Is Face Book Killing the Forum?

[John Stone]

I have never seen the forum so inactive. Is this due to face book? I used to see all kinds of posts, interaction, and discussion on the forum. This is such a outstanding source of info. Extensive archive. Good search function. There only seems to be about 10 active members on the Forum these days.

Seems blogs and books are also suffering from the pervasive, addictive, and insidious nature of YouTube.

I gave up FB for all the reasons everyone is familiar with but I didn't think FB would have such a big impact on the forum. Like GPS making it difficult to find paper charts. I wonder what the long term effects will be in our ability to find useful info on blogs and books and develop and maintain simple solutions.

Is there a consensus? Do you think most CD sailors have migrated to FB snd YT?

[bgephart]

I hope not! I am not a frequent poster, but I look at the forum almost daily, and have found it a terrific help addressing issues on my CD25 that I have owned since 1984. I am happy to pay local dues of $40, now $25 to keep the forum going. It is a great resource.

[Ben Miller]

Probably just the usual post-holiday mid-winter dip in boat stuff. We can't all be floating in the Caribbean, as much as we might want to be.

[John Stone]

[quote="Ben Miller"]Probably just the usual post-holiday mid-winter dip in boat stuff. We can't all be floating in the Caribbean, as much as we might want to be.[/quote


I think this has been in the making for awhile.

It's a tough job--but someone has to do it for those who can't....

You're welcome.

[Seaweed2]

I gave up Facebook about 6 months ago. There were too many cantankerous characters that seemed to have little else to do. I am not sure what exactly people are doing with their time. This forum has always been a favorite of mine since joining. The comments are insightful, respectful, educational, and relate-able.

I too have noticed that a lot of the links from the Cape Dory pages are no longer active. Have people switched to 'for profit' avenues instead of just enlightening all of us? Sailing gets more expensive all the time so I could understand if that was the case.

I like the CD because of its sturdiness, simplicity, and solid build generally with quality components. I do pretty much all my own work and, after crawling around many new boats at shows, I have no desire to 'update' to all the modern conveniences. The current dearth of paper charts bothers me. I started sailing back when we were thrilled to occasionally sail a boat with Loran C. They were few and far between. RDF was common and charts had radio stations/towers identified. That was the extent of electronics and I must admit that I was no less comfortable then without GPS etc.. I thankfully learned that electronics are very nice to have but only a fool will solely rely upon them when heading off shore. I even still take a map with me in the car!

Times are changing, people are changing and the inclination seems to not be towards as much long term planning or preparation. The days of the Pardeys are still respected but few seem to be longing for that simplicity and self sufficiency.

I appreciate this forum and all that have posted so many enlightening topics for me to peruse.

[jbenagh]

I hope not. I'm also hoping it's just the January lull. And maybe too many in the Caribbean
For my part, I just got a new wind/speed/depth instrument pack, the i70. Now just need it to warm up a bit so I can get to Christine C and figure out where to put everything. I'm going to glass over the old holes in the bulkhead and try to relocate the depth/speed sender near the galley. Right now the speed (which I never use) is in the v berth and the depth is really exposed in a cockpit locker. Then glass over those old holes too. Oh, and remove, varnish and rebed the cockpit coamings. Busy spring.
Jeff

[Keith]

I hope not as well. As a bench mark I posted my lazarette post on Sat and 85 people have viewed it in three days. Only a few responses though.

I’m not going to fb

Keith

[Jim Walsh]

Probably just the usual post-holiday mid-winter dip in boat stuff. We can't all be floating in the Caribbean, as much as we might want to be.[/quote


I think this has been in the making for awhile.

It's a tough job--but someone has to do it for those who can't....

You're welcome.

