Stick a Fork in it? Back to www.spece30 or move on

#21

Send me your e-mail address and I’ll send an invitation.

#22

If anybody else would like to check out the SpecE30 Slack, use the following invitation link:

https://spece30.slack.com/shared_invite/MTcxNDg2NTAyNjQzLTE0OTI2MjQ2NjQtZTAwYzNiZDU5OQ

#23

Notice the 3 or 4 previous posts…Slack: the next big thing.

I am not saying that you cannot participate in Slack, www.spece30, Facebook, My snap, Instapost. Pintergram, or other interwebs. I am banking that competition for your time will lead you to chase the next big thing.

Yep, stick a fork in it.

RP

#24

I am a big fan of the archival and searchable nature of the forum here. I did sign up for the Slack thing, it’s certainly easy enough to do that, but I don’t understand based on what I have seen how it is really any different from a sort of group FB chat session, so other than the social aspect, I don’t see the big picture benefit of that app yet.

If it’s mainly just another social outlet where we can share virtual tacos, I probably won’t use it, or I won’t use the FB page as much, one or the other, because I have a job, and need to spend at least some of my day allocated to work. If Slack is a searchable resource like this forum, accessible by everyone who signs up, and can be used to help troubleshoot car issues, or understand how to improve setup/driving/etc., then it could be great. It’s not nearly the 800 lb gorilla that is FB, however, so if it’s a social thing mainly, then I won’t be able to allocate time for it, and would just stick with the FB page and here.

#25

[quote=“HiFiGuy” post=83265]I am a big fan of the archival and searchable nature of the forum here. I did sign up for the Slack thing, it’s certainly easy enough to do that, but I don’t understand based on what I have seen how it is really any different from a sort of group FB chat session, so other than the social aspect, I don’t see the big picture benefit of that app yet.

If it’s mainly just another social outlet where we can share virtual tacos, I probably won’t use it, or I won’t use the FB page as much, one or the other, because I have a job, and need to spend at least some of my day allocated to work. If Slack is a searchable resource like this forum, accessible by everyone who signs up, and can be used to help troubleshoot car issues, or understand how to improve setup/driving/etc., then it could be great. It’s not nearly the 800 lb gorilla that is FB, however, so if it’s a social thing mainly, then I won’t be able to allocate time for it, and would just stick with the FB page and here.[/quote]

Here’s what I like about it:

  • Available everywhere (Mac/PC/Web/iOS/Android)
  • Focused group - meaning it’s not a generic social app like FB where there might be some E30 content along with rhubarb recipes and political ranting.
  • Channels - If you just logged in and saw #general and #random, log in again and click on the channels button to get a full list. Kind of like the subforums here.
  • Filesharing - Post content from your local computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
  • Pinning - Pin important content to the top of various channels
  • Realtime discussion
  • Realtime 1:1 or 1:many chat
  • Extremely extensible. You can make it plug in and integrate with just about anything. Hell, we could have it automatically post to FB for us.
  • Search that actually works.

It has a lot of potential. Right now people are using it mostly for chat. That’s great too, but the potential goes way beyond that.

#26

Paul, I have to strongly disagree. Slack is just the latest thing that folks will chase 'till it becomes old. May join, but I don’t see it long term. Could have never predicted the fallout from Facebook so quickly, then again, maybe I could. Where is the civility? How does one search for a solution? (I know, they ask the same question over and over.)

This board has lasted 'till the mobile device revolution took hold. The lack of response to this post proves folks are just too busy to tune in. Gotta have the information come to you. I get it. Don’t like it worth a damn.

RP[/quote]

The problem with FB is the architecture of the platform, Robert. There’s no really good reason it couldn’t be like a forum, but they just didn’t build it that way, unfortunately. The good side of it is it’s accessible from multiple platforms, like phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Notifications are nearly instantaneous across all of them, simultaneously. I can start a conversation with someone on my office PC, transition seamlessly to my phone, and end up on my iPad at some point if need be. I would like a way to search through or reference things I have commented on or highlighted, or have some method to keep a list of links for things that would be useful, but I don’t see that happening, especially now with FB trying to work out brain wave posting or some bullshit.

If the thrust of Slack is privacy for a group, BTW, that can certainly be accomplished here at least as well. This older software isn’t as agile, but that can be fixed. I have private fora that I use for work, and I get instant notifications from there, too. And like this forum, they can be searched easily later for reference work, which is great.

That said, if Slack really is the answer, I am all in. I already signed up, but ironically, I don’t get notifications anywhere that I’ve noticed. Either that, or no one is using it.

#27

[quote=“Patton” post=83245]

Paul, I have to strongly disagree. Slack is just the latest thing that folks will chase 'till it becomes old. May join, but I don’t see it long term. Could have never predicted the fallout from Facebook so quickly, then again, maybe I could. Where is the civility? How does one search for a solution? (I know, they ask the same question over and over.)

RP[/quote]
Re. “Where is the civility?” Explain pls, I don’t understand.

#28

Black and white TVs are long gone. I am surprised at the vinyl records that are still purchased. Guess reel-to-reel and 8-track are officially dead.

Just my attempt at entertainment this afternoon.

RP

#29

I use Slack for work. It’s great for chatting and all that, but, to me, it’s definitely geared for chatting – not for posting.

The two are different activities with different expectations. With a forum, you expect to be able to post something, leave it for a day, and come back to see responses later. With a chat room the expectations are more around instant feedback/real time discussion – which is great, if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s not as conducive to posting a question and then coming back 24 hours later and having to sift through messages to find people that may or may not have referenced your question.

Facebook is in between the two.

