6th-Oct-21, 11:20 AM
So we ALL seem to agree - FB is a menace 
How do we pull more people on here - any ideas??
How do we pull more people on here - any ideas??
So Social media went down ....
![[+]](https://slotracer.online/community/images/bootbb/collapse_collapsed.png)
6th-Oct-21, 12:10 PM
Unfortunately, facebook has become the de facto standard for the generation you need to attract. Surprised that people with such short attention span would find slot racing of interest.
I doubt any new site gathers huge numbers that quickly. All you can do is keep providing a good reference library and a good news service which is lacking at SFI, together with interesting posts.
Long term, I hope it works out. SFI seems to have picked up a bit again after the change but there are many people who no longer post on there. Not sure if they've gone elsewhere or lost interest of course.
I only go there now when the two meetings I am interested in are talked about or the occasional (very) topic seems interesting.
I doubt any new site gathers huge numbers that quickly. All you can do is keep providing a good reference library and a good news service which is lacking at SFI, together with interesting posts.
Long term, I hope it works out. SFI seems to have picked up a bit again after the change but there are many people who no longer post on there. Not sure if they've gone elsewhere or lost interest of course.
I only go there now when the two meetings I am interested in are talked about or the occasional (very) topic seems interesting.
6th-Oct-21, 03:45 PM
(6th-Oct-21, 11:20 AM)Anthony B Wrote: So we ALL seem to agree - FB is a menace
How do we pull more people on here - any ideas??
Strangely, perhaps - but we pull a lot of people here from Facebook. Like any forum, most will read, some maybe join - and just a few post or start a thread. There has been a huge explosion of interest in the hobby over the past 18 months - and that has been reflected across all social media platforms, but especially Facebook and Instagram. Forums have gained a few new members - as have the NSCC - but it's the viewing figures that have increased, mostly driven by Google searches and people posting links on Facebook.
Although Facebook is a very convenient way to share pictures and answer questions, it is on websites and forums where the really meaty information resides. Unless you save a post, information on Facebook essentially disappears very quickly - and discussion are generally less than great (although that can be the case on a forum too!). Sadly, there's been a lot of valuable information disappear from forums and websites too, which is why - in the end - print magazines and books are so important.
I like how there is a symbiosis between the amazing website content here on SlotRacer - the Manual, the Library, the track plans, the weekly Digest etc - plus the forum itself and the SlotRacer Facebook page and associated group. Take one of those elements away and the overall package is diminished, in my opinion.
How to get more people here? Well, they seem to be coming. How to get them to join and participate? We can all contribute to the excellent content that celebrates the best of slot racing - and respect that there's no right or wrong way to enjoy our wonderful hobby. In my experience, it's not always easy to persuade people to step back to an 'old-fashioned' forum, but it is very easy to scare people off.
6th-Oct-21, 08:51 PM
(6th-Oct-21, 11:20 AM)Anthony B Wrote: So we ALL seem to agree - FB is a menace
How do we pull more people on here - any ideas??
Just try and keep on trying like I do and have done. I've included the link directly to slotracer.online forums, Track Plans and other areas.
I'm finding that more and more new comers to this hobby are simply 'lost' when it comes to track design, slot car information in general and by simply providing a link like I do seems to do the trick.
Every post on FB gets this information, essentially my Signature, yes it makes for a longer post, which I've included below:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a part of a small group of guys that race every Wednesday around the Taree, Old Bar and Forster areas.
Shenanigans Raceway is located in Taree, NSW, 2430 on the Mid North Coast.
Shenanigans Raceway (privately owned) 4-Lane track by MrTrax. At 42.08 metres in length is the largest track in our group. I have a special module piece, the 'Convertor Module' that doubles the lane length to 48 metres. This Convertor Module turns the individual four lanes into one mega two lane track!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shenanigans Raceway 'where shenanigans reign'
definition:
- silly or high-spirited behaviour; mischief
- secret activity or manoeuvring
#ShenanigansRacewayTaree #ShenanigansRaceway #slotcarsforlife #slotcars #mrtrax #mrslotcar #mrslotcarhallam #Xena
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NSW Slot Car Group (NSWSCG)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nswslotcargroup
Australian Slot Car Group (ASCG) - all things Slot Cars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/australianslotcars
Our Club forum at slotracer.online
https://slotracer.online/community/forum...php?fid=54
Our Class Regulations
https://slotracer.online/community/showt...9#pid17349
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Australian Slot Car Commercial Track List
https://www.facebook.com/groups/australi...ouncements
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Need inspiration designing your track? Hit this site
https://slotracer.online/library/tracks/index.html
New or returning to slot cars? Hit this site: The Complete Slot Racing Handbook
https://slotracer.online/manual/index.php
6th-Oct-21, 10:53 PM
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6th-Oct-21, 11:48 PM
I totally agree with Andy.
