SAOCA facebook page

[sunbby]

We started a club fb page

http://www.facebook.com/SunbeamAlpine

Not much there yet. It would be great if someone at Invasion XIII could post updates.

We're also looking for content suggestions.

 

[dmich2]

I hope I don't get beat up too much for this.
I'm not some old "fuddy-duddy". I understand computers. I can cut, copy, paste. I can navigate through sites and stuff quite effortlessly. I guess my first thought on this new Facbook page for the SAOCA is that "I don't like it." One because I don't use Facbook. I don't care for the whole concept, as I see it, of what others have told me they read on it (my wife, son daughter). OK. Maybe I'm old fashion, but I don't really care what someone did, or thought as they got up this morning. I mean really. Some of the stuff people post, for thousands to read, is pretty bad. I also have other reasons as to why, for me, Facebook is probably something I need to strear clear of. Not that I'm in witness protection or anythiung, or I'm hiding from the IRS. And I know, you can chose who you "friend". There's just some people in my past I'd hate to see "show up" after all these years
So. After all that 'T.M.I." my biggest reason for not liking the Facebook thing is I fear the demise of the present Forum, and it's wealth of information to those of us ( or maybe just me) that could be lost. I've seen this happen before. My previous career, we had a site very much like the SAOCA's forum, and the info was "ours", relavevt, very easy to access and full of great comments and information. Then Myspace and Facebook came along and the site died. And quickly.
I know times change, new techy stuff comes out and the world goes round and round. Prehaps I'll have to change my line of thinking and get with the program. I'm just worried when I need some info on a problem it will no longer be easily answered. In fact, as Todd has mentioned he hopes to see Invasion updates on Facebook soon to build the site. Do you think people will post it twice, on Facebook and the old Forum??? I doubt it and that will be a shame.

By the way. The Invasion was great. Todd, Eric and everyone else behind everything it took to pull it off did an outstanding job. It was evident a lot of work went into the planning.

OK. That's my beef. Please don't beat me up too much. This is a great organizations. Just worried that "change" may not benefit..........me. So. That's it Dennis. It's all about you!!!

Dennis

 

[lillypad]

Facebook

The CAT tiger group has a Facebook page and all I see it used for is posting pics of the cars and coffee meetups.
I think the FB. page is a great idea for posting pics of sunbeams and related events.
John

 

[Series3Scott]

I'm with you Dennis - don't use Facebook, don't like it, and don't see the need for it.

However, I am willing to keep an open mind to see if the club officers have a good reason for starting and maintaining another site. Sounds like extra work to me.

 

[V6 JOSE]

Guys,

I am of the same opinión as Dennis and Chris. I don't do FB and don't see the reason this wonderful club should need it. My wife likes FB, and when she shows me something on it, I feel like I just wasted five minutes of my life.

if someone wants to post pictures, why not post them here, so those who appreciate Alpines can see them in context. I know that if we go with FB, we will eventually lose the reason for this club, camaraderie, information, support, etc., etc.

FB may get us a few Lookie Loos, but the club will get diluted with silly comments, by persons that don't know anything about Alpines and don't really care.

This is only my personal opinión, of course.

Jose

 

[lillypad]

I just want to add that if you we're to check out the tiger FB page you would see that it has been sparingly used for pics and events only
You guys need not worry judging from what I see with the CAT page
John

 

[65beam]

page

probably extra expense also.

 

[SIVAllan]

Hey guys,

Relax

Facebook is cool.

Here are some pictures I just found on my Facebook page...which I can share with all my friends easily by merely clicking on "Like" and they can also share, and so forth, bringing great new exposure to the Marque...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB2O_QG6ugc&feature=youtu.be

Granted, Facebook is not designed for the kind of interaction enabled by the Forum software.

"It is what it is" and, like the Youtube photos referenced above, is a new medium for use in reaching new people, new cars....

Just my .02 worth

 

[MikeH]

Guys,

I am of the same opinión as Dennis and Chris. I don't do FB and don't see the reason this wonderful club should need it. My wife likes FB, and when she shows me something on it, I feel like I just wasted five minutes of my life.

if someone wants to post pictures, why not post them here, so those who appreciate Alpines can see them in context. I know that if we go with FB, we will eventually lose the reason for this club, camaraderie, information, support, etc., etc.

FB may get us a few Lookie Loos, but the club will get diluted with silly comments, by persons that don't know anything about Alpines and don't really care.

This is only my personal opinión, of course.

