User avatar
Acill

Posted Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:03 pm

I have been thinking about this for a long time now, and even more so than ever. I love forums. They are the entire reason I feel our community has grown. Social media sites like facebook have killed them off or reduced them to a far smaller population of what they once were. I would like to ask in all of your help in bringing the strength of the forum communities back to where they should all be. Facebook is a terrible place to find archives and past discussions of some of the great topics we all share here and on other forum sites. How many times have you had to search over and over through the clutter over on Facebook for a cool topic posted a day or two earlier? Gere is on linear and easy to follow.

Lets get back to this, and help one another get the heck away from the mess that facebook is! Leave it for family and sharing your food. Lets keep retro, RETRO!

Sorry for the rant, but the last couple of days here has been pretty stressful for me.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:39 pm

Thanks for saying that, Acill.

For me, Facebook has been something I've constantly been torn over. I used to be a very active participant many years ago, especially when my kids were born and very little. Lots of pics.

But the way Facebook feeds and psychologically games content was literally making me ill. Oftentimes I'd find myself in heated discourse with high school folks I'd not seen in well over 20 years over topics that no one would ever back down from. Online, we all seem too eager to become fire breathing dragons over pancakes vs waffles. No one was ever going to back off from their personal biases or opinions; they'd simply reload for tomorrow and aim once more. I would dread opening the site, but also yearn for it the way one might want to catch a glimpse of horror at a car crash on the highway. I don't want to see, but I kinda can't help from looking.

So, years ago I decided to make a full break. I didn't put the account on hold or whatever they call it. I deleted all of my data (supposedly). I am being 100% honest that it was not an easy thing to do. I worried about some of my old connections that I'd never see or hear from again. It was a rolodex I was willingly throwing into to a campfire. I'd never see my old aunt's posting of a religious or political meme again - what would I do?

For the first 2 weeks, I went through what I believe were really and truly withdrawal symptoms. I couldn't just open it up anymore and flick to my notifications or feed filled with addicting bile dripping from the mouths of trolls. Trolls I once knew really well (or barely). The first week was the worst. By week three, I felt pangs of mild guilt and wondered if anyone noticed I was gone, but those egotistical thoughts slowly ebbed away. By week four, I really didn't miss it at all anymore. I was free. That's pretty scary, now that I type this out and read what I've written.

Anyway I'd created this site right before that epic divorce if I remember correctly.

By year two after the break, a friend told me about Facebook Groups and how instrumental they were for keeping tabs on the various retro scenes, as well as some local finds not to be found on Craigslist. I shook an invisible fist to the heavens and silently screamed. To my shame, I created an "anonymous" account that wasn't connected to any family or past friends, nor was it in my real name. I joined Facebook with a new account so I could check out the Groups for Amiga, C64, Seattle's retro community, and made a page for this place.

Over time, folks from all over the world in the retro scene would try to connect with me there (or at least the moniker I use there). Most of the time I ignore those requests (it's hard to connect user handles to actual names and faces). But sometimes I would accept a request. I leave scores untouched, which creates a mild sense of guilt - which is exactly what FB wants me to feel.

But with no family or historical personal connections, there's no real "news feed" anymore - just group posts, which are moderated. News feeds aren't, except by the Heavenly Algorithm. Even still, over this past year I've found myself using it less and less. There are so many other ways to get the information we need to stay connected and informed: Twitter (if you keep it laser focused on the hobby, it can be very rewarding), YouTube, Twitch, forums with some basic adult decorum, Reddit, etc.

If the news is big enough, it will probably get to you at some stage. I've been very tempted to lob off the AmigaLove account on Facebook, too, just to make it one less place to potentially run into a pool of brain eating acid.

+++++++

What made me create this place in the first place was my perception at the time of other forums being difficult to parse the most basic of questions and information. That, and the attitude I found in some places really was very unwelcoming. I wanted to create a place where some of a platform's most basic concepts could be found, explained or shown step-by-step, and not be written with assumptions in knowledge or delivered with condescension. I feel like we do a pretty damned good job here sharing our learnings and experiences with our brothers and sisters. And for that, I will always be grateful.

I think because we're small (just a hair short of 1,000 member accounts, with far fewer truly active) it helps a lot. It allows us to get to know each other to a degree I'll never attain on Facebook.

Peace

User avatar
Acill

Posted Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:46 pm

Well said, and I am at that junction with Facebook. I use it to keep in touch with a lot of friends and family, and the retro scene I love. Its gotten so bad now though and just makes me feel sick to my stomach every time I go on it now a days.

I am dedicating as much to forums this year again as possible. I hope others reading this do it as well. That place isnt good for the soul.

User avatar
McTrinsic

Posted Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:09 am

I simply skipped that Facebook / Social media stuff.

Just forums for me :D

Thanks to intric8e for this one !

User avatar
grshaw

Posted Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:25 am

I made the break with Facebook some years ago. I too noticed that it was having a negative impact on my life. The upside is that since disconnecting, my life has got better. More relaxed and less stressful. Sure it's difficult when many retro projects use a Facebook group as their main communications source. However, overall, I just have to decide not to participate in those projects.

That's why Amiga Love is such a godsend for me. :D

User avatar
3D-vice
Germany

Posted Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:04 am

Well, same for me. Though I have a Facebook profile, but this profile is empty and I haven't visited it for quite some years. Also, since Facebook is probably the most aggressive data collector of all, I simply try to avoid it. The data I share by using Google, Amazon, etc. is enough...

I've grown up with using forums, so using them feels natural for me and I am glad that they still exist. And it fits perfectly to the retro-community imho.

I've run some forums on my own in the past, so I now that maintaining them can be laborious, especially in the field of keeping up all of those security measures. So, thanks for keeping this awesome community palace up and running! <3

User avatar
obitus1990
USA

Posted Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:07 am

Paul,

I too have just begun my breakaway from Facebook. It’s been 3 days so far, and it has been kind of hard to avoid opening it up. I removed the Facebook app from my phone over a year ago, and would only view it via web browser. So I at least have that part covered already. Checking it out had become an almost involuntary response, just as the creators intended, so breaking the habit will be hard, I anticipate. I am thankful, however, that I never got into the sewer that is Twitter, or, any other so-called social networks.

Best of luck to you!

User avatar
BloodyCactus
Lexington VA

Posted Thu Jan 14, 2021 12:05 pm

facebook is the devil you need kind of place. I haven't used it in years, but both my Kendo clubs only post info via facebook, its a real PITA, so I have to anonymously check in on them to see if class times have changed or something but it means I cant post replies because I'm not logging in (and not logging in means no feeds as well which is good!)

But to my mother "your not on the internet anymore, I cant email you".. to her facebook is email, its the world.

I also pared down all the forums I go to so I can concentrate on being on a couple rather than driving by many vs bveing community on a few. I also jettisoned 99% of the subreddits i vist on reddit.

when I was younger I'd subscribe to 100+ Usenet feeds and quickmail packets from bbs'es. so much information, threads, etc.

User avatar
Acill

Posted Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:44 am

Never really used twitter as well, though I do have an account. I just go to it so no idea whats even posted to it. I had it set one time to auto post from facebook, maybe it still does.

BBS and UseNet is sorely missed! I had all that growing up, still use UseNet even.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:41 am

BBS and UseNet is sorely missed!

I hit my favorite BBSes 3-4 times per week. It's my moment of Zen.





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