Off Topic Why Facebook wont replace forums

Greenberg Woods

Greenberg Woods

Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
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Hey guys, I have been joining some facebook knife making groups recently as I was not sure I would renew my dealer membership here and there are some big names on the face book pages like Karl Anderson, Greg Cimms and more.

But there is no chance. There are so many people and such a strong air of "These damn youngins, back in my day wood cost 15 dollars a block and you had to march 20 miles in the snow, uphill both ways to buy steel! And we were happy for the privilege!"

When a page has 25,000 makers each individual becomes totally lost. To quickly arguments between people who dont know each other become personal attacks on character. Thats why the minor pay wall here and closer knit system is for me. On facebook everyone feels they have a right to comment on your work, your supplies, your prices and your moral character.

Not for me
 
I think in a lot of ways knowing someone and knowing their skill level and background is necessary. When a forum has so many people you have no idea who knows what they are talking about and who is just B.S ing. On one forum I offered some advise on finshing a piece of snakewood, warning the maker that snakewood can easily crack and to sand it slowly to avoid over heating and cracking the piece to which I was met with the accusation of being a quote "Jew shill because snakewood doesnt crack"

O my.
 
The only person i know on facebook is my elderly father and he gets a 30 day ban soon as the previous ban is lifted. Very polite, christian man, built an orphanage in africa, has done numerous charity building projects. But online he is savage!
 
I am not a fan of Facebook for those reasons, and more. I look at the forums as a sanctuary of sorts, kind of like an extended family. Very glad I found this site a few years ago.
 
I have joined a couple of Facebook knife sites. Mostly they suck-for reasons stated.
I prefer forums.
 
So what social media works for knife makers trying to actually sell knives? :p
 
For all the power and wonders of "social" media I feel it is a tool that is being improperly utilized and has actually produced more anti-social results. The problem is people are generally too stupid and selfish to make proper use of it because no matter what it is all virtual it isn't real without some consequence and/or cost... I am going to stop before I rant.
 
as a maker thats looking to sel stuff i have kept my FB and been talked into instagram. its funny the wood block price thing i guess im getthing old as i too remember nice btu std. burls in knife makers sizes at 25-30 bucks a block. them days are gone but also gone are the days of not being able to ready find some of the crazy 3k 5k or 10k year old woods or remote exotics and there burls. so in a way yes prices have gone up but also we have many more chioces then we used to even just 15 years ago. when you got fancy with some nice maple burl
 
Yeah im starting to get the same way. Im on some bladesmith for beginners page and the info there just makes me scratch my head.
ETA did the format here change or just my phone?
 
jdm61 said:
So what social media works for knife makers trying to actually sell knives? :p
Click to expand...
Instagram, it requires your attention and you have to put your time into posting etc and answering DM questions, but all my January sales came from IG and all new customers
 
butcher_block said:
as a maker thats looking to sel stuff i have kept my FB and been talked into instagram. its funny the wood block price thing i guess im getthing old as i too remember nice btu std. burls in knife makers sizes at 25-30 bucks a block. them days are gone but also gone are the days of not being able to ready find some of the crazy 3k 5k or 10k year old woods or remote exotics and there burls. so in a way yes prices have gone up but also we have many more chioces then we used to even just 15 years ago. when you got fancy with some nice maple burl
Click to expand...
HSC /// said:
Instagram, it requires your attention and you have to put your time into posting etc and answering DM questions, but all my January sales came from IG and all new customers
Click to expand...
valknut said:
Yeah im starting to get the same way. Im on some bladesmith for beginners page and the info there just makes me scratch my head.
ETA did the format here change or just my phone?
Click to expand...

Instagram is where its at. I have found people to be polite, you can quickly check someones page to see if they make good stuff, and you can get a lot of interest very quickly.
 
I like real life. I find people to be very polite when they are within arms reach...
I only use Facebook to keep up with people I actually know. I've got less than 100 friends and I've been on it for 10 years
 
Never took to Facebook. Just deactivated my account last week. Never used it.
Loved Instagram instantly. :)
And this forum is pretty danged good. Great bunch of folks here. You can't ask for better.
 
I've been on Facebook for many years, initially I created the account for fun, then I started posting pictures of finished knives. Limiting myself to this I managed, up to now, to avoid unpleasant situations. Instagram is different I find it much more immediate, I like to put photos of WIP and more, you do not run the risk that you are enrolled in a group without wanting it.
 
Why social media won't replace forums such as this? Two things. Rules and Moderation. Social media is no place for a civil and organized discussion. You try to have a serious discussion and all you get is 15,000 posts with everyone saying whatever the hell they want.

Not to mention organization. On forums, there is a place for specific subjects and the posts are usually last long enough for a discussion to be had. Posts on social media are fleeting. Its an outburst for the moment and then it disappears into a sea of nonsense. Don't go trying to search for a posting containing information you need on blade steels on facebook. You wont find it.
 
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I'm on Facebook and have a page I post work on and am on a few other pages just to see others work. That's about it as far as knife making goes. All the other groups I'm in are either closed groups that require approval and have admins that moderate or groups set on secret so you have to know someone in it and be invited. The last 2 sales I made were actually from Facebook, but I haven't been doing much work in the shop due to just closing on our house and working on it.
 
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