I've been very successful adding a Facebook group as a companion to my main USGenWeb
websites. The message boards are dead, dead, dead, and my groups are very active, as are
many of the other companion groups/pages that I know of. I am able to glean more
information for my websites through these groups than I ever was before I added them. I
always get permission first to share, of course.
I do think that allowing members the option of either having a FB page/group as a
companion to their main site is a good option. Not everyone will take advantage of it, but
for those of us who do,it opens up a sharing resource that only enhances rather than takes
away from the USGenWeb.
Pauli Smith
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deloris Williams via" <usgenweb-discuss(a)rootsweb.com>
To: usgenweb-discuss(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 2:25:27 PM
Subject: Re: [USGENWEB-DISCUSS] face book or not, you have the power in your own web page
Dan, I know that there are lots of older people in the USGenWeb, but you seem to be
missing the point:
“State or County from having a page as a companion to their websites”
Facebook is being used as a companion to one’s websites, for those who wish to do so. No
one is talking about changing their websites to Facebook or looking for sites through
googling. The point of having pages on FB is one of communications with researchers. We
get more questions about where to find records on FB than we ever see on any of the Boards
and Lists anymore, which used to be the heart of communicating with researchers. Very
little is being posted to the Boards and Lists anymore, and the only other option of
communicating is by having researchers contact members through their website contact info,
but that is just a one on one and often are people wanting someone to do their research
for them. We need to be able to have an open line to our visitors, and with many people
doing their research online nowadays, Facebook has been a natural draw for the past couple
of years, it’s a place where they can post their questions and where many others join in
and help !
one another, or even make discoveries about their own families. Pointing people to
resources on our own websites or making them understand more about what kinds of records
can be found for our State is what it is all about, and whether or not anyone wants to
participate, it’s up to them, but for the USGenWeb to not want to move forward with
whatever the current modes of communications are available, is not the way to keep in
touch with our visitors and we’ll continue to be lost in the past.
Deloris Williams
NCGenWeb -SC
http://www.ncgenweb.us/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan M via
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 2:42 PM
To: usgenweb-discuss(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [USGENWEB-DISCUSS] face book or not, you have the power in your own web page
On 05/21/2016 11:56 AM, Deloris Williams via wrote:
If people want to do Facebook, it is up to them, there should be no
forbidding or no attempt at restricting any members or any State or County from having a
page as a companion to their websites. I know there are members who don't want to have
anything to do with it, and that's their choice, but for those who do want to use it,
it is their right to do so, and most of all, no one is being forced to use anything. It
seems to me that the people screaming the loudest about not using Facebook are those who
have not used it for any length of time. I’ll be 65 years old in a couple of months, so I
am not some youngster who doesn’t know anything, I’ve seen a lot of changes in my
lifetime, and don’t expect the world to standstill as time moves forward. This is the
21st Century, and times have changed since the Message Boards and Mailing Lists were first
formed, many of those are dead for the most part and if we are going to sit back and on
our behinds and let the world!
pass us by, I don't want to be a part of an
organization with no vision for the future.
Deloris Williams
NCGenWeb -SC
http://www.ncgenweb.us/
=====
Well, I am 71, and I been in computers in depth and programming and also
ran one of the first phone line BBS's I wont argue the point about the
good and bad of face book, any one can google * what is bad about face
book?* Social media, kinda like crap ware on steroids. Besides being
addictive its compulsive. Kinda like * Hey, the grass is greener on the
other side of the fence* If you really think you need face book to
provide you attention, your off base.
Where is the attention, it is in people doing the topics you have on
your website and the exposure you think you need in in your web page
presentation.
Its in your meta, ok, so meta might be an old concept, but made
right, it still works. ALSO, since GOOGLE has presented some newer rules
they base their own search engine on, it is best to include those rules,
since all people know is Fred Myer and Wall mart why would it be any
different, google is the search super market. You do not need face book
to get your pages known, you just need to get the word out - you cant
advertise too much. Best answer. I know this one because I been running
some tests on one age with different url's and same content - * stop
abbreviating your URL. What is
IDGEN.com why not
Idaho-usgenweb.com or
any other full name, we have more than 16 chars in links uno.
Description and Key words - oh yea, key words, google suggested some
years ago, because of a spammer issue, do not use spaces.
word,word,word, no spaces. Depreciated html, some html including those
used in editors just don't work, run your pages through a vaidator and see.
Some pages need a doc type - doc types are different and you can
read the w3c and find that out. But face book? Really? Thats like
wanting whats inside of a raging river and with the time I see people
putting in, not making their date changes is simple enough, and all most
all of us have let that slip, and contact information on pages and you
want to add social media?
Just for fun, I am posting this link, it is just for fun to see who
reads it and might have something more to think over
http://www.dedoimedo.com/life/facebook.html
Also, for those diggers out there, look into face book and see what
their programming and even the login programming is doing to your pc.
I ran the largest computer group in Portland for a few years, all
the top pc people were there, you would understand what I am saying if
you had my experiences. From a computer to computer repair and home
helping people do so many things so many years, one would hope I could
get a simple message across, but, all say * I been on face book since it
started and every things is ok*
But, is it?
About the same as rootsweb open lists. Who is reading the archive
other than people interested in gen web topics? How many people are
gleaning your email to use for what ever they choose and from what
country. One reason, google and Yahoo are better, safety. I been
running groups since 1997. I been on RW since it started and had to get
my own name lists added to the rw.
I been around the computers into building and programming and I
would not use face book. Period. But thats ok, every one else says its
fine, so go ahead.
But if it is power you want. You have all you need with your website.
This is one reason I added all the bells and whistles to my domain,
sure, I pay a lot more than some one with a simple web page, or a free
service. But I don't have the limits of say, go daddy or etc.
Well.
Once a year I talk to much. Sorry. But its true. You already have the
power. No matter where your hosted, you will find power in your inner face.
Dan M
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
USGENWEB-DISCUSS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
quotes in the subject and the body of the message