Usage of the forum

[Mjit]

On 04/09/2024 at 21:42, mishmosh said:

The advantage of The Facebook page is easy to use and is instant . Requires no logging in and has lots of reach.  The forum is better for retaining topics and referencing issues.  However it is “ old Skool”.  

Umm, you're talking about Facebook right?

Let's see, click on the "F" icon at the bottom of this page and:

1. https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Triumph-Sports-Six-Club/100063744904477/ - overlayed with a login form.
2. We can close that though so let's scroll down the posts...
3. Get 5 down and - up pops the frigging login overlay again, this time with no close option.

So DOES require login and has a reach limited to the 5 most recent posts.

 

 

On 05/09/2024 at 09:56, Paul H said:

The TSSC should use Facebook to find new members keep them entertained with the benefits of owning classic cars and regularly refer them to the forum for specialist advice .

Umm, you really need to check out the demographic spread of social media.  To put it bluntly FB is full of old people, the sorts of old people who if they own a Triumph are either already members of the club or are at least aware of the club so means you're fishing  in your own catch net.

TickTock probably has too young a demographic for the TSSC to worry about as a primary audience there's a lot to be said for putting in the early spade work to attract pre-drivers to the Triumph brand and classic car ownership.

Instagram is probably where the TSSC should be focusing its social media efforts.  As all social media channels tend to do this has moved up from teens/20s to more 20s-40s, so people who can drive but have maybe never considered a Triumph/any classic car but can be sold on some of the advantages.  For a start they look good/different, make ideal second cars outside London/only cars in London (where you don't generally need a car but one that's ULEZ exempt is tempting).

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, Mjit said:

To put it bluntly FB is full of old people, the sorts of old people who if they own a Triumph are either already members of the club or are at least aware of the club so means you're fishing  in your own catch net.

Really?? I mean, apart from me?? I find it full of young, opinionated and sadly too often badly informed people who bombard me with how wonderful the Native Americans were and how everything in the world was invented by Africans, how evil the British Empire was, or why I should be vegan and cuddle little animals. It's a lightweight feather of an app, the equivalent of the One Show. I find it as reliable for Herald-related information as the Honest John website. "Why is my Herald running rich?" "It's your MAF sensor" sort of thing. 

Comparing the forum with FB is like comparing the Workshop Manual with Practical Classics; lots of lightweight reading about what everyone is doing, but not enough on how they're doing it.

[Mjit]

2 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

(Facebook full of old people)

Really??...It's a lightweight feather of an app, the equivalent of the One Show.

Umm, only old people watch the One Show...

Facebook followed what's become the standard social media cycle, the same cycle you can see all over the place.

1. It's new, the cool kids adopt it.
2. Because the cool kits use it the uncool kids start using it too, to make out they are cool.
3. Slowly all the kids parents learn about it and start using it.
4. The fact their gran is on their alone is enough to make it uncool but mum reposting cat videos really nails that coffin lid down, so the cool kids move on to something else.
5. The uncool kids don't want to be uncool so also leave, following the cool kids whever they went.
6. Just the old people left.

Sure it might loop back around again, much like skiing:

1. Only skiing.
2. Snowboarding comes along.
3. Kids switch to snowboarding as parent ski so skiing uncool.
4. Parent (in this case mainly middle aged dads) still want to be cool so switch to snowboarding.
5. Snowboarding now mainly middle aged dads so inherently uncool.
6. Kids switch to skis.

But currently FB is "Uncool/what your gran uses".

[Colin Lindsay]

16 hours ago, Mjit said:

Umm, only old people watch the One Show...

Facebook followed what's become the standard social media cycle, the same cycle you can see all over the place.

1. It's new, the cool kids adopt it.
2. Because the cool kits use it the uncool kids start using it too, to make out they are cool.
3. Slowly all the kids parents learn about it and start using it.
4. The fact their gran is on their alone is enough to make it uncool but mum reposting cat videos really nails that coffin lid down, so the cool kids move on to something else.
5. The uncool kids don't want to be uncool so also leave, following the cool kids whever they went.
6. Just the old people left.

But currently FB is "Uncool/what your gran uses".

I agree; it's transient, shallow, and liable to be superceded by the next big thing, as are all these lightweight entertainment platforms.

I prefer something solid and dependable, and the forum seems to be.

I can't be THAT old then as the One Show definitely doesn't appeal.

[AidanT]

To be honest, I use both. Facebook I find useful to find local services however I always take it with a pinch of salt and cross reference everything with other sources. 

This forum is where I get the specialist knowledge from, and I've got to know the names of the best of the best on here who I trust implicitly 

Aidan

[Sue Franklin]

My feeling is that there is a place for all types of contact.  I never wanted to use FB until prompted to do so by a young member.  It has been fantastic in enabling me to promote what we do in Devon quickly to an ever growing audience.  If some are not members of the club there is always the hope that we will attract them to join.  I too worry as others have said about the number of new owners of our cars who obviously struggle with technical issues, and note that their responses rarely direct them to the forum?  

I do occasionally use the Forum too mainly to promote the Area's events and National.

We have to remember that the Club is run by members FOR members and I am sure COM would welcome input from some who want something different.  As Wagger says, let's avoid criticism and instead expand the base of technical expertise on all channels.  COM has a limited number of people on board, and I am sure more would be welcomed.  Rather than carp about what the Club does not do, why not volunteer a little of your time to help.

