Blummin facebook....

[crickleymal]

I use Facebook a lot. But my posts only go to friends not to Facebook in general. I see little spam and only occasionally get involved in arguments with brexiteers when my friends posts get flagged up. On the whole I find it useful.

 

[T pot 2]

If it weren't so difficult, time consuming to post photos on here it would be a dream.

 

[Brains]

We use FB for our photos etc and to keep touch with family and friends,,, I also use it to blow off steam with memes and jokes that are funny  or interesting to me - if peeps dont like what I do, tough! The annoying people get blocked... For specific interest groups like I will use specific portals. I do find FB good for PM groups to organise trips as most of the people I cave with are geographically remote and not linked by a club

 

[ttxela2]

Crikey, I know a lot of folk don't like Facebook but I use it without any issues. I'm in touch with a lot of folk on there with shared interests around the world it's a source of a lot of useful information.

That's not to say Forums aren't great too, I just don't have the negative experience others have 

 

[Pegasus]

Bottom line is, if folk only post caving news on Facebook, a great many cavers will not be reached. A great deal of knowledge and experience will not be tapped into.

Thanks Pitlamp - that's my point.  IMO it makes no sense that caving organisations post on facebook but disregard the forum - why just facebook, not all cavers are on there?  Not every caver who has 'liked' a page will receive the notification unless the organisation pays.  My point isn't that organisations should post only on UKC, it is to use multiple social media platforms to communicate as effectively as possible with cavers.

I do find it bizarre though that an organisation like the CSCC for example refuses to publish news or notices on here under their own name. Surely such an organisation should embrace all available options to get its messages out...

Yup.

If you find Facebook is a vile place full of hideous people you are telling us more about yourself and your friends than is really necessary.

Most people I know only interact with friends and groups they've elected to join. I always thought this was the default option.

All my friends and members of the group's I'm in are smashing chaps (even the ladies) and I therefore have a lovely time.

I find some of the people on this forum to be far more bullying, opinionated and rude than anyone I chose to interact with on Facebook.

Then again I'm quite a delicate flower.

Just saying, I know I don't have to visit this forum or Facebook.

Please report any bullying or rudeness that you find offensive, there is a moderation team to deal with such problems.

Like you my own personal facebook timeline is fine (if as I said in my original post rather too full or 'suggested for you' posts and adverts), however I am uncomfortable in the knowledge that sinister stuff does go on including bullying. I too am a delicate flower and being unfriended by someone recently on FB was incredible hurtful, ironically was all about being bullied off a livery yard 

What's needed is a single internet source, accessible to all.

We're reading it, right now. I bet Pegasus would agree . . .

Ha, I'd love to however recognise little 'ol UKC is never going to see off FB - however 100's of cavers visit UKC every day and it is a great way for cavers and caving organisations to communicate - for free 

If it weren't so difficult, time consuming to post photos on here it would be a dream.

We've worked hard recently to improve this.  If I can do it, believe me anyone can! 

Here's how to do it, give the 'attachment' option a go - or if anyone fancies donating a few billion I'm sure Q could improve the system 

https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=24318.0

 

[Pitlamp]

Hey - even I find it easy now to post photos on here.

If I can do it, anyone can!

 

[Pegasus]

Yup, if Pitlamp & I can post photos - absolutely anyone can 

 

[Pitlamp]

 

[pwhole]

The facebook news issue is of huge concern though, especially to news providers and journalists who are steadily being phased out by the continual drip-drip of social media - and the inevitable lack of truth that can become endemic. This feature on C4 News tonight was a good summary - I guess you could accuse them of 'bias' being a news programme presented by journalists, but at least they wrote it themselves. There's the full feature available, but this interview with Shoshana Zuboff was amazing - it's rare that Krisnan Guru-Murthy is lost for words:

https://www.channel4.com/news/shoshana-zuboff-australia-facebook-news-ban-wake-up-call-for-governments-over-tech-giants-control

https://www.channel4.com/news/facebook-faces-international-criticism-after-tech-giant-blocks-users-from-seeing-news-in-australia

 

[mikem]

That is the same with all industries, just most of them don't have the same impact if they withdraw their services

 

[pwhole]

I must admit I'm still baffled by the concept that if facebook pull news feeds from their system that their users will then have 'no news'. I mean, I just posted links from Channel 4 news, which I also watched on TV. I'll watch Newsnight later, and no doubt read through a couple of newspaper websites too. It's not difficult, unless you truly believe that facebook is the internet, of course.

