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kim
MVM,
join:2001-03-25
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kim to DigitalXeron

MVM,

to DigitalXeron

Re: [new forum] Social Networking Forum

The goal would be to discuss networking in the online world. Websites are a very small part of this. The most notable difference is that websites are static and social networking platforms encourage interaction and are much more personal.

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD

Premium Member

facebook is not a "website"? is DSLR a website?

DigitalXeron
There is a lack of sanity
join:2003-12-17
Hamilton, ON

1 edit

DigitalXeron to kim

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to kim
said by kim:

The goal would be to discuss networking in the online world. Websites are a very small part of this. The most notable difference is that websites are static and social networking platforms encourage interaction and are much more personal.

If this were back in 1990-1998 where static HTML pages were king and you needed a fancy server of your own to run perl scripts out of a cgi-bin, I would agree with you on your static point. However, many hosts nowadays provide scripting mechanisms (such as PHP, Ruby, TCL, ASP, perl) that allow you to install software that provides dynamic content such as blogging software, forums, image galleries, commenting platforms and other user involvement software (many of these exist on this very site).

If your objective is socializing and gathering, there already are many topic sections on this forum already that allow people to socialize and "network" on various subjects. adding a "social networking" forum under this context is like adding a forum to discuss the act of talking or grouping — in itself it isn't fascinating or beneficial, it needs context. If it is about technologies of social networking, that should go in Webmasters and Developers or Webhosting. Otherwise, there are subject forums you can post in to gather with people interested in those subjects.

kim
MVM,
join:2001-03-25
ON

kim

MVM,

I think you (and a few others) are misunderstanding the intended goal.

The intended audience is not geeks. Imagine you're not a geek for a second.... you are a financial expert or an insurance agent for example. Your livelihood depends on networking. Now you have to learn how networking works online. Everyone tells you this and you know it to be true. K got that visual? You don't know it's a web 2.0 application and you don't give a rats . You need basic info on how Twitter works, why you would use it, how you would use it professionally and what not to do. Same goes for LinkedIn, Blogging and *gasp* yes, Facebook.

I'm not sure I can explain it any simpler than that.

DigitalXeron
There is a lack of sanity
join:2003-12-17
Hamilton, ON

DigitalXeron

Member

said by kim:

I think you (and a few others) are misunderstanding the intended goal.

The intended audience is not geeks. Imagine you're not a geek for a second.... you are a financial expert or an insurance agent for example. Your livelihood depends on networking. Now you have to learn how networking works online. Everyone tells you this and you know it to be true. K got that visual? You don't know it's a web 2.0 application and you don't give a rats . You need basic info on how Twitter works, why you would use it, how you would use it professionally and what not to do. Same goes for LinkedIn, Blogging and *gasp* yes, Facebook.

I'm not sure I can explain it any simpler than that.

This forum is not intended for people with no interest toward technical items. If you're a financial expert or insurance agent, you likely would not be browsing these forums for help unless you have some technical knowledge or desire to obtain technical knowledge.

Those who partake in the various social sections of this forum usually partake in the technical sections as well the majority of the time. Those social forums are more or less a "lounge".

I understand that this would increase the user base, but would it be truly relevant to the subject matter of this site? (Which I do wish to point out, this is BroadBand Reports, not Web Technologies Reports, this forum mainly deals with computers, routers, switches, modems, servers, DSLAMS, CMTSes, etc. and the maintenance thereof on various ISP/NSP networks)

Please see it from the perspective that social networking (in the context you are providing) for a business is a business administration item, not a technical item. If there are technical merits to them, there are already forums on this site for all sorts of technical subject matter.

drew
Radiant
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join:2002-07-10
Port Orchard, WA

drew

Premium Member

#4, #5, & #6 sure disagree with you.

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
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join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD to DigitalXeron

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to DigitalXeron
said by DigitalXeron:

If you're a financial expert or insurance agent, you likely would not be browsing these forums for help unless you have some technical knowledge or desire to obtain technical knowledge.

GOOGLE
AVD

AVD to drew

Premium Member

to drew
said by drew:

#4, #5, & #6 sure disagree with you.

#5 is supposed to be technical, just its been hijacked for so longm its a lost cause.

Mdoc
Ehh... munch munch... what's up, Doc?
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join:2007-03-27
Sterling, VA

Mdoc

Premium Member

said by AVD:

said by drew:

#4, #5, & #6 sure disagree with you.