Heh, heh, heh……

[Jim Walsh]

I hope not. I'm also hoping it's just the January lull. And maybe too many in the Caribbean
For my part, I just got a new wind/speed/depth instrument pack, the i70. Now just need it to warm up a bit so I can get to Christine C and figure out where to put everything. I'm going to glass over the old holes in the bulkhead and try to relocate the depth/speed sender near the galley. Right now the speed (which I never use) is in the v berth and the depth is really exposed in a cockpit locker. Then glass over those old holes too. Oh, and remove, varnish and rebed the cockpit coamings. Busy spring.
Jeff

You’ve been quite ambitious. The fact that you share your projects with us is what I like best about the forum. Whether it’s a Typhoon or a Robinhood, power or sail, I find it all fascinating because they are essentially all CD’s at heart. The shared experiences are tangible connections which keep this community active.

[Jim Walsh]

I hope not as well. As a bench mark I posted my lazarette post on Sat and 85 people have viewed it in three days. Only a few responses though.

I’m not going to fb

Keith

I’ve been keeping an eye on your posts. That project would intimidate me and I may never have to consider undertaking such a modification…..but your documentation would provide a base of understanding and perhaps someone would be willing to give it a try. That’s the big takeaway for the forum as a whole. This forum is an invaluable historical resource.

I had a small presence on FB several years ago but dropped it once they decided to militarize it as a political instrument.
As noted in the “Code of Conduct and Rules” “ three topics are always off-limits: Sex, religion and politics”. THIS is why I am so fond of this forum.

[Ben Miller]

Probably just the usual post-holiday mid-winter dip in boat stuff. We can't all be floating in the Caribbean, as much as we might want to be.

I think this has been in the making for awhile.

It's a tough job--but someone has to do it for those who can't....

You're welcome.

And we appreciate your sacrifice.

FB might have more activity than the forum, but the signal-to-noise ratio (even just in the CD section) is LOW. And as others have pointed out, it's hard to impossible to search. Maybe the forum is a bit of a secret garden, but I still find it to be superior.

[John Stone]

I hope not as well. As a bench mark I posted my lazarette post on Sat and 85 people have viewed it in three days. Only a few responses though.

I’m not going to fb

Keith

I don't think that's how the viewed counter works. I think 10 people have viewed it eight times.

I have been posting for 15 years and often wondered about it. I'm not positive how the counter works. What I think happens is when someone opens, say page 2, the counter clicks against all the previous photos on that page even if they are only reading your latest post.

Does it matter? Nah. But it seems like a lot of folks are spending time on FB.
I dropped off FB about 3-4 years ago after using it for a year. It just sucked away my time. And while it was great to reconnect with people I had not seen in 30 years did I really need to know what they ate for breakfast or what their political view was or did I need to get fed some video they watched and "liked." No I did not. I felt better after I got off FB. Sometimes, we are better off not knowing what our "friends" think about every possible issue in the news.

The people I really care about I still call on the phone or email or text. I could never have rebuilt my boat if I spent all my free time looking at FB or YT. I think those two apps are causing people to waste some valuable time they will never get back.

It takes work to post on the forum. FB is very easy to upload pictures and comments. But it's not a good way to document projects or activities. Anyway, I have just been wondering about the impact of FB on the forum.... I have to think it's bigger than we think.

[keneasley]

No Face Book for me.

[Walter Hobbs]

Hi,
I check for new posts nearly every day. I don't post unless there is something I consider worthwhile. I could tell you about the raw water pump routine maintenance that is on my bench right now but I think you have all heard it before.

[Tom Keevil]

The old forum had two types of posters: those who were working on their boat and needed information or wanted to share their new knowledge, and those who wanted to chat about boats, tell about their trips and share photos of their adventures. Facebook is a more convenient platform for the latter.

The store of knowledge on the forum is vast, and most questions can now be answered by searching the archives, so no need to post a question. Also, the number of people doing their own work has diminished. In the Pacific Northwest there used to be numerous marine consignment shops, but they are virtually all gone. New boaters don’t seem to start with a small used boat and work their way up. They take out a loan and buy something large with all the bells and whistles, and they pay for the maintenance and repairs.

Also, email is a very old and unpopular technology. The people who were posting a lot when we bought Rover 20 years ago are largely gone. They either gave up boating or died. There has not been a surge of youngsters to take their places. Our kids, who are in their 40’s, don’t use email. If, for some reason, we need to send them something via email, we have to text them to check their email account; otherwise they would never see it.