Focussed Effort

[Pete]

Short answer is no Facebook does not support embedding of their video. Another thumbs down for why Facebook is bad for collaboration.

It would be possible to hack something up but it would take a lot of time that is better spent elsewhere and may break at anytime if Facebook decide to change the way they do something. We do also support uploading of video here to the galleries as well but of course nobody would think of doing that would they

For anybody that is really interested in this topic this is an interesting blog post.

http://blog.mattmech...end-for-forums/

I suspect most people won't want to go into that much detail but it's OK I have so you don't have to.

Interesting link, I think the following quote from that blog say's it all:

Successful forums have a purpose. I've seen hundreds of "My Chat Site†forums appear and vanish as quickly because they offer nothing unique.

Bedlington.co.uk has a purpose.

[Andy Millne]

Interesting link, I think the following quote from that blog say's it all:

Successful forums have a purpose. I've seen hundreds of "My Chat Site” forums appear and vanish as quickly because they offer nothing unique.

Bedlington.co.uk has a purpose.

Also this...

You can distill this into a simple statement: Facebook and Twitter is centred squarely on its members talking about themselves on a bewildering and expansive array of random subjects.

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS

[Andy Millne]

... But more importantly there's no snow and santa hats

[Pete]

Also this...

You can distill this into a simple statement: Facebook and Twitter is centred squarely on its members talking about themselves on a bewildering and expansive array of random subjects.

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS

Exactly, as I said before in another post my youngest son goes on face book to play poker with his friends whilst tapping messages out on the keyboard mainly making arrangements for the weekend and where they are going and what he did today.

Perhaps I am passed it I still use the old fashioned method called the telephone

[mercuryg]

Interesting discussion.

As someone who works in internet marketing and promotion I can see both sides of the story. I'm no computer savvy kid but a 45 year old bloke who knows how to turn a computer on, send emails, and write words. I couldn't programme if my life depended upon it, and haven't a clue what binary is.

the thing is I don't need to know any of that to see what is happening; someone asked 'what happened to the telephone?' - it's there, in everyone's pocket, portable and in most cases internet ready. That's how communication is going, that's how it's going to develop.

I use Facebook as both a leisure tool and a way of keeping in touch with people across the country without incurring costs that might otherwise be there - I use email the same way. I'm also deaf, and being able to communicate without using a phone is a Godsend in many ways.

However, back to the point, and while I understand 4g's comments about Facebook not being good for collaboration, that is something that should be addressed with the originators. I would venture that, thanks to facebook and the events of the last two weeks, this website has recieved a great deal of exposure that is valuable. That people have to sign up for a Facebook account to read what's going on there is surely neither here nor there - it's a free, five minute job and, after all, yo have to sign up here, too, to participate.

Personally, I think Twitter is doomed to failure: it's limited and restricted, and has 'fad' written all over it, but that's another story.

I hope that the recent publicity has imbued local people with a sense of what this website is all about, and that discussions such as this continue and add to the purpose of what is a very worthwhile forum and portal.

Build on it, and who knows what can be achieved, but keep it's profile high on the likes of Facebook, as that's where the popular vote will come from.

[mercuryg]

However few of these people would see any point in posting on facebook.

As I think I might have touched on in the other post, this is not something that should be blindly accepted - no offence, 3G, but something that needs to be addressed. That these people see 'no point' in posting on Facebook is a problem that it is necessary to overcome. Facebook is not a fad, it's not a here today/gone tomorrow youngsters game, it's a blueprint for the future of internet - and general - communication.

Granted, it's not perfect, but it's a workable idea that has many imitators, and will only become defunct when something better, and easier, comes along.

perhaps those who see no point in posting on Facebook - and i'm talking of those you refer to who make things happen - need to take a closer look at what it's about, and what it can achieve; I speak as one who has, and has had their eyes opened to a great degree.

This is a great website - I enjoy it very much and it speaks to a clear and defined audience - but it will never have the cache or the reach that something like Facebook does; i'm involved in instructing businesses how to use Facebook, and similar, to achieve results, and believe me, the number of those who 'see no point' yet end up getting it is quite astonishing.

As for the Summer Fair, great idea, but is it viable? These days of massive insurance policies for such things have put paid - in many cases - to such events, and there is little that even Facebook can do about that. Still, let's push it, and let's see if we can make it happen. Need any help, i'm up for it.

[Andy Millne]

I would venture that, thanks to facebook and the events of the last two weeks, this website has recieved a great deal of exposure that is valuable. That people have to sign up for a Facebook account to read what's going on there is surely neither here nor there - it's a free, five minute job and, after all, yo have to sign up here, too, to participate.

While I agree with the majority of your post, you've kind of missed threegee's point on one key aspect in another thread. A lot went on to make that Facebook group the success it was. Sian, Myself and several others have been doing press interviews all week to give it exposure following a press release from this site and several of it's members calling in favours. Even with 1500 votes we still had a massive task convincing firstly the event organisers and then several groups within both councils who were raising objections at every possible point in the process even up to the very last minute. But like 3g said, by working with these bodies and addressing their concerns we got a result! and what a great affect it has had on the town as a result. I couldn't be more thrilled.

Personally, I think Twitter is doomed to failure: it's limited and restricted, and has 'fad' written all over it, but that's another story.

Couldn't agree more, it's still worth riding this fad out because it's a big fad. Facebook is an altogether different behemoth and one I suspect that will be around for a lot longer (unless of course ITV or Murdoch decide to buy it) but like I say one that will also never be able to cater for specific subjects. It is impossible to be all things to all people and they realise that.

I hope that the recent publicity has imbued local people with a sense of what this website is all about, and that discussions such as this continue and add to the purpose of what is a very worthwhile forum and portal.