Jose

Me too. I agree that it would end up with ignorant people commenting on something they know nothing about. Like the morons that feel they have to post their comments on the end of news stories.

 

[alpine1963]

OK Here is my two cents worth! lol Facebook has a different use than our forum and could never replace it. If we are to ever get some younger people involved in our cars this is a great start. They are not going to come to our web site to look around or talk on our forum. But, they will see a link on Facebook and stay there for hours looking around. It is an easy place to post pictures and keep the marques out in the forefront.
Let's be open minded about it an give it a chance. I am Facebook friends with several Alpine / Tiger owners that I keep up with their restorations through Facebook. That would not be done on a forum. It's just too much personal information. Your Facebook page is where you post your personal stuff not where you go to get tech / mechanic information on these cars. I posted the video I made of the Invasion on Facebook and have already had one person "share it" on Facebook and several people "like" it. I posted it on the forum and nobody there has seen it that I am aware of. I know of some Sunbeam owners that do not even have a cellphone and some that refuse to go the smartphone route. To each their own but, this technology only makes us better. Let's give it a chance. It does not cost anything either!! No expense, no upkeep, not going to replace our forum and best of all if it is not doing anything for us after a year we cancel it and no harm has been done.

Cheers,

 

[sunbby]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. The topic had come up every so often about having a facebook page so I thought I'd look into it and set one up if it wasn't too difficult. I want to be clear as well, the facebook page is in no way going to replace the website and forum. That is is the greatest strength of our club and I certainly do not want to mess with that success.

As Todd said, it is free, so it's not costing us anything other than time. So far the maintenance has been virtually nothing. It existed for a few months before I posted on the forum, and received some traffic even then. I think some people and pictures there are not registered on the forum, and my guess is they would never bother to find the forum (and probably never will).

I do think it is a good avenue to reach out to a different demographic, so to speak. If it becomes a headache or starts to dilute the forum we can kill it pronto, we already have enough headaches.

That said, if there are any facebook denizens that have ideas for organization page content (apparently it's slightly different than a personal page) or want to volunteer to help administer it please let me know. There are means to link the forum with fb to some extent as well, which we can look into if we think it is a good idea.

 

[DanR]

We started a club fb page

http://www.facebook.com/SunbeamAlpine

Not much there yet. It would be great if someone at Invasion XIII could post updates.

We're also looking for content suggestions.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi GUYS!!!!

I will not use Facebook!If the FORUM is going that way, and I have to go to any other "Forum" I will be gone!

Just because it seems to be the thing to do might apeal to others but it is not for me!

 

[Green67Alpine]

Facebook will not replace the forum or web site, it's just another avenue to expose our Marquee to more faces
Tom j

 

[Series6]

IMHO the usefulness of Facebook is to bring Sunbeam Alpine owners to the SAOCA site who may not know its there.

 

[mattinoz]

I couldn't find the LIKE button on your post Alpine63, so I guess I'll just say it. I LIKE what you have to say and l LIKE the idea of FB for our club.

It's a pity DanR and others aren't prepared to give it a go, but I suspect their reticence is steeped in folklore surrounding FB and the evil things some people get up to with it. But LIKE many things, the technology is often blamed when in fact it's the way some people use it that causes offence.

Being an international marque the net for Sunbeam ownership and knowledge is far wider than just the users of this forum site and I believe the FB site will allow many new people, who would otherwise be excluded from knowing about this great marque, to connect with Sunbeams and this forum,

The forum does have it's limitation especially when it come to visual information so FB will go a long way to solving that aspect.

And if it's the riff raff you're concerned about, it's quite easy to block them if they cause trouble.

I for one LIKE the idea a great deal and will use it.

 

[MikeH]

OK Here is my two cents worth! lol Facebook has a different use than our forum and could never replace it. If we are to ever get some younger people involved in our cars this is a great start. They are not going to come to our web site to look around or talk on our forum. But, they will see a link on Facebook and stay there for hours looking around. It is an easy place to post pictures and keep the marques out in the forefront.
Let's be open minded about it an give it a chance. I am Facebook friends with several Alpine / Tiger owners that I keep up with their restorations through Facebook. That would not be done on a forum. It's just too much personal information. Your Facebook page is where you post your personal stuff not where you go to get tech / mechanic information on these cars. I posted the video I made of the Invasion on Facebook and have already had one person "share it" on Facebook and several people "like" it. I posted it on the forum and nobody there has seen it that I am aware of. I know of some Sunbeam owners that do not even have a cellphone and some that refuse to go the smartphone route. To each their own but, this technology only makes us better. Let's give it a chance. It does not cost anything either!! No expense, no upkeep, not going to replace our forum and best of all if it is not doing anything for us after a year we cancel it and no harm has been done.

