Is Facebook ruining Forums?

[Razasharp]

Add facebook to your word censor. My site which has been the most 'protected' from FB is where we don't allow 'add me' type threads for any sites that compete with us on our topic. And as they have forums (for pretty much any topic) they are added to the ban list.

However, the BBC and all the other media have given them so much free exposure now that it is becoming VERY hard to stay immune.

Best thing you can do is add them to your ban list as a competing site, don't allow 'add me' type threads (as it's just advertising). I just wish all the other admins did the same years ago... they wouldn't be so popular now. All the friends people make on your site, just get taken with them to FB and others - small sites can't compete with that.

BTW I have an idea for a social network that will hopefully be able to take on FB while remaining sympathetic to smaller communities like ours. ...just wish there were more hours in the day!

[Chunky Monkey]

Facebook is launching Facebook Communities: http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/19/fac...red-knowledge/

I would imagine that in the not too distant future Facebook Communities will allow anyone and everyone to setup forums about anything and everything right there on Facebook. After all, why shouldn't Facebook capture those additional impressions for their advertisers?

In light of this, is the prevailing wisdom still to add Facebook Connect to your vBulletin site in hopes that you do better by going with the flow rather than resisting it? Or are you better off not implementing Facebook Connect and hunkering down, attracting and retaining however many of your users join your site despite the inconvenience of registering?

The prospect of making things easy for Facebook's 400 million users to access my site is pretty alluring. Then again, sometimes it pays to be cautious.



I don't know. It's taken years to build up a modest blue widget community. While several hundred members visiting a day seems like a lot considering how long its taken to reach this point, I know enough to know that its continued existence is very tenuous. I would hate to implement and come to rely on Facebook Connect only to see Facebook heavily promoting its own blue widget community/forum to my (its at that point) users. Perhaps I'm better off going at it alone (without Facebook Connect) after all?

Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?

[Zachery]

What stops you from getting additional traffic from advertising and being helpful in those communities?

[Chunky Monkey]

Hi Zachery,

For one there are typically a number of issues that need addressing in my own communities at any given time, and if there aren't it's typically because I haven't spent enough time reading to find them. :-P When I do have free time I try to spend it minding/nurturing my vBulletin communities to keep them viable.

More importantly, though, I would imagine that a Facebook user already discussing their interest with all of their Facebook friends on a Facebook forum inside the Facebook garden won't have much interest in leaving it to check out a site that a person, helpful or not, who was there only to promote their own "off world" community recommends.

Maybe this is an overly cynical view. Again, I'm just being cautious because I've worked so hard to come even as far as I have and it isn't very. I am concerned with what may be forthcoming with Facebook's new "Communities" and "Interests" initiatives. It might put a damper on a cycling forum, for instance, if Facebook begins promoting its cycling community (complete with forum) to every one of its 400 million members it can identify as a cyclist.

Speculation aside, can any members who've implemented Facebook Connect on your vBulletin forums comment about its impact?

[salmonslayer2010]

My forum is new http://www.ontariosportsmanblog.com/upload/forum.php, and I would say facebook has been a good way to get new people to my forum.. It is extremely hard at first. But if you are adding lots of content yourself, others will join your forum and some will add content too. I used some facebook advertising too which is good because you can choose who you want to target: for example on my forum, I target Males, 16-46, who like fishing, hunting, off roading, who live in Ontario. I had more success with fb ads than I did with google ads.

[Razasharp]

BBC: Facebook's bid to rule the web

[worried]

Facebook is launching Facebook Communities:....

Ever hear that saying, "you get what you pay for?" Sounds like another ning which I have no interest in.

[Mark.B]

Instead of everyone wasting time worrying about Facebook - which isn't going to go away - concentrate on building your own communities and people will still come.

A few years ago MySpace was going to kill forums - it didn't - neither will Facebook. Inevitably it may take some traffic away, but to be honest most people complaining about "less traffic" are simply worried about income from adverts. Genuine, real people will continue to visit decent websites, regardless of Facebook and regardless of "traffic".

