Forum v Facebook

[solitaire]

Forum and Facebook.... Sorry but am posting this under "General" because no-one looks in the "Clubhouse" anymore - last post was January 2018

I am wondering if the committee can clarify their future plans for CMBA "cyber" communications - I would seem (apart from Rapier's diligent posting of internet finds) the forum is of little use to members these days - Restorations projects, Event information (event photographs and event attendance forms) , engines and boats for sale, information requests .......... now, all seem to be on the Facebook platform and NOT on the forum.

I'm sure Facebook is a good platform, (for gossip, chatter and "wet" dreams) but are we moving in that direction for all the CMBA business - "It would seem so! - looking at current usage", but we cannot abandon the Forum with its vast history of historical information. Perhaps this is under review? - if not, something for the AGM?

It would be interesting to know how many "members" use either platform, if we are going ahead with both, then perhaps some guidance to uses is required.
Its a difficult one but I am pretty sure we have members who have:
No computer (and rely totally on the magazine for information)
A computer with internet access only and no Facebook
Facebook only users
We all would like to see the membership grow, Facebook and the like, are popular and easily accessible but is this at the expense of the Forum.

[kgarla]

Hi Solitaire,
Thanks for the post. we are aware that there has been a problem with the access to the Clubhouse which explains a lot of the lack of posting therein and that was raised at the last Committee meeting in February. This was discussed and will be part of improvements to the website.
The Website is currently being revamped and a very important part of that review/revamp is keeping the Forum as it does contain a great deal of information we do not want to lose.
The Forum itself had a period of down time last year due to software glitches and this is also part of what we are trying to fix. This may well have led to people migrating to Facebook as an alternative.
I believe we want both 'platforms' to be in use. There will be those of us to whom Facebook is a 'modern thing' but we also have to remember it is the medium for the younger generation we need to attract to the club.
The intention is to get the Website modernised and get it a higher profile again to increase its usage and at the same time ensure the Forum is safe and back working correctly.
I hope this helps for now. As the Website revamp progresses we should all see improvements. Kgarla. Chairman CMBA

[floater]

This topic has been raised before and is also a common topic with other organisations with a presence on forums / facepage.

I for one prefer the forum as it's easy to use and search, this year especially due to circumstances I can't get to any rallys so I am using the forum as my main source of information about the association news and activities. The magazine is great and always eagerly anticipated but not regular enough to keep up to date with what's going on.

[kwoffa]

Hopefully my post wont get deleted! as in the past...

As some of you know i support both platforms for Media exposure,personly i didnt seem the point of the Magazine as it had little content i also know how hard it is to get content sent in and administer along with the high costs of producing such a thing,

Regarding the Clubhouse on this Forum i never really understood it as there was no real content,,,and lets face it with a dwindling paid Mebership (as with most clubs) served no real purpose....almost a bit of a secret place...i dont think it does the CMBA any favours regarding recruitment.

There has been little fresh new content posted on Facebook...and little new content on the Forum...so i guess things are slow everywhere...other than the posting of Ebay stuff ! and that is just boats...

Now i know i am no longer a Member due to the problems with certain members on here...however it is always sad to see any organisation fade away due to many reasons...Committee being one...lack of support.... no new members....no younger enthused people coming in the list goes on ...I think if the key point is to gain New members you definatly need both platforms.

[water_buoy]

It is a difficult one this... it is definitely a sign of times changing!

Personally I would say one of the biggest reasons for the forum suffering in comparison to Facebook is just simply down to the devices people are using to browse the internet these days. Fewer and fewer people are sitting down at a desktop computer to go on the internet, most will browse on their phone or tablet whilst sat on the sofa these days which is why mobile friendly display is so important. The forum and our website are currently almost unusable on a phone so this is most likely the reason for FB being the preference. Of course it can also have a downward spiral effect when things are quiet, if someone visits the forum and there isn't much happening then they will likely leave quite quickly and not necessarily rush back either.

I think also that with several different platforms these days people just pick the one they like and interact that way. With our business for example we will post on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and each will get a different response from different people on each. I think companies and clubs etc are expected to be seen across all platforms and people choose their preference for interaction. I know its a crying shame but with everything becoming so easily accessible from phones people are becoming more lazy and expect to be able to have everything placed in front of them, in whatever format they like for convenience.

As Kgarla said we are currently having a new website built which will be mobile friendly. Galleries and general functionality will be much easier for people to use on mobile but in all honesty it will probably take time before word gets around and we start to see traffic pick up. The forum will remain in its current format for now but we will be looking into upgrading this as well in due time. It is however a big undertaking that we don't want to mess up so we will will be approaching this with caution. We will also have access to good analytics, whereby we will be able to see just what type of devices people are using to browse the site. All helpful info for making sure people are getting what they want and therefore coming back.

Coupled with this, I don't know what other people think but I've got the feeling that the club as a whole seems very quiet this year. Several events have been cancelled or poorly attended so far so perhaps the scene as a whole is a bit quiet at the moment. I for one have several boats on the go at the moment but for most of the time nothing that is quite ready to use. This could be the case with others as well?

That being said I am confident that with the launch of a new site and the increasing work that we are doing for the clubs online presence we will see this increase and a new audience arriving but as I said above it is likely to take a while to see the effects from it. After all we have a great club here with many passionate members and there is still a large interest in what we do so I think it's just a case of steering it in the right direction to see things pick up.

[Rapier]

It is a difficult one this... it is definitely a sign of times changing!

Agree, keep up the good work; it's much appreciated regardless of the preferred platforms. I'm happy to support both, is just easier for me to dump urls here, probably drives a bit of traffic too. Am old school ..from an era when a keyboard weighed 10kgs and computer screens were green on black and made a 'typewriter' thunk noise when you typed.

[solitaire]

Brilliant answers - thanks all very much - things are much clearer amd look forward to the revamped website -and thanks to everyone involved in maintaing the Forum,

[Alacrity]

Water Buoy has said it all, I have to confess it is I who keeps forgetting to amend the password in the members area. If it is not done PLEASE send me a pm to gee me up. Sorry folks.

[broompisces]

To me, the forum is a far more "acceptable" place to talk all things boaty. I lament the fact the forum seems to be withering. I'm going to post a question today on both the forum and facepage - I need advice quick bout boat insurance. I hope I get some response to restore my faith in what is a great club; the CMBA.

[kwoffa]

Has the CMBA Facebook page been taken down ??