Another new home for Scottish Elises?

[campbell]

In the hope of making / keeping the SE community inclusive and vibrant, it's long overdue to find a modern place to call home.

This phpbb solution has been amazing for 20 years, and was a positive step from the simplistic albeit accessible platform that was Onelist / Yahoogroups.

But times they are a'changin'. Again.

So I propose we explore the WhatsApp "Communities" function, for a few reasons:

1. A variety of spinoff groups have already emerged on WhatsApp for SE members, like a Whisky Group, a Bikers Group, Campaganza campers group, Trackdays group, #Bemoretut group formed to organise testimonials and funeral related stuff for our most legendary member, etc etc
2. But Whatsapp groups are limited to 256 members and can also be a bit restrictive / exclusive
3. Tapatalk is an excellent BBS-friendly app which makes BBS sites reasonably accessible and smartphone friendly - but not everyone likes or wants to get Tapatalk. And it's not perfect.
4. Discord has been kicked around a few times but feels a bit "niche"
5. People typically do most online community stuff from their phones these days, not from a desktop or laptop with full-screen facilities and proper keyboard
6. The world generally is already using WhatsApp for cross-platform connection, messaging and community
7. It's not Facebook

A wee bit more on what WA Communities can do here:

https://faq.whatsapp.com/49585638246499 ... ef=hc_fnav

What do we all think? (yes, I'm talking to you, the 5 remaining people who still post "on here" and the couple of dozen lurkers that still mooch around in the shadows...)

Yours,

Campbell
Co-founder and Co-Moderator (OMG)

[Mikie711]

Don’t forget we already have a Facebook group as well.
Only one question, how do you make it findable for potential new members?

[campbell]

Great points Mike.

Not everyone has FB remember.

For new members, I think a pinned post in here innGeneral with a WA Community sign up link or the email / phone # of a couple of Admins would do?

Keep em coming!

[robin]

Hi

Of course WA is owned by Meta, the same as Facebook so the conscientious objectors won't want to use it anymore than FB.

That aside, FB is probably more advertisement laden than a WA community?

But I would definitely use a WA Community no less than I use SE phpbb so would be fine with it.

I suspect the content on a WA community will be much less 'appropriate' with NSFW content aplenty. Personally, I don't care, but I would say it's probably going to have to be unmoderated or at least have an unmoderated section because trying to moderate it will be a thankless task.

Cheers
Robin

[douglasgdmw]

Think its a good idea, this forum was such a good source of Elise knowledge (and antics of the S.E massive).

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

[campbell]

And for clarity, there won’t be any porting of legacy content from the forum. To find the volume of tech knowledge (and inane blethers!), folks will still need to mine the forum.

Great observation re: moderation, Robin. My, those were the days …

[rossybee]

Doesn't seem a bad idea, although I do wonder if the spin-offs would disappear with a new platform? Just seems to be the way with modern online communities.

I have a main "car mates" WA group (3 ex-SEers are in it) and our discussions are very car-based but we venture into all sorts and is generally self-policed so there's no silly extreme stuff, and we try to get a euro tour in every year (Le Mans Classic and Grand National for one of the member's stag do this year).

Regarding newbies here, a quick look shows in the last 30 months there have been only 18 new members and only 3 of these have posted, so fair to say this isn't bringing new folk in.

I'm in the FB group but it doesn't have much traffic either

After all my ramblings, more than happy to give it a whirl

[Shug]

First impression - ideal, great idea. Exactly the sort of thing WA communities was set up for, I feel.

It's clear that, whilst there's a very small hardcore across the internet that still use them, forums are very much yesterday's "social media" and if SE is to be more than a legacy group of old mates keeping it going, then it needs to move on "properly"

My observations: Not sure we have many conscientious objectors to Meta per se, more the flood of bad algorithm led ad spam that Facebook has become. That said, I know a few people resisted WA groups, but I think that was more resistance to the single stream of consciousness shout that is a single whatsapp thread. Communities seems to address that by categorising very much as a forum would, in the old days. All that said, there is a danger that some will not want to have anything to do with a Meta product, but I wonder how many that actually would end up being...

