DSF

I'm not a supplier and will be using the Facebook page for important announcements if your customers want to read this forum they can in the same way they can see your suppliers prices.

I understand that your not a supplier, lol, but are the important annoucements not going to be made on this forum as well. After all, we have a members' section and I don't really want to have to check up on 2 places to ensure that I'm not missing anything important.

Any important announcements will be made on the forum yes.

i think this days everyone is on facebook. ok. most of ppl
and if you miss anything on forum as you not here everyday you will see on your wall on facebook.
As Justin said. Is up to you if you will like it or not. but if forum is dear to you and you dont want to miss anything then go and like it now.
I did.

Isn't this going to mean that people are going to post questions on the DSF Facebook page rather than here (as they appear to have done already)? What's the objective of such a page for the DSF?

Martin, you don't answer questions on the BMS Facebook page so, why should we? The DSF Facebook page hasn't been set up for questions as that isn't the intention at all.

Okay, but what's the objective of the facebook page for the DSF? From an outsider it looks like a duplication rather than adding something extra, or am I missing something?

There is good reason for it looing similar to the DSF as a lot of businesses do exactly the same now. Social media as you already know is very useful in several ways & if people with a business don't embrace it well, they could be loosing out. Your not missing anything at all Martin because, you have already embraced it for your business.

At the moment it only looks like a message board, so I wonder what the advantage is that would encourage everyone to start using the facebook page regularly instead (or as well).

Let's face it most social media sites are message boards so, we are doing nothing different to anyone else using a Facebook page. We have decided to try something new or you could say a bit of an experiment. There is nothing under hand going on with this at all.

Ian M;61911 wrote:Martin, you don't answer questions on the BMS Facebook page so, why should we? The DSF Facebook page hasn't been set up for questions as that isn't the intention at all.



There is good reason for it looing similar to the DSF as a lot of businesses do exactly the same now. Social media as you already know is very useful in several ways & if people with a business don't embrace it well, they could be loosing out. Your not missing anything at all Martin because, you have already embraced it for your business.



Let's face it most social media sites are message boards so, we are doing nothing different to anyone else using a Facebook page. We have decided to try something new or you could say a bit of an experiment. There is nothing under hand going on with this at all.

We do answer questions on our facebook page (not sure why you would suggest otherwise as there are questions and answers on there!) and I've not suggested for one moment that there is anything underhand - that term's been used by the admin/ mods, not me. But that's not the point of my question really, and I seem to be coming in for some flack for asking a fairly simple question. Yes facebook has a place and for us it's a means of quickly getting in contact with those that follow us there. It's a different route to providing information, whereas for the DSF facebook page it seems a lot more like potential duplication, hence my original comment/ question and I was curious what the benefit would be (not to me, but to members generally). Reference to 'an experiment' might suggest it's a 'toe in the water' and that's great for the DSF to see what happens.

I agree social media has a place, but the isn't the forum is already occupying that space ? - followers can receive updates to their questions, follow new threads, start new threads, search for information etc. I can see the DSF facebook page as competition for the DSF forum and for that reason I was asking the question if I'm missing something (in the philosophical sense). Anyway, time will tell.

Happy New Year

Paul;61907 wrote:i think this days everyone is on facebook. ok. most of ppl

I'm not

Mark

Might I suggest if anyone wants to discuss the merits etc. of using Facebook they start a thread under the Take a Break section please? This thread is an announcement that the DSF page is now operational.

I'd appreciate it if every decision or announcement I make on the forum isn't scrutinised under a microscope, thank you

I'd appreciate it if every decision or announcement I make on the forum isn't scrutinised under a microscope, thank you

Make the announcement, then lock the thread, that's an easy one

I think the problem being is that decisions in the past where made to bring in monies to cover hosting. Now, due to the amount of paying members, its more of a business - people have paid their money, and quite rightly, want a say in what's going on and how its ran.

The forum is by no means a business and the amount of money coming in dwindles, premium members have paid their money for one or both of two reasons, firstly they want to support a free forum that has helped them save money and given them specific expertise. Secondly they are saving considerably more that the measly £10 in supplier discounts.

I fail to see how these members want a say in what's going on and how its run for this money? Time and time again I've asked what members want and time and time again there is little input.

Back to the announcement, I will now be making announcements etc. through our Facebook site to ensure members can receive this information and notifications quickly through a media that many already use on a regular basis. This represents a further increase in workload for admin, i.e. me so anyone paying their £10 per year can rest assured they're getting their pound of flesh as well as an excellent resource to help them make more money for their business/hobby

....and you're absolutely right, I'll lock 'announcements' in the future to save an unnecessary discussions and nit picking.