Andy wrote:It depends what exactly you're after. Blowing my own trumpet a bit however, you won't find anywhere as focussed as NSR-WORLD, or with as much [accurate and focussed!] information, or as many knowledgable people. Facebook posts tend to go off-topic very rapidly.

Facebook for socialising, maybe... but our forum and website for the tech stuff.

This is the worst thing about social media. Yes its great for quick stuff and throw away comments. Forums do have a place but seem to be losing ground with a lot of members just spending more and more time on Facebook. I was a moderator at Performance Bikes, work got in the way of my free time and it was handy to catch up with people as I had less time to spend on my own bikes. I have only just started using forums again and have noticed how slow many of the new posts seem to appear. You can have posts almost a year old on the first page etc.

But then some forums have become more and more of a clique so it has become a place were some users just dont feel part of the group. I heard this and felt it was wrong but then saw this happen after it was pointed out and it did seem to be one of the nails in the coffin for some of its members. Even I have asked the odd direct question from one person in particular who saw and read the message but totally blanked it and not even a sorry I dont know or a FCUK OFF I dont like you.. It puts a cloud over the experience and that person runs a business and will have lost a lot of future custom with that attitude. Forum owners, vendors and those who benefit financially from a forum need to use it more as a way to keep and nurture customers. The way we use social media has changed and forums and its owners need to change with it. One forum removing is chat section is pushing people to its facebook page and that page has a fraction of the number of users compared to its forum. It will suffer by being harder for people to use by mixing up where people visit.

Until Facebook build some form of forum into its options it will be harder for many forums to keep going and survive. It will be a sad loss for many and for a few it will be a time where they find a solution to the issue and make the two work hand in hand...