Is Facebook killing the internet forums?

[bkm]

It seems that over the last several years the internet forums have been losing steam and more people are using Facebook as their medium. I know my local Mustang forum has practically dried up, but a lot of the members post to Facebook. .Org has all but dried up and blown away since the latest update fiasco and no one really seems to care. Here you can go back just two or three years and read posts from numerous members who no longer post or haven't in a couple years.

Is it just me or are the cookie cutter forum formats eventually going by way of the Dodo Bird?

[RIDE-RED 250r]

IDK, Facebook isn't bad, but it's far from an equal substitute to the forums I frequent. Things are cluttered and disorganized in comparison on Facebook, and you can't search topics you need info on like you can here.

I too have noticed alot of groups popping up. Heck, I even started a NY based 3 wheeler enthusiast group. But by no means do I prefer FB to here though.

I think unless FB designs some sort of format to keep groups organized and implement some sort of search engine, the forums in most cases will remain the main attraction of people. At least that's the way I feel about it..

[bkm]

I also prefer the forum layouts above and beyond that of Facebook. It just seems the forums have slowed way down compared to several years ago.

[Ghostv2]

Forums will never dry up as long as you are providing something to keep them here and 3ww is the one stop shop for everything trike related. The reasons the little ones dry up is because they fall to the bigger ones. Or lack of updates and poor staff. And 3ww IS the big one.

Facebook is more local, i belong to a trike group, but its a group based out of members from PA. I keep 90% of my trike stuff on the forums because quite honestly nobody on facebook really cares. None of the girls care, hell my own girlfriend doesnt even care. If i posted everything about trikes i wanted to on facebook people would probably block me because it would be annoying.

[fabiodriven]

This is the only forum I have ever frequented so I don't have much to compare it to. I don't watch the actual numbers but I've felt the traffic in here has slowed way down over the last couple years. I remember back in 09-ish I'd finish replying to a thread in Trikesylvania and there would already be 5 new replies to other threads. It's not like that anymore. Facebook hasn't stopped me from posting as much here, I just broke my brain. I dunno where everyone else is.

[kb0nly]

I check into facebook maybe once a week, i check into the 3WW forum daily... So NO for me.

[just ben]

I have noticed the groups on this forum have dried up completely and I think that could be related to FB. I'm not on any forums really besides for trikes but I have noticed a slow down on them. My thoughts on that are that this site lost a few members that posted 800 times a day to drama and 3WO, well they killed it themselves. I was told over a year ago that Dan didn't give a turd about his site and as soon as it stopped paying for itself it would be sold or shut down. It looks like their "upgrade" may have been the end. It's kind of too bad because since this past spring they just started getting a lot of traffic. FB will fall at some point too, at the hand of a "better" site but the forums will always be around.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I agree with that Ben... I have noticed it has slowed down too, but IMHO for the better for the most part.

Maybe the kids that were starting BS here daily have migrated over to FB where there is no moderation to speak of and they can post whatever they want?? LOL!

Or, maybe people swing in and see what a bunch of old farts we are and just move on down the road??

IDK, either way, I would rather have quality over quantity. Rather only see a few new posts per day that are productive, than see page after page of nonsense.

[atc007]

I don't know anything about FB or other forums except >org is a toilet bowl. Yep,there are some super guys that go over there and here. But I know 1st hand about the owner and how he does things. Great to hear it's dying. Around here,I think everyone has a different reason to be here. I Love the virgins coming in with that ear to ear Sh!t eatin grin after scoring their first 3 wheeler! Their excitement is palpatable! That was 1981 for me. I LOVE when they jump from a 110 or a 125 up to a 200X,,or maybe even a 2 stroke short course racer. That was 1984 for me. If I had the time,I would help every last one of them so long as they don't have a chip on their shoulder. If they do? Sorry bucko I do know also 1st hand. A lot of the guys I talk with in my circles care very much about their privacy and may have never heard of this place,or have stopped in and seen the very innocent demands for pictures,videos,,"proof" of what they do or don't have,,and never come back. What Billy has built here is absolutely not going away IMHO It is good I have noticed a slow down in my short stay here for sure.

[big specht]

I think it is hurting some of the forms. I'm a member on rrorc.com and they were just talking about FB hurting it too. The post have slowed down really bad over there too. AS for FB I don't have a page and hardly ever go there unless the site I'm on is pretty much dead and the only why I can get ahold the people that run it is to get them on there FB page.

[86T3]

I think that the two month probation period has slowed down the posts here. I began to go to .org a lot more in the last year because there is a lot more traffic there for racers. Raffa getting exiled there and the racers section made for a lot of good threads. Its a damn shame what the update did. Ive seen a couple of the .org regulars posting over here so im afraid that they shot themselves in the foot. Facebook will never overtake the forums but like ben said, the groups are better

[ScreaminRed]

Hey, you guys that have been here a long time, don't go anywhere!!! This site needs you, i need this site. I'm not really a big FB fan, but i'm also older and i do like my privacy also. I got my first 3 wheeler in '83 and still have it. I love these things and WE are the only ones who seem to care about them. This site is great for info and buying or trading parts, and also to chat with boys and girls who love these things the way we all do. I've been checking in almost everyday since i joined, and i really like it here.

[RapidRick]

I don't know anything about FB or other forums except >org is a toilet bowl. Yep,there are some super guys that go over there and here. But I know 1st hand about the owner and how he does things. Great to hear it's dying. Around here,I think everyone has a different reason to be here. I Love the virgins coming in with that ear to ear Sh!t eatin grin after scoring their first 3 wheeler! Their excitement is palpatable! That was 1981 for me. I LOVE when they jump from a 110 or a 125 up to a 200X,,or maybe even a 2 stroke short course racer. That was 1984 for me. If I had the time,I would help every last one of them so long as they don't have a chip on their shoulder. If they do? Sorry bucko I do know also 1st hand. A lot of the guys I talk with in my circles care very much about their privacy and may have never heard of this place,or have stopped in and seen the very innocent demands for pictures,videos,,"proof" of what they do or don't have,,and never come back. What Billy has built here is absolutely not going away IMHO It is good I have noticed a slow down in my short stay here for sure.

Ya, I like this site too

[Billy Golightly]

FB hasn't helped, but the amount of drama and inner group politics that has went on the past several years has probably been the biggest contributor unfortunately.

Maybe we will grow out of it and heal those wounds eventually.

[fcf35]

FB hasn't helped, but the amount of drama and inner group politics that has went on the past several years has probably been the biggest contributor unfortunately.

Maybe we will grow out of it and heal those wounds eventually.

your exactly right.I myself had second thoughts on staying on this site because of sometimes being made to feel like an idiot.I do know that sometimes the search function just doesn't work or its difficult to find what your looking for.for me I just wanted a fresh opinion that seemed geared toward me.I just turned 34 and have always been the kid who takes everything apart to see how it works.that's a lot of my passion towards 3 wheelers is just working on them.I like buy diamonds in the rough and fixing them.as soon as everyhthing I have runs I get bored and have to find more.its gotten so addicting that I don't even ride them when I get done I just fix them mechanically and scoot them to the side.this site has been invalueable to me and ill always be a member not matter the drama.I really appreciate everyone who has guided me threw my problems on here and I will do the same for anyone who needs it.