I’m under no illusion that we can simply say “well people just need to change their behavior” and expect anything to change – that mentality is flawed and will kill anything from nascent ideas all the way up to giant corporations. It’s up to the people (person?) that manage this forum to adapt to people’s behavior.

To that end, I would look into a solution that integrates the two. There are forum applications that integrate with things like Tapatalk, which offer mobile app solutions to interact with forums. I imagine there are also forums applications/modules that provide some kind of interaction with Facebook as well. Maybe it’s as simple as auto-posting questions to the FB group. Maybe there’s a more extensive integration that allows FB-entered responses to be posted back to the forum automatically.

There may be adjustments and sacrifices – like the forum may need to authenticate with FB credentials instead of a separate user database. That would mean people that use the forum but “hate Facebook and will never set up an account with them” may not be able to post. I don’t know, just spitballing.

Either way, I think the answer is to find a modern forum solution that doesn’t force people into behavioral patterns that they’re not used to.

That said, from what I read Scott say, it sounds like this may not really be under his control. Then there’s the question of “who’s got all that extra time on their hands to investigate what a forum/FB integrated solution would look like and if it’s even possible”. That’s not me. But I’d love for it to be someone. :slight_smile:

Som

#30

[quote=“Ranger” post=83268][quote=“Patton” post=83245]

Paul, I have to strongly disagree. Slack is just the latest thing that folks will chase 'till it becomes old. May join, but I don’t see it long term. Could have never predicted the fallout from Facebook so quickly, then again, maybe I could. Where is the civility? How does one search for a solution? (I know, they ask the same question over and over.)

RP[/quote]
Re. “Where is the civility?” Explain pls, I don’t understand.[/quote]

I don’t think one can use the words Facebook and civility in the same sentence. While there may be short responses on this forum, the group is respectful of others.

RP

#31

[quote=“Som” post=83270]I use Slack for work. It’s great for chatting and all that, but, to me, it’s definitely geared for chatting – not for posting.

The two are different activities with different expectations. With a forum, you expect to be able to post something, leave it for a day, and come back to see responses later. With a chat room the expectations are more around instant feedback/real time discussion – which is great, if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s not as conducive to posting a question and then coming back 24 hours later and having to sift through messages to find people that may or may not have referenced your question.

Facebook is in between the two.

I’m under no illusion that we can simply say “well people just need to change their behavior” and expect anything to change – that mentality is flawed and will kill anything from nascent ideas all the way up to giant corporations. It’s up to the people (person?) that manage this forum to adapt to people’s behavior.

To that end, I would look into a solution that integrates the two. There are forum applications that integrate with things like Tapatalk, which offer mobile app solutions to interact with forums. I imagine there are also forums applications/modules that provide some kind of interaction with Facebook as well. Maybe it’s as simple as auto-posting questions to the FB group. Maybe there’s a more extensive integration that allows FB-entered responses to be posted back to the forum automatically.

There may be adjustments and sacrifices – like the forum may need to authenticate with FB credentials instead of a separate user database. That would mean people that use the forum but “hate Facebook and will never set up an account with them” may not be able to post. I don’t know, just spitballing.

Either way, I think the answer is to find a modern forum solution that doesn’t force people into behavioral patterns that they’re not used to.

That said, from what I read Scott say, it sounds like this may not really be under his control. Then there’s the question of “who’s got all that extra time on their hands to investigate what a forum/FB integrated solution would look like and if it’s even possible”. That’s not me. But I’d love for it to be someone. :slight_smile:

Som[/quote]

Several of my professional and just-for-fun fora have Tapatalk integration. I don’t even care about some of them, and don’t really love Tapatalk, but Tapatalk does consolidate them and I see recent stuff from all of them in once place, not just a single specific one. That’s actually better than a platform like Slack or even FB, although more similar to that in some ways.

I agree about not being able to ask people to change their behaviors too much. It needs to “just work” across platforms if possible. Certainly updating the forum software here would be a huge start. I don’t love logging in with FB credentials generally, and prefer independence in that regard, but integrating or cross-posting would be wonderful. Just look how much activity this thread has garnered in a short while.

#32

[quote=“Patton” post=83271][quote=“Ranger” post=83268][quote=“Patton” post=83245]

Paul, I have to strongly disagree. Slack is just the latest thing that folks will chase 'till it becomes old. May join, but I don’t see it long term. Could have never predicted the fallout from Facebook so quickly, then again, maybe I could. Where is the civility? How does one search for a solution? (I know, they ask the same question over and over.)

RP[/quote]
Re. “Where is the civility?” Explain pls, I don’t understand.[/quote]

I don’t think one can use the words Facebook and civility in the same sentence. While there may be short responses on this forum, the group is respectful of others.

RP[/quote]
The reason this got my attention is that I’m pretty intolerant of folks treating each other poorly. Behind the scenes I’ve asked folks to behave many times, both on fb and here. On a few occasions I’ve given them a “time out” like one would a toddler. I get an email for every single post both here and on fb. That’s why, so often, I’m the first person to reply. It’s because I’m the first person that was aware of the post. My point is that I like to think that I’m pretty vigilant re. the tone of our public faces. It’s a huge consumer of time so it would be a bummer if it was a wasted effort.

#33

As a former SpecE30 racer and hopefully a future racer at some point, I love “stopping by” every few weeks to see what it going on. Not just for technical stuff but for personalities and friendships I’ve made along the way. I have purchased items from the Classifieds, sent messages for advice on other cars, and jumped in to tease some folks during my infrequent visits. So even as a prior racer, this forum has value. I’d hate to see it go.

Jason

#34

Well, it is not going away, the forums will always be here. Lots of ways to search for the data. Just not a lot of action.

This thread kinda proves as much.

On to the next subject.

RP