There are many different ways to promote, publicise, and enjoy our hobby. This website, this forum, and our social media presence are all trying to achieve that aim, and to me that's the most important thing. It's much more important than which platform or site we use to achieve it, so I prefer a broad and inclusive approach.
Facebook is great because the potential audience dwarfs most other platforms, and because people check in every day, or sometimes every hour. It's also where most slot car news breaks first, often long before it's published on official websites. But it can also be very frustrating in it's temporary and transient nature, with very few posts being noticed after a day or so, and almost impossible to find a week later. It's also not good for privacy.
Forums are great, firstly for the simple reason that they are usually focused on a single subject, and naturally have a membership that is interested in that subject. Secondly because threads often build into a story which is gradually added to, and which you can follow, and find again when you want to. And thirdly because the threads are obviously categorised into particular areas of interest. Personally I prefer the forum approach, because of the greater depth of knowledge and involvement, but many don't and we have to accept that.
Permanent websites are also important in providing, well... permanent content. In web terms it's called evergreen content, because it will still be relevant tomorrow, or next week, next month, or next year. In fact we've got publications in the Library that are sixty years old and still worth a look. But most of that content is by it's nature static, so it's not exactly going to draw you back in every day. It's the sort of thing you might have a look at once or twice, but it's also the sort of thing that might be very useful to people who are searching for something, for instance the Manual, the Library, and the Track Plans etc.
All three of those elements are important in promoting our hobby, and making it interesting, accessible, and fun for as many people as possible, which is our main aim here. Personally I'm more interested in that than what platform they choose, whether it be facebook, slotforum, home racing world, slotracer, or any combination thereof.
As it happens, I think we just need to keep doing what were doing. We've got a really friendly forum here, that seems genuinely interested in welcoming new members, and helping out where necessary. We've got great new content being added especially with all the proxy races, track builds, and news items. We've got a facebook page and group where we share all of that, and we've got the Digest on the home page which provides a weekly round up of the best from the forum, facebook and elsewhere. We've also got a growing repository of permanent resource material that members have added to, and I've got a huge backlog of stuff that I'll be adding to that when I get chance (apologies to everyone for the delays).
Basically, everything is going well, everything is growing gradually, and that's all we can ask for. We have a facebook page with 1,620 followers, an fb group with 5,700 members, and a website and forum that attracts a minimum of 10,000 visits every month, often more, in May we got 24,000.
All of those people must be interested in slot cars, so although we obviously know that the vast majority won't post anything, this site and our facebook stuff is still helping people, or interesting people. That's what matters most.
Apologies for the long post, but I just wanted to make the point that any site that has slot car content is fine by me. It's all good.
There are many different ways to promote, publicise, and enjoy our hobby. This website, this forum, and our social media presence are all trying to achieve that aim, and to me that's the most important thing. It's much more important than which platform or site we use to achieve it, so I prefer a broad and inclusive approach.
Facebook is great because the potential audience dwarfs most other platforms, and because people check in every day, or sometimes every hour. It's also where most slot car news breaks first, often long before it's published on official websites. But it can also be very frustrating in it's temporary and transient nature, with very few posts being noticed after a day or so, and almost impossible to find a week later. It's also not good for privacy.
Forums are great, firstly for the simple reason that they are usually focused on a single subject, and naturally have a membership that is interested in that subject. Secondly because threads often build into a story which is gradually added to, and which you can follow, and find again when you want to. And thirdly because the threads are obviously categorised into particular areas of interest. Personally I prefer the forum approach, because of the greater depth of knowledge and involvement, but many don't and we have to accept that.
Permanent websites are also important in providing, well... permanent content. In web terms it's called evergreen content, because it will still be relevant tomorrow, or next week, next month, or next year. In fact we've got publications in the Library that are sixty years old and still worth a look. But most of that content is by it's nature static, so it's not exactly going to draw you back in every day. It's the sort of thing you might have a look at once or twice, but it's also the sort of thing that might be very useful to people who are searching for something, for instance the Manual, the Library, and the Track Plans etc.
All three of those elements are important in promoting our hobby, and making it interesting, accessible, and fun for as many people as possible, which is our main aim here. Personally I'm more interested in that than what platform they choose, whether it be facebook, slotforum, home racing world, slotracer, or any combination thereof.
