Yes, maybe a bit slow on the uptake, but we're on Facebook now. We'll be posting updates there, interesting forum discussions, new trip reports, travel notes, etc. Not to mention updates on our 2010 Great SlowTrav Gathering, so if you're on Facebook, why not become a fan? And if you're not, what are you waiting for?

I just checked out Facebook.

Kind of feels like we're losing our sense of "community" here at Slowtrav. Just my own reflections... maybe I just don't understand the point of Facebook?

Anyway, I'm glad to see Slowtrav friends any time right here or on the road !

Charity

Hi Charity,

We're using twitter and facebook really to "get the word out there" and to all use it as a means of notifying some of our members, who may not check in regularly, when there's something going on here or on the main site in which they may be interested.

I sure do hope though that people come back here to participate in the actual conversations and that we continue to grow as a community, perhaps, with all these social networking sites, an even bigger one.

Kim, I don't really use Facebook, although I do have an account. I just signed up so I could see what my kids are posting.

My question is: Does it help Slow Trav in any way for us to have more fans? I did click on "Become a Fan" after you posted this, but I wondered what the benefit to us is from getting a lot of fans?

- Roz

When we hit the magic 100 (we're close), we get "vanity" name - so our URL becomes easier.

Honestly, I'm still so new to this, like you, I signed up to keep an eye on my eldest, then got inundated with friend requests and things and am starting to appreciate/get the hang of it. Anyway, I'm not sure other than above, how it benefits us yet, but it does allow those who frequent FB to know when we're publicizing something in which they may be interested, as they'll see our updates in their News feed. So we know it benefits the fans in that sense.

The motivation for me to go to Slowtrav GTGs is to see/meet the folks who make ongoing contributions to this community in the various threads and the Group Blog.

If we issue an online invitation to everybody on Facebook, it isn't the same community that I spend time and money to get together with (San Diego, for instance).

Just thinking

Charity

I doubt that too many Facebook people (outside of the regular ST contributors) would show up at GTGs or Gatherings.... but if one does or two do show up, they are potential friends... Strangers are just friends we have yet to meet... That is how I looked at my first GTG attendance.

I subscribe to email updates from a great site called www.makeuseof.com , and in today's tips was a description of How to Back up and Archive your Facebook data. (It uses a new FireFox web browser add-on.)
Thought it might be useful to Facebookers.

Star Wars status updates

WARNING: College Humor

Just curious ---- are unanswered questions now being posted on Facebook? If so, is there some way do avoid one's own threads from ending up there?

For example, if I start a thread about apartments in a particular part of Rome, will I then have to assume that the answers may very well come from someone who saw it on Facebook and joined Slow Trav to be able to respond?

You may. When we get no response on the forums to a question, I've posted on Twitter and/or facebook seeking help for the member in need. We also often highlight unanswered questions in our newsletter. As in the case today, it brought someone on to the forums, who previously lurked and decided to join so he/she could share their experience.

These are public forums and people come here seeking answers to their travel questions. Whether the people with the answers follow us on twitter, facebook, google or some other source, and then decide to share their experiences here shouldn't matter. If you don't want to open your questions up to the public than perhaps you shouldn't ask them on a public forum.

quote:

If you don't want to open your questions up to the public than perhaps you shouldn't ask them on a public forum.

OK. As you are Administrator, I'll follow your advice.

I've asked my last question, and posted my last answer.

Marian, I just wanted to clarify that when Kim, or someone else, has posted member questions to Facebook, there is no identification of the person who posted the question. For example, from the Italy forum she posted the question that was asked about Through Eternity Tours like this:

quote:

Anyone use Through Eternity Tours lately? One of our members is looking for advice or suggestions for small group tours in Rome.

I can see the concern about possibly attracting answers from a business owner. But in order to respond on the Slow Trav forum, they must create an account here, and the moderators are pretty vigilant about tracking new IDs to people with businesses.

I could be wrong (since I'm far from a FB expert), but I don't think that it is any easier for a business to find something that might lead to self-promotion through Facebook than by Googling and coming to the forum.

Personally, I don't use Facebook myself, except as I said in a post above to see my kids' pages. But a lot of people do communicate this way, and I think if we want to stay relevant, attract new members, and help find information for our current membership, it's just one more avenue we should make use of.

I think it's really good of Kim, with all that she has to do, to take the time to search out unanswered questions and try to help people find the information they need.

- Roz

I posted this on the Twitter thread, but the same holds true for this discussion:

All groups and organizations evolve and change - families, friends, churches (that one is particularly relevant in my life these days) and businesses.

The hardest thing to manage while changing and growing is holding on to core values, so that both new and old members feel included and relevant, and remain interested and involved.

When I think about it, one of the key values of Slowtrav that drew me in and kept me here over the years was the aspect of travelers helping travelers. I always knew that business owners were a part of that, in fact, the very first person to reach out and help me resolve some questions was a business owner in Italy. I also always felt that the participation of business owners was carefully managed, to prevent the site and forums from becoming a primarly "professional" advertising and marketing site that also happened to have some "amateur" input.

Over the last couple of years, however, it feels like the need to grow (and perhaps meet corporate objectives?) has led to a relaxation of rules that threatens the very balance that makes Slowtrav an attractive place for me. Also, as members have evolved their avocation for travel into vocations and businesses, conflicts of interest have risen into the ranks of moderators. It is troublesome to me, as I want to believe the best about my virtual (and actual, in several cases) friends, but some of the changes do cause me to question what our shared values are, and if I still fit with them.

I'm sorry, but I just don't seem to understand what's the big problem. I don't want to offend anyone, but cliques whether right or wrong always form within large groups of people. It's not meant to hurt or offend, it just is. As long as people are curtious to each other what does it matter?
I think everyone thinks at times their posts are ignored, especially in the group blog thread. It's not that. That paricular thread runs a mile a minute and it is hard sometimes to keep track of everything thats is going on in it.
I don't know, maybe I'm not seeing something as I have never been in "the in" group in my life, and really have never desired to be. I say live and let live as long as there are no personal attacks.