[beishe8]

Genuine, real people will continue to visit decent websites, regardless of Facebook and regardless of "traffic".

True.

[Joe Gronlund]

Facebook and writing comments on a forum are very different.
A forum is more focused in depth upon the topic(s) at hand. Facebook is a word or line comment, and your gone, and may never return to it..

Chit Chat: vBulletin.com: For example is a concentrated way to post effective random type(s) of topics and posts.

Overall: Facebook will never (Ruin) forums or any forum software competition. If anything, they make it easier for "non-forum based literate" people moving from Facebook commenting, into posting onto forums.
It would be less intimidating to or for them !!

RE: Facebook is Notepad, whle vBulletin and IPB are Microsoft Office!!

[anthonyparsons]

I had more success with fb ads than I did with google ads.

I do agree with this... FaceBook have the ability to demographic their advertising far further than Google do. Google have location information primarily to deliver their ads based on searched text / page text, but not the actual user themselves. Facebook use your profile information to deliver very targeted advertising, based on each user, and from my knowledge of companies marketing with Facebook, very impressive results. You can achieve a lot with Google Ads also, however; you need to know what you're actually doing with the system to get the most out of it for the least cost. The majority who use it don't truly understand the complexity of the system though to get the most from it... which I believe is Googles marketing ploy to get the most out of its advertisers.

[ericefortner]

That's what we call business... Facebook have their own business and we have our own... It is a challenge for us to add features to our forum! You can also create a group or fun page there pointing to your forum... Create account there, add friends and let them join you in your group or fan page... that'd be helpful

[Ramsesx]

I agree, it seems to be more a big change to acquire new members as a danger for us forum owners. The big question is only how to get this members, I would appreciate any hint.

[MRGTB]

I have been trying desperately to get my forum off the ground for a few years, and it seems nearly impossible and almost pointless. I think Facebook is too powerful and I continually wonder if there's any point in continuing the efforts.

Even forums I used to visit years ago, that were doing really well, aren't doing so well, and I think it's because Facebook has everyone on it and it offers so much easy interaction.

Anyone else having extreme difficulties? Advice? Support?

I think it is destroying forums in general, and I've been saying so for a long time. But not just Facebook alone, Twitter is also playing a bit part today as well in it. This is why I've moved away from running a forum and use WordPress instead, because I know it's just totally pointless trying to get a forum busy.

I guess if you covered a good Niche like Course Fishing, or whatever e.t.c, you just might get lucky with it. But in general, your fighting a losing battle now. Everybody is FaceBook and Twitter mad.

[MRGTB]

Facebook and writing comments on a forum are very different.
A forum is more focused in depth upon the topic(s) at hand. Facebook is a word or line comment, and your gone, and may never return to it..

Chit Chat: vBulletin.com: For example is a concentrated way to post effective random type(s) of topics and posts.

Overall: Facebook will never (Ruin) forums or any forum software competition. If anything, they make it easier for "non-forum based literate" people moving from Facebook commenting, into posting onto forums.
It would be less intimidating to or for them !!

RE: Facebook is Notepad, whle vBulletin and IPB are Microsoft Office!!

I don't know how you can come to that conclusion myself. FaceBook has grown, and grown, and grown - and is still growing. While forums have just declined since. That speaks for itself, that more people are turning towards using FaceBook than forums for chatting. And it is taking away activity from communities.

If that wasn't the case, why are IPB and vBulletin creating FaceBook API login mods to try and capture facebook users now? They know like the rest of us that's where everybody is going, and the prime place to try and capture some members from.

Facebook might well be a simple "NotePad" compared to Forum software, but it seems that's what people just prefer now a days. Much the same way Twitter is just a "Scrap Piece" of writing paper compared to forums, but it's still doesn't stop it being as popular as hell.