As it happens, I think we just need to keep doing what were doing. We've got a really friendly forum here, that seems genuinely interested in welcoming new members, and helping out where necessary. We've got great new content being added especially with all the proxy races, track builds, and news items. We've got a facebook page and group where we share all of that, and we've got the Digest on the home page which provides a weekly round up of the best from the forum, facebook and elsewhere. We've also got a growing repository of permanent resource material that members have added to, and I've got a huge backlog of stuff that I'll be adding to that when I get chance (apologies to everyone for the delays).
Basically, everything is going well, everything is growing gradually, and that's all we can ask for. We have a facebook page with 1,620 followers, an fb group with 5,700 members, and a website and forum that attracts a minimum of 10,000 visits every month, often more, in May we got 24,000.
All of those people must be interested in slot cars, so although we obviously know that the vast majority won't post anything, this site and our facebook stuff is still helping people, or interesting people. That's what matters most.
Apologies for the long post, but I just wanted to make the point that any site that has slot car content is fine by me. It's all good.
7th-Oct-21, 10:13 AM
I actually tried hard to get kicked off of a Facebook group.
Not by being an absolute jerk but by putting a small toe over the line of being patronizing... essentially I told people that question had been asked before and there was a search function and that should try out.
I did word it mildly offensive.. something like: Hey, that question has been asked like 100 times already. Maybe try the search function before posting.
It took all of about 46 minutes before I was being told off for being "rude". Which I admit I was. But I stuck to my guns pointing out that people were not helping themselves by not doing any research on their own.
I stopped short of calling people lazy but I did note clearly that while social media has some very good strengths it also has many weaknesses and trouble shooting is one of them.
After about 72 hours always being just north of pedantic b@stard line I shut off all social media for 72 hours and came back....
TA DA...
With the exception of one person no one NO ONE remembered my little hissy fit/ rant. In fact, when the same question was asked for the 101st time someone ELSE who had chastised me for being "elitist" pointed out the search function.... so people CAN still learn... shocking..
Seriously though I agree with all the above. Social media are part of the equation today whether we like it or not. The important thing is to recognize it is all complimentary at the best of times but none of it is the end all be all.
Both my kids are in their teens and we have had serious conversations about the impact of all this. In fact we were very proud when my daughter got help for a classmate that was self-hurting (discovered by a picture on Instagram) and the classmate got the help they needed...
What social media does absolutely brilliantly is created a buzz especially around timed events. You can get a build up, report during and then a follow up afterwards. By their very nature they spread the info and that is all a very good thing.
My personal rule is: If I am seeking advice on a subject and based on said advice I may permanently destroy said object or harm said person I do not rely on one single source of information.
As some of you know I am active in classic car restoration and I have seen questions about mildly important items such as brakes on Facebook and depending on who happens to see the post you can get some very scary, sometimes lethal and often illegal advice whereas if you go to any forum about that brand of car you may get that same advice but almost always a rebuttal or some other source of information to get a more definitive answer.
Not by being an absolute jerk but by putting a small toe over the line of being patronizing... essentially I told people that question had been asked before and there was a search function and that should try out.
I did word it mildly offensive.. something like: Hey, that question has been asked like 100 times already. Maybe try the search function before posting.
It took all of about 46 minutes before I was being told off for being "rude". Which I admit I was. But I stuck to my guns pointing out that people were not helping themselves by not doing any research on their own.
I stopped short of calling people lazy but I did note clearly that while social media has some very good strengths it also has many weaknesses and trouble shooting is one of them.
After about 72 hours always being just north of pedantic b@stard line I shut off all social media for 72 hours and came back....
TA DA...
With the exception of one person no one NO ONE remembered my little hissy fit/ rant. In fact, when the same question was asked for the 101st time someone ELSE who had chastised me for being "elitist" pointed out the search function.... so people CAN still learn... shocking..
Seriously though I agree with all the above. Social media are part of the equation today whether we like it or not. The important thing is to recognize it is all complimentary at the best of times but none of it is the end all be all.
Both my kids are in their teens and we have had serious conversations about the impact of all this. In fact we were very proud when my daughter got help for a classmate that was self-hurting (discovered by a picture on Instagram) and the classmate got the help they needed...
What social media does absolutely brilliantly is created a buzz especially around timed events. You can get a build up, report during and then a follow up afterwards. By their very nature they spread the info and that is all a very good thing.
My personal rule is: If I am seeking advice on a subject and based on said advice I may permanently destroy said object or harm said person I do not rely on one single source of information.
As some of you know I am active in classic car restoration and I have seen questions about mildly important items such as brakes on Facebook and depending on who happens to see the post you can get some very scary, sometimes lethal and often illegal advice whereas if you go to any forum about that brand of car you may get that same advice but almost always a rebuttal or some other source of information to get a more definitive answer.
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