Thread Drift

I'm one of those who used to post a lot, then didn't at all and now I'm lurking and occasionally posting. Like SheFly and some others of you, I'm more active on Facebook.

I think really fondly of you all, especially the ones who were posting when I was more active, say 2005 - 2010 or so. I really treasure the friendships I have made here. I was lucky enough to most recently get to meet Blueberry while in NC for daughter's college auditions last spring. We had a GREAT time and it was so much fun to have a friendly face in such a far away place. I felt like I'd known her forever.

I'm riding a lot following a period of some orthopedic challenges (I had hip surgery in 2013). I'm aiming at the CA Triple Crown Stage Race this year (3 really hard double centuries). DD is a freshman in college in Boston. Work is very busy.

Hugs to all of you.

What school is DD at?
I am on Facebook a lot, too, but I guess the difference is that I don't say much there, more respond to others. I see this as a totally different thing.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

What school is DD at?

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BU. She's in a BFA theater program at their college of fine arts,

I've been lurking for about a year. I post occasionally if I feel I have something to add, but most often others here are so much more knowledgeable and I just like to follow and read along. I have noticed that there's not as much posting now as there was last year but I presume that's just ebb and flow (or the fact that TE has been around so long that there is such a knowledgebase already here that can be searched so people just might not be posting as many questions).

I'll probably buy a new road bike in the next few years so I'm always watching the threads talking about new things (disc brakes) or how certain bikes fit (I'll probably buy a Ruby or a Silque)

Amy

It does seem like there's been more ebb than flow in the last couple of years. To me FB is a totally different space, but other social media may well be sucking away potential new members - it's a lot easier now to reach out to extended friend/acquaintance/business circles when someone has a question. Most of us probably came here initially with questions, and stayed for the camaraderie. :)

I wonder whether it would be helpful to TE as a business if they were to have more social media involvement. Lots of the businesses I follow on FB regularly post discussion topics to keep their customers/followers involved, as well as to data mine the responses and responders (little as many of us may like it, that's the reality of marketing in the 21st century). I wonder whether, if TE did that, whether it would have an effect on forum participation - I can see it potentially going either way.

I am on a few discussion boards (been on those for ages) and we too noticed it has toned down a lot to the benefit of FB. I don't do FB or other types - no interest as I have enough as it is.

But there sure is a trend towards those. Too bad as it is not the same format and harder to keep it all into one spot. As far as I was told.

The FB I have is a fake one for contests or other places that required FB only. But it does not mention my name and is locked anyway to almost anything. Deuh. haha

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Originally Posted by Helene2013

it does not mention my name and is locked anyway to almost anything. Deuh. haha

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OK, now I'm curious. How do you lock it down and yet allow enough of the scripts to participate in contests? Do you have a browser set aside just for that? Which I kind of do, but I still don't allow FB apps to run, just as a matter of principle.

(I'd be surprised if using a fake name isn't a violation of contest rules if you won, anyhow ...)

Sometimes, to access a certain contest, you need to like them on FB. So in order to do that I need a FB account. But the information they require once that is done, is your real stuff. It takes you to another window. It's like if I want to check something out on a radio station, I have to go into their Facebook and it asks me for my FB name.

Same for my city. If I want to do something, I need to be on FB and then I can send them my real information. Hard to explain but easy to do.

As to lock, I simply go into my privacy settings and check marked private, only me, etc...

I'm just too busy lately. I read things and think of responses but don't have much time to type them, and then time passes and I forget.

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Originally Posted by Helene2013

simply go into my privacy settings and check marked private, only me, etc...

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Ah ... May I suggest using a script blocker? You realize doing it the way you are, doesn't hide your information from FB or from its advertisers, only from other users.

I don't know much about FB. But rarely using it. Never received a message to join, etc

Sorry for sounding ignorant, but how do you do a script blocker?

The two I use are NoScript and Ghostery. It's easier to just install them and play with the settings than it is to explain. I'm far from an expert.

It makes the browsing experience ... more interactive, should I say? And these days, it's useful to have a separate browser kept wide open for when you just HAVE to interact with one of those really unsanitary websites, which is getting to be more and more of them lately. The key there is to put it in private browsing mode, enable all the security the particular site permits you, open that window and no others, and quit the browser immediately after you're done.

You could also just install Lightbeam to show you how much you're giving away. Lightbeam doesn't block anything, just illustrates it. Even with my level of security (which I would characterize as moderate, certainly not high), as I said on another forum - every time I look at Lightbeam, it makes me want to throw my computer in a hot shower with bleach and scrub brushes ... which obviously even if I did that, wouldn't clean any of my information off all the OTHER computers that now have it ...

Thanks. I'll look it up this weekend.

I know the big www is crazy. It's amazing how much information I can find on someone. Working in HR I regularly have to dig up info and it is sooooo easy. Some people are truly opened books on the net. :eek:

I'm not as active here as I once was partly because I'm not riding nearly as much this year since we're in Mexico, and yes, Facebook takes a lot of my online time. I also have a couple of people I email pretty regularly, and our blog, though I haven't been posting a lot there either since we've been staying in one place for months now. I still enjoy stopping by here and seeing what people are up to, but I do miss some of the "old timers" who have dropped off completely or mostly.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Most of us probably came here initially with questions, and stayed for the camaraderie. :).

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That's exactly what happened with me, and I will always be grateful for the help, advice and encouragement that I found in this group. Very likely it made the difference in whether I kept cycling.

I love this group, but I just don't have much to say lately, and my cycling goals are fairly modest. I do check in occasionally and hope the group continues.