Remember the AGM is 22 September - why not come along, meet other committed members and COM and maybe even volunteer through the proper channels ie Chairman prior to the meeting - all set out in this months great edition of the Courier?  See you there?

[Triumph948]

On 05/09/2024 at 18:56, Graham C said:

DVD3500, I stayed awake reading your point of view and fully agree and very well put.  It seems to me that people feel the forum is clunky mainly due to the filing system. Which is like a basic system on a computer - headed folders with named files held within the folder. So why is this problem when everyone has PC and just follow this system.

The point about the TSSC using Facebook as a marketing tool is very valid as I seem to come across businesses promoting themselve.

I wonder if the TSSC should not re- brand and the forum as a technical/ help centre, promote it on facebook. The club could take monthly forum thread and publish it under a separate section in the Courier, adds more copy to the magazine. Helping to fill the pages rather than the numerous picture we seem now have.

I feel we need more traffic on the forum it is excellent tool for long technical queries, we have help novices rebuild engines, gearboxes. Can this be done on facebook.

So the long and short of the comments from all who have replied, we need both but the TSSC needs to do more to attract people to this forum. Above were some of my ideas from the feed back, but we need the COM to open discussion and move it forward.

We member can't instruct the club to do this.

How do we get this talked about the AGM and have the COM take action?

Graham

Hi Graham, I am happy to talk about anything at the Agm not quite sure what action you want Com to do ?

I look at the Forum every day and respond where needed,

The age profile of the forum is definitely older than social media but I think you need to look at the numbers we now have over 10,000 members on some social channels with Instagram being our fastest growing channel at over 6000 members and growing.

The forum is not for everybody as Social media isn’t for a lot of you on the forum we are trying our best to be everywhere at once and be as helpful as we can too everyone.

The Com are working harder than we have ever done with less help than we have ever had, this is not a Tssc problem but a problem across groups and associations across the country.

We are a car club with an ageing demographic we are trying our best to attract new younger members but the numbers just aren’t there or the cars for sale for them to buy.

The Tssc Com would welcome any comments or ideas and as I said above please message me and I will discuss anything you like at the Agm that is one of the reasons we have one !

 

Thank you 
Chris 

Tssc chairman 

 

[andybeau]

48 minutes ago, Triumph948 said:

Hi Graham, I am happy to talk about anything at the Agm not quite sure what action you want Com to do ?

I look at the Forum every day and respond where needed,

The age profile of the forum is definitely older than social media but I think you need to look at the numbers we now have over 10,000 members on some social channels with Instagram being our fastest growing channel at over 6000 members and growing.

The forum is not for everybody as Social media isn’t for a lot of you on the forum we are trying our best to be everywhere at once and be as helpful as we can too everyone.

The Com are working harder than we have ever done with less help than we have ever had, this is not a Tssc problem but a problem across groups and associations across the country.

We are a car club with an ageing demographic we are trying our best to attract new younger members but the numbers just aren’t there or the cars for sale for them to buy.

The Tssc Com would welcome any comments or ideas and as I said above please message me and I will discuss anything you like at the Agm that is one of the reasons we have one !

 

Thank you 
Chris 

Tssc chairman 

 

Reference Instagram the best you get in comments is "I used to have one" nothing more or less

 

Facebook I cancelled a few years ago, fed up of the trolls.

This forum is good with great contributions and knowledge, but seems looked down on by the club 🤷‍♂️

Now in 2024 not having online voting is so 19th century.

And the website really needs work and needs keeping up to date.

Seriously thinking about not renewing my membership next year because the whole club seems so old and out of date.

 

[PeteH]

I do, dip in and out of faceache, like all "social media" it has it`s uses. Providing you ignore the more obvious trolling there is some useful information to be gleaned. I agree that some of the comment in reply`s is erroneous, and I have on at least one ocasion felt obliged to point it out. One of it`s drawbacks is the lack of a satisfactory means by which to search information as much would appear to "dissappear" rather rapidly unlike the forum here where the search facility is by and large effective. How about a facebook "sticky" pointing folk to the plethora of information available on this platform? is that possible?

As for Voting, May I politely reiterate that it be investigated as possible by COM? I have still some faith in democracy, despite recent events, and exercising it more broadly amongst the membership can only be beneficial. Folk always feel more amemable if they believe they are being listened too.

I am old enough to remember back in the bad old days, when Trade Union decisions could be made by a small cadre of persons in a smokey backroon by a show of hands, affecting the lives and liveleyhoods of thousands of union members. And whilst No One would accuse the TSSC of any malfeasance in any manner, broadening the decison making can only be for the common good.

Pete

Edited September 9 by PeteH
spelun

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, PeteH said:

I am old enough to remember back in the bad old days, when Trade Union decisions could be made by a small cadre of persons in a smokey backroon by a show of hands, affecting the lives and liveleyhoods of thousands of union members.

Still goes on, and the majority of workers follow their lead believing it's for the good of all, not just the privileged few. I've fallen foul of the 'deals over brandy and cigars' brigade too. Not the TSSC though, I hasten to add.

[Chris A]

25 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

brandy and cigars' brigade

Dodgy bunch that lot. Me, I'm whisk(e)y and cigars much more reliable people 🙄 although i have been known on rare occasions to join the Armagnac & cigars fraternity.