Yes absolutely! It's fantastic to see everybody in the town starting to sit up and take responsibility themselves. I've also had a number of discussions with councillors today who are keen to embrace it and want to work with the site on future issues so it's all looking very promising indeed. I'm also nearly finished with some of the new features that will really open up the site to collaboration and make content submission much easier.

Build on it, and who knows what can be achieved, but keep it's profile high on the likes of Facebook, as that's where the popular vote will come from.

Yeah that's the main point right there, it's about convincing these casual net users. Stick around mercuryg this is great discussion.

[threegee]

....Facebook is not a fad, it's not a here today/gone tomorrow youngsters game, it's a blueprint for the future of internet - and general - communication...

Facebook isn't going to fade away in a year or two, but come back in a year or two and say the same thing and I'll wager you'll have modified your view.

The same sort of thing must have been said in the ITV boardroom when they paid an absurd £175m for friendsreunited in 2005/2006. The fact is that facebook has borrowed heavily from other people's ideas and in turn will have its own ideas borrowed. It's the current fad and will go the same way as all the other fads.

...perhaps those who see no point in posting on Facebook - and i'm talking of those you refbook er to who make things happen - need to take a closer look at what it's about, and what it can achieve; I speak as one who has, and has had their eyes opened to a great degree.

This is a great website - I enjoy it very much and it speaks to a clear and defined audience - but it will never have the cache or the reach that something like Facebook does...

Yes, Bedlington.co.uk has a very defined audience - Bedlington and Bedlingtonians throught the world. It's a social experiment in itself and there's an intention to clone it. But it's not a profit center for some American corporation or Australian media mogul. It's in the true spirit of the original Internet. It's there for the more enterprising members of the local community to shape. It won't go away because it no longer satisfies the conditions of someone's bottom line (Geocities etc. etc.). It will evolve - perhaps a bit slower than we might like at times - but it's permanence and lack of faddiness will win through to those people who don't quite see the point - yet!

[Andy Millne]

Yes, Bedlington.co.uk has a very defined audience - Bedlington and Bedlingtonians throught the world. It's a social experiment in itself and there's an intention to clone it. But it's not a profit center for some American corporation or Australian media mogul. It's in the true spirit of the original Internet. It's there for the more enterprising members of the local community to shape. It won't go away because it no longer satisfies the conditions of someone's bottom line (Geocities etc. etc.). It will evolve - perhaps a bit slower than we might like at times - but it's permanence and lack of faddiness will win through to those people who don't quite see the point - yet!

OK 3g managed to say it better as usual

[mercuryg]

Facebook isn't going to fade away in a year or two, but come back in a year or two and say the same thing and I'll wager you'll have modified your view.

Facebook itself will, as I said, be replaced by 'new improved' versions of similar resources. The future of communication, as I believe you know, is in the area we are looking at with Facebook - and similar - now, and these are developing and still very young areas of the genre. I'm not saying Facebook is the be all and end all, but that it represents something that is very much of the moment, and is a blueprint for future advances.

The same sort of thing must have been said in the ITV boardroom when they paid an absurd £175m for friendsreunited in 2005/2006. The fact is that facebook has borrowed heavily from other people's ideas and in turn will have its own ideas borrowed. It's the current fad and will go the same way as all the other fads.

With respect, I disagree. There is - and was - a massive difference between the concept behind FR and that behind facebook. The former had a very limited appeal, as you rightly acknowledge.

Yes, Bedlington.co.uk has a very defined audience - Bedlington and Bedlingtonians throught the world. It's a social experiment in itself and there's an intention to clone it. But it's not a profit center for some American corporation or Australian media mogul. It's in the true spirit of the original Internet. It's there for the more enterprising members of the local community to shape. It won't go away because it no longer satisfies the conditions of someone's bottom line (Geocities etc. etc.). It will evolve - perhaps a bit slower than we might like at times - but it's permanence and lack of faddiness will win through to those people who don't quite see the point - yet!

I couldn't agree more, but there are problems with your assurance - and again no offence - that it is in the 'true spirit of the original internet'. That spirit, that original, is gone. The future is very different. Far from saying that the future does not incorporate sites such as this, it does: as mentioned elsewhere I run a website with a very specific audience, too, and understand the limitations when faced with the global behemoths that inhabit this world. I agree, however, that it is easier to see the point of this than it is of Facebook, but that is something that will change as the world does.

An aside - during the coverage of the recent floods in Cockermouth local news took in a piece about a woman, hundred and odd years old, going back to her now condemned flat to recover her belongings: dear to her was her PC.

As to:

"I've also had a number of discussions with councillors today who are keen to embrace it and want to work with the site on future issues so it's all looking very promising indeed."

Brilliant. This is what its all about.

[Andy Millne]

Interesting that we are having this discussion on here and not on Facebook though isn't it Is the same level of thought and discussion going on in any of those other media sources?

So I think we are in agreement we need to use ALL tools available to us and direct them accordingly.

Great topic love it.

[Dajazar]

Totally agree

Everyone has made good points and it good to see we all want the same goal in the end which everway we use the internet.

[mercuryg]

So I think we are in agreement we need to use ALL tools available to us and direct them accordingly.

Absolutely; couldn't agree more.

What I have found to be of interest - in particular in the past year or so - is the way the demographic on Facebook has shifted. Personally, i've noticed an increase in 'older' participants - and I mean 40 plus - which I initially put down to me communicating with those of my own age group. Research has proven, however, that i'm not wrong - there is a shift to the more mature user.

It must be cafe world.

Love the snow, by the way.

[Andy Millne]

I've also had a number of discussions with councillors today who are keen to embrace it and want to work with the site on future issues so it's all looking very promising indeed.

OK I've created group badges for these individuals which will show up alongside their posts so you will know who you are speaking to. Done some, waiting on permission of others. Please get in touch.