Forum or Facebook

jaybee

Latvian rider transport!!!!!!
Premier Member
#21
Sorry Bob - I'm not a luddite but I agree with Tom, Jon C, Eric, kwthom etc, etc.
I was hacked on FB once and an attempt was made to steal my identity so I am not willing to be a full user.
I have, however, re-joined under a nom de plume purely so I can follow links to specific, recommended articles or to browse a very select number of feeds.
I totally agree with Eric when he says that to search for information is the devil's own job unless someone sends a link.
For me, the forum means the repository of all things.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#23
Now, I recognize that this thread is within the confines of the UK portion of the IBA's own forum... ;)