Moderation on this place, certainly to my eyes, was only ever put in place to allow as many people the freedom to access it in as many places as they could. At the time, the concern was over-zealous work IT departments limiting access to places with racey content. Plus, latterly, with the decision to keep the majority of the forum open to all, to encourage new members, there was one eye kept on people not incriminating themselves or potentially putting the forum host in a tricky legal position. We know the pre-PHPBB Yahoo group mails could get a bit fruity, but it tended to be mild stuff and I think, similarly, any non-moderated WA group would find a level that all were happy with naturally - and with it not being open to the wider internet or corp networks, the accessibility angle is clear. The median age here is certainly a damn sight older than when the forum started!

If we're to avoid it becoming another fraction though, it's worth discussing whether we'd park this forum for new sign-ups and put a big banner pointing people to the WA group with a view to eventually locking it to new posts. That makes the assumption there's nobody on the forum now that would refuse to move and want to keep trickling posts onto the dwindling numbers here. But if there is someone not keen to do something different - this is the place to speak up, I guess. But before automatically saying "I don't use WhatsApp" - I'd have a look at Campbell's link to see what the communities feature is.

[campbell]

Smashing angles from Shug and Rossy there. See - that’s just how we used to do it! Thanks fellas.

Yes - after a “transitional period”, I envisaged switching the forum version to read-only with an “out of office” pointing across to the WA community platform.

Simples.

I think …

[timmsky]

Hello,

Hope all are well? Blowing the cobwebs off my login to comment! I recall all of the systems we've used since 1999 and I'd also agree that moving to a newer more accessible 'forum' is a good plan. I've used Groups on WA for a while for music business-related work and I have to say despite my initial trepidation (oh no, another WA group to gum up my system) I do find it works well and is laid out nicely. As Campbell says, most browsing is done via a phone although I realise the irony in me typing this post on my computer - but that's because fat old fingers using the phone takes me hours...

Ah, the halcyon days of moderation saw me step close to the mark, but sometimes that was the fun of the chase seeing how far we could push before Kelvin, Robin or Campbell would snap and threaten us with a ban I'm sure in these snowflake-washed days tolerance levels on an open forum are lower for risque speech etc, that's saved for the whisky group and others I believe where the banter is more 'fruity'.

If the WA Community group was structured in a way to keep the track days, technical, general chat, newbies, classifieds etc all under it's own banner, but then also sub-organised into threads then I could see it working well. Otherwise searching through mountains of posts could be a turn-off for those not familiar with the layout or protocols.

As Shug says, I think a lot of virtue signalling goes on about Meta but the vast majority would not actually action that into a boycott just because it's Meta. I know I wouldn't and yes I still buy from Amazon and daily drive a Tesla despite the fact I think Trump is a Grade A wank puffin and sadly Musk is inside his trousers. #herecomethemods

I've been using the Tapatalk thing on occasion, but since I'm significantly less active on SE in general these years, only really interacting with the bemoretut WA group, I just throw my 2c in as a relatively original SE member of over 25 years now to say progress is good for the group and I'd be fine with a WA Community Group.

Thanks for keeping on top of this Campbell

</relurk>

[Andy G]

The Groups on WA sounds like a good shout chaps

Given the level of activity in here, I cant imagine it would get less traffic, but interesting question is how would newbies find it? Not that we are exactly swarming with them either, and in these Emira times, not seeing too many new track attendees either.

Was just laughing at one of the comments about being a member for 25 years, and realised I must now be at 21! WTF!

Crack on with the WA gents and let's keep it rolling along. (although I cant believe I'm voluntarily agreeing to another WA group! )

[duggiesmith]

1. A variety of spinoff groups have already emerged on WhatsApp for SE members, like a Whisky Group, a Bikers Group, Campaganza campers group, Trackdays group, #Bemoretut group formed to organise testimonials and funeral related stuff for our most legendary member, etc etc

Why did I not know about this and who do I need to speak to

[MLCELICES2!]

As a 'newbie' I think it's a good idea. I have the Tapatalk App as I don't go on a desktop when I'm not at work and like to have a look for new posts. I don't pay to get rid of the 5 second adverts which are annoying and a bit of a dodgy one popped up the other day. Using it to comment or post is too clunky. I wanted to comment on the pictures the guys put up the other weekend to show appreciation for posting but just didn't bother. If you move to something that makes it easier, quicker to interact I think would help.

[campbell]

@Timmsky. Laugh out loud funny, your post was! [finger hovers over the Banned button] - as we used to say. Frequently

@Duggie. No idea I’m not in it . Ed Paine is my bet …!

[woody]

Discord for this kinda thing surely.