#5 is supposed to be technical, just its been hijacked for so longm its a lost cause.

The very name shows why it's a "lost cause." I am sometimes amazed that some people missed that.

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
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Onion, NJ

AVD

Premium Member

The name was changed in the last round of site enhancements.

Mdoc
Ehh... munch munch... what's up, Doc?
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join:2007-03-27
Sterling, VA

Mdoc

Premium Member

You mean this one?
»Open Forum

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
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join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD

Premium Member

I just saw that... I was "Ask a question" for a few days. Was it always in the broadband tech section?

Mdoc
Ehh... munch munch... what's up, Doc?
Premium Member
join:2007-03-27
Sterling, VA

Mdoc

Premium Member

Yep.

kim
MVM,
join:2001-03-25
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kim to AVD

MVM,

to AVD
said by AVD:

said by DigitalXeron:

If you're a financial expert or insurance agent, you likely would not be browsing these forums for help unless you have some technical knowledge or desire to obtain technical knowledge.

GOOGLE

A Google search for tech help with computer issues returns results linking to forums. I don't recall the exact thread but I've participated in threads asking current DSLReports users how they got here. Majority said they Googled something technical and found the answer here. They stayed because of the helpful users and wealth of computer related info here.

You may find this hard to believe but not everyone here is geek. I understand that your experiences are different though and I'm asking you to open up your mind a bit and take a good look around. The skill level on this site is certainly higher than average but not exclusive to geeks. The top forums is proof of that. If BBR was all geeks the top forum would be "Advanced macros for Excel" and the busiest thread would be "Anyone here lose their virginity before 35?" not the current ones posted by drew See Profile above.


So, staying current and offering helpful information is what keeps this website thriving.

Social Networking isn't going away no matter how much you want it to. We can lock the doors and keep our little website the same, not change anything, ever to try and keep a few people happy
or
we can keep growing, changing and injecting new life into it.

Your/my opinion on this topic likely mirrors your/my attitude in every day life so we're not likely to ever agree on this topic.

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD

Premium Member

said by kim:

said by AVD:

said by DigitalXeron:

If you're a financial expert or insurance agent, you likely would not be browsing these forums for help unless you have some technical knowledge or desire to obtain technical knowledge.

GOOGLE

A Google search for tech help with computer issues returns results linking to forums. I don't recall the exact thread but I've participated in threads asking current DSLReports users how they got here. Majority said they Googled something technical and found the answer here. They stayed because of the helpful users and wealth of computer related info here.

That's what I said.

DigitalXeron
There is a lack of sanity
join:2003-12-17
Hamilton, ON

1 edit

DigitalXeron to kim

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to kim
If there is a technical merit, allow it to be posted in an appropreate forum, my grand point is I don't feel social networking itself requires a forum, it can be broken down into its more basic components. Social networking is not impervious to being broken down. Examples:

- Security ("I'm getting an ad banner that is serving up malware.. What do I do?")
- Web Development ("How do I link X to Y on Z?")
- Web Hosting ("What service should I use to host X?")

Sure, write a FAQ about stuff for social networking and how to ask questions about it, but please, don't generalize: "okay, everything about any social networking site goes in here, even if it could very well be posted elsewhere" as that is exactly what such a forum will do.

If I had a problem, I would look for a forum to specifically aid me, say I was looking on how to link X to Y or use application Z for my business, I would post in the Web development forum, as that is a web development activity.

I am all for this site growing, on a categorical basis, not per-subject, otherwise we may as well have a forum about search engines, a forum about email providers, a forum about video hosting providers, and so on.

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
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join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD

Premium Member

said by DigitalXeron:

I am all for this site growing, on a categorical basis, not per-subject, otherwise we may as well have a forum about search engines, a forum about email providers, a forum about video hosting providers, and so on.

horizontal vs. vertical integration.

Mdoc
Ehh... munch munch... what's up, Doc?
Premium Member
join:2007-03-27
Sterling, VA

1 recommendation

Mdoc to AVD

Premium Member

to AVD
said by AVD:

That's what I said.

No, you didn't.
"GOOGLE" as the lone one-worded response isn't saying much, and now you're doing the same with "horizontal vs. vertical integration." Can't very well expect someone (or many) to come to an understanding that hasn't previously been defined.