . When I looked at facebook with a view to registering they needed a photo image in order to complete registration. Now being a highly private individual who tries her hardest to protect what privacy I have got left in this camera obsessed world I did not proceed any further. (I was so strict that none of my children appeared in any publicly available school photos - I reasoned that they could decide for themselves when old enough to make up their own mind) So nephew and family will have to remain with email and snail mail.

Luddite moi? - you bet

Denise

All Eriba's are good, all Eriba people are good therefore Eribafolk is good wherever it is, here or FB

I was a member of the Autosleeper forum and it ran a FB group in tandem, just like Eribafolk. The owners of the sites (enthusiasts not Autosleeper) decided to close the forum and carry on with just the FB group. They said that closing the forum would reduce their workload dramatically. There was
uproar from quite a few forum members who refused to transfer, although there were already quite a few members with dual membership.

Although I'm 'on' Facebook I don't use it as I don't understand the terminologies used, it keeps on wanting me to sign my life away and seems overly intrusive, though I understand that is what most users seem to like.

Re Facebook, the photos I have as main profile are of a tiger and a sunset and all my settings are private so my profile doesn't even come up in a Google search. I'm a Luddite too, but it's an easy way of chatting to family every day and exchanging things via private messaging. Even then I never post any personal information or photos on my actual page. If anyone says the 'must friend me on FB' I'm a bit vague about it and then they can't find my profile anyway lol.