 

[darren]

Everyone complians Facebook is using other people's  news reports without paying.

Facebook stops using other people's news reports.

World goes wild.

No pleasing some people.

 

[Ed]

Also worth beating in mind one of the big ones complaining about Facebook in Australia is.....

Newscorp

 

[crickleymal]

I'm a tad confused about the Australia thing too. I never get my news from Facebook, Google news yes, the BBC and channel 4 and occasionally Al Jazeera.

 

[RichardB1983]

When I used to post on the UKC FB page a couple of years ago, the post would reach many 100's of people who had 'liked' the page, often in the 1000's - these days it's barely 10-20% of those who have liked the page.  Obviously FB would like UKC to PAY for our post to be shared. I'd rather put any money back into caving, not further line the pockets of the billionaire owners.

I did hear a few years back that Facebook were going to gradually reduce "organic reach" - the number of people who were going to get Facebook Page content appearing in their feeds, recommendations, search results etc. without you having to pay Facebook - potentially until it was functionally zero - and that eventually the only way someone could end up seeing your content was either through visiting your page directly or you paying Facebook to advertise. Your posts might not even show up in search results unless you pay to "Boost" them. That was a few years ago, and not sure if that's still the long term plan, but I wouldn't be surprised to find non-paid reach falling in future.

Whilst the Facebook advertising rates might well be reasonable for a small business hoping to sell products or services, it's far from clear this non-profit community groups could justify doing the same.

 

[RichardB1983]

I'm a tad confused about the Australia thing too. I never get my news from Facebook, Google news yes, the BBC and channel 4 and occasionally Al Jazeera.

From what I understand, if you went and visited the main Facebook page of any Australian news organisation, ABC news Australia, Sydney Morning Herald etc, then there was nothing there at all: no posts, no photos, no stories, no links etc. It was like the page didn't exist. You can verify this by going and visiting the pages now - it's still the same. Obviously some people were getting their news content by subscribing to these news organisations' own Facebook posts and posts appearing onto their feed - or by visiting their Facebook pages - and that has been turned off completely.

For Australians viewing Facebook - they cannot view international news organisation pages, BBC, American ones etc.

So you can't share their posts, and, according to Twitter users, you can't create a post which contains a link to a news organisation's website either.

 

[Dickie]

I only use Facebook to contact the 20 or so people who I am "friends" with. I wouldn't dream of using it to read the news when you can go directly to news companies' websites. Who does that?
It's disgusting that FB has compromised a load of worthwhile sites here in Australia that could genuinely put lives at risk. Anti-vaxxer FB pages are still active - go figure!

 

[oldfart]

Bin Faecbook.

 

[mikem]

It'll bin itself eventually. Until then it's a useful platform to keep in touch with people.

 

[kay]

One thing that Facebook does that the forum doesn't is private members groups, which can be easily created and self-administered. The creator is at liberty to appoint administrators and admit or remove members at their leisure, as well as choose their preferred privacy settings.

I?m a member of 5 private botany groups on FB which give me access to the most highly regarded botanists in different plant groups. It?s given me learning opportunities better than I?ve had access to in the last 50 years. It might be possible to replicate this on an Internet forum, but at the moment, Facebook is where they are. I won?t be leaving it soon.

Yes, Facebook has problems, and the latest version hasn?t improved it, but a lot of the criticisms people make (not on this thread) are more to do with how they use it, not with Facebook itself