Cheers,

I DID see your video on the forum. And I STILL have 2 Motorola Brick phones, although, it's been a long time since they were put to use.

 

[Paul A]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. The topic had come up every so often about having a facebook page so I thought I'd look into it and set one up if it wasn't too difficult. I want to be clear as well, the facebook page is in no way going to replace the website and forum. That is is the greatest strength of our club and I certainly do not want to mess with that success.

Hi all: I am snowed under in sunny South Dakota where virtually no travel is possible and most all schools/businesses/banks/ etc. are closed again. I thought I'd take a few minutes to respond to the FB initiative.

All things considered, I think it is a good thing to have a FB presence. I do not foresee that it will in any way harm or hinder the SAOCA site and the very best forum for Brit cars on the internet. I do think it will bring the SAOCA and Brit sports cars to the attention of a generation of folks younger than most of us - and I see that as a positive for all of us. My kids, all in their late 20's, early 30's visit FB daily, as do their friends. The FB phenomenon is part of their regular communication process. There are millions of others in their generation who are just like them. For SAOCA to have a presence, even a minimal presence, will be, I think, a good thing for all of us.

FB communications will not, in my opinion, alter or hinder any of the Forum posts that are such a rich part of SAOCA. That's not how FB works and is not the "normal" manner in which it functions.

Thanks, Todd, for taking the lead on this.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

I'm 54yrs old, have had an old cell phone and no use for Facebook or smartphones. I have a buddy at work that is totally into Facebook and kept telling me to try it out. I wanted to find some ol' HS classmates so with millions of subscribers I signed up to Facebook and it worked, I found folks I hadn't seen or heard of since my teens, pretty cool. However, I made the mistake of 'friending' some of them which makes everything they post on Facebook show up on my Facebook page. I say mistake because then I got tons of useless information posted like 'hey everyone I'm brushing my teeth' or 'oh look at all these photos of my kid eating cereal', what the?!! How weird man, really. And, if you un-friend them it's insulting or something. That was the end of Facebook for me.

However, besides Sunbeams one of my other passions is playing the drums. My drum teacher has a website, gives some online classes and has subscribers from around the world. So he created a Facebook page to give all his students a place to post questions and progress videos. Hesitantly I subscribed to just briefly check it out. It's now become a daily stop for me. It's been a great place to 'meet' other local drummers, several of which I have met in person and are now friends of mine. It's very different from a structured online Forum and more of a casual hang out, kinda like hanging out with the guys having a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning out in the garage talking about Alpines. Unlike someones personal Facebook page, everything stays on topic for the most part and there's allot of pictures and videos to keep things interesting.

I really like our SAOCA Forums and I don't want it to ever go away. It's fantastic for the technical side of things and I like a Forums structure and search topic abilities. I don't think a Facebook page could ever beat that attribute or diminish the value of these Forums. Their just two different things altogether.

I'm absolutely not a Facebook fan because of what I think is 90% junk posted on it that is useless personal stuff I could care less about. I never look at my home page (I probably don't need to have one, I don't know) but I do really enjoy the format and camaraderie of the page I do visit.

I think the Facebook page is worth a try, I'll check it out. If I don't like it I won't look at it and if it turns out to be detrimental to this website then get rid of it. Maybe I'll check out the CAT Tigers Group Facebook page to see how theirs has progressed.

Oh, unknowingly my wife replaced my old cell phone with an iPhone. Turns out it functions much better, takes awesome pictures and I even downloaded a couple really cool free apps. My wife's reply to all of this, hmmm, Facebook and a smartphone, gee, welcome to the 21st century old man

 

[SoCalpine]

If there was a facebook page I would visit and link to stories or photos for my own profile. It wouldn't replace the forum, or at least I don't think people would use it that way. Photos of projects, car of the day/week, that sort of thing would probably be good enough. You wouldn't try to replicate the forum with wall posts and comments. Where FB goes off the rails is with the political memes. If we can agree that you only post car stuff I can't see where it wouldn't help to generate interest in Sunbeams and the club.

 

[puff4]

This is an old thread, but it's the right subject so I'll run with it.

I notice that our FB page gets almost no activity. The latest post is from September, 2022... no others for 2022... then one post in 2021, and smattering for 2020.

Are the US Sunbeam'ers just not FB folks? Not that I'm trying to detract from the forum - not at all - just curious why its so dead?