FB is the past, it just doesn't know it yet. "Old people use FB" I hear that often from anyone under 45 or so. Some organizations and businesses foolishly believe FB is a tool to get information out to interested parties or advertise, promote their business. That would only be true if you could view that info w/o being a card carrying FB member. Not on FB, sorry, we block viewing with pop ups and make it as difficult as possible for you to actually see info on FB w/o being signed in. A FB account gives access to your device to FB... and they take full advantage of that to 'personalize' your experience.
FB is also transitory. Most recent things at top of page. If you want info, that's not where to find it unless it's a very current and upcoming event. Want to research similar rides, be prepared to dig if you're looking on social media platforms. On the forum, you're already in a specific demographic for LD riding info, then you can search with the tools on the forum, as well as simply scrolling sub forums for like topics.
I did a moto event fairly recently where it was evident that the quick and easy way to participate was going to be using Instagram. The event was set up for everyone to post pictures to IG with hashtags to the event so the event scorers would see your posts and be able to score them. There was an alternate email method of posting pics, which causes issues with data and servers for some hosts 'holding' large files and sending them when demand is lower, pretty much killing your chance of getting scored for that file, (picture). In a previous rally that required cell phone emailing of pictures, some of my pictures didn't show up for 3-4 days after the event was over.
So, I created an IG account, (I do not have a FB account), just for this event. I learned about hashtags and how to place them, what ones I was supposed to use, how to email them to myself, then copy from that email on my phone and paste into my IG posts. I practiced doing the necessary functions and it was fine.
Problem... This event was right at election time. IG was overloaded with election traffic/posts and bogged down hopelessly for the purposes of the event. The day before the event, everyone signed up was told to use an email method instead, but if you did post to IG with the hashtags, you still got an extra point for each rally post. About 85% of the entrants did not use IG at all during the event, since it was no longer required. I had to create a new email account on a different host since I previously learned gmail would hold large files for days after an unknown data limit. I do not have an unlimited data plan either, but did have a bunch of roll over data, so that wasn't a problem in the end.
Everything went fine during the event. A few hiccups. Some of Cletha's pictures never got scored, possibly due to yahoo delaying the files, but we really don't know. All the ones I sent correctly went thru fine. I also IG posted for every pic, until IG started hanging up. I discovered a work around at the end of each rally 'day' where I could see what went, and re-send those that didn't go using the WiFi at home. I only lost a few points due to my own errors, but by reviewing at the end of the day before time ran out, I was able to correct nearly all of them and re-post to get the points before 'ending' my rally day each day. After the event I kept posting. Some food pics, but mostly pics from during casual rides around MS.
After using IG for a couple of weeks, and maybe 150 posts I would have kept the account, except that it 'upgraded' me to a different level that was less user friendly and it was pushing more often to join FB and link the accounts to gain 'features'. Then I started getting followers. At first it was LD people I knew IRL. A few were people doing the event that apparently wanted to see what I was posting and they got some new ideas from what I was doing. I got some new ideas from them too, so 'followed' them back.
Then I started getting followers that were people that I didn't know. People that were not in the US. People that had no connection to the event. I started getting followers from other parts of the world, but many of them posted a lot themselves and had moto content or photography content that was interesting. I followed some of them, but only if there was some interesting content in their posts. I got a bunch of followers that had no, or only a few post of their own. Clearly, some followed only on the hope that I would follow them to increase the number of followers they had. Then came the odd ones with no content of their own and no obvious reason to follow me. After the second "I want to get to know you" type post accompanied by a pic of a young, pretty woman in a different country, I deleted the account permanently.
I want info, I'll go looking for it. But it won't be on social media unless that's the only source for a business, then I'll try to parce out something from what little I can see w/o an account before either disregarding them as useful or physically going there IRL.
Info here, stays here. It's rarely deleted or moved. Everyone here has a specific interest in LD riding.