[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by Lionel

Is Facebook killing forum? Here is the answer. As of November 1st that will no longer be free.
http://nationalreport.net/facebook-b...-users-2-99mo/

Mass desertions ahead

You know that's a parody site right? The article is fake and really doesn't try very hard to hide the fact.

[Lionel]

According to video:

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a news conference at Facebook headquarters September 21, 2014 in Palo Alto, California. Zuckerberg announced a new monthly fee the company is implementing which will take effect November 1st, 2014 - See more at: http://nationalreport.net/facebook-b....lobe5Kvj.dpuf

I rather believe that news

[Max Taxable]

It's fake. The site is a parody site. The video just quotes the article.

Read the article and you'll see how obvious it is fakery.

[tbworld]

I loved the article. It just did not make any business sense to me.

2014 Q2 Facebook
http://investor.fb.com/results.cfm

[Lionel]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

It's fake. The site is a parody site. The video just quotes the article.

Read the article and you'll see how obvious it is fakery.

yeah looks like it was a hoax

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/hoax-face...november.shtml

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by Lionel

yeah looks like it was a hoax

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/hoax-face...november.shtml

Reading the artiicle was a clue. It was written in classical pyramid style, the more ridiculous stuff towards the bottom where most people don't read.

Like this:

Jack Phillips from Dequincy, Louisiana told reporters that he is not happy with the new monthly fee that will be implemented by Facebook.

“I can barely pay for all my online girly subscriptions right now as it is, and now this Zuckerberg character wants another $3 a month out of me? Well I don’t think so bud,” Phillips said. “There’s free news out there that I get all my learning from, like The Epoch Times. I know their stories are not real, some fancy word called ‘satirical’, but they make me laugh.

And this:

Fappy The Anti-Masturbation Dolphin, a mascot for a Christian anti-masturbation group, says their business could not survive without Facebook.

“Charging people to use Facebook means there won’t be as many heathens on the site to help stay off the Devil’s playground. Personally, I like Facebook because it helps me promote my side business of making personalized video greetings. Those videos are good, clean fun for the whole family, and they also help pay for my anger management and sex offender classes. Praise Fappy!”

[Weirdwolf]

I personally believe that social networks such as Facebook are seriously laying the hurt to forums such as vBulletin. I've been a member of message board forums of various types from Proboards to phpBB to vBulletin--and unless you got a head start in the early-to-mid 2000's, you're going to have trouble finding a user base.

Though I've run a collectors & fan website for many years off and on, I was never a "heavy hitter" when it came to traffic. Now that I've finally got something going that is becoming somewhat popular within my hobby circles, I've got a Facebook group with 350+ members and growing, while my forum has been around just as long and barely has 50 members. I just recently added some limited Facebook connectivity to my forum (the ability to link your vB account with Facebook as well as Profile Pic showing at the top of the forum), hoping it'll draw more people in knowing that they'll be able to use their FB login for ease of use. I've read some people's reactions in similar FB groups to mine that they much prefer Facebook over forums because "It's easier".

While a couple of the larger fan website forums I go to still seem to be going strong, many of the smaller ones I used to frequent are fading into the past, with only longtime users that are still stirring about. I'm sure eventually they'll leave for greener pastures as well.

If Forum software such as vBulletin is to survive, it may be time to license out to social networks such as Facebook and just create a vBulletin like atmosphere within Facebook itself--maybe make an app that has properties of Facebook groups, yet behaves like a vBulletin, all managed from Facebook rather than a standalone system like vBulletin. Just "connecting" to Facebook isn't going to be enough moving forward, full-on integration will most likely be the only way to go if you want any continued traffic.

[tbworld]

Originally Posted by Weirdwolf

I've read some people's reactions in similar FB groups to mine that they much prefer Facebook over forums because "It's easier".

Your statement above I hear regularly. Most young users find the forum venue difficult to operate or do not have the patience to learn. Their statement always includes the comparison to Facebook -- of course you would expect Facebook to have a better user interface with the army of programmers at their disposal. Established forums are not in danger, but the younger users are still going to complain about the UI. Facebook is creating the "new norm", so companies like vBulletin can only play catch-up or decide not to compete in that sector.

Your observance about the fan site sector is spot-on. The majority of users on fan-sites will be mobile in the future, if this is not already the case. At my work, mobile devices for interaction surpass desktops 4-1. last year it was 3-1.

Web standards will mature, devices will be faster and running 5g speeds. This might allow companies like vBulletin to compete on better ground with a more involved UI in the future.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by tbworld

Your statement above I hear regularly. Most young users find the forum venue difficult to operate or do not have the patience to learn.

Yep, you're right. The mobile junkies want it now. Everything now. They also don't want to get into deep discussions. The mobile web as it is with twitter, FB and the like feeds their ADD, instant gratification junkiness. Forums never will feed that. It's the nature of two different beasts.

[tbworld]

LOL, You are so right.

[Max Taxable]

I help with a site that is vB 3.8.2, has been going 13 years, has nearly 200,000 members, 14.5 million posts and gets heavy posting traffic daily, still. Site is busy 24/7/365 with no lulls in traffic. And I mean frikkin busy like you've never seen. Forums aren't "dead."

[tbworld]

I am the principle of two public forums, 2 private forums and two commercial forums (oversee IT department which runs them). They all have unique mobile capabilities and all of them have their own smart Apps.

The mobile interfacing and Apps are time intensive, but the public forums have really taken off and I now employ a son and a daughter to run them, both are in graduate school away from home. They have run their own forums since around 2009. Anyway, my point being that forums are not dead, but to gain market share today you must cater to the trends of the internet and the next generation.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by tbworld

Anyway, my point being that forums are not dead, but to gain market share today you must cater to the trends of the internet and the next generation.

Very much what I was saying earlier. Embrace mobile, or die. MOST especially if you're just starting out today.

[tbworld]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

Very much what I was saying earlier. Embrace mobile, or die. MOST especially if you're just starting out today.

Sorry, I did not mean to diminish your post. I was just validating what you were saying: from my own experience.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by tbworld

Sorry, I did not mean to diminish your post. I was just validating what you were saying: from my own experience.

Yeah we're swapping mutual agreement, I was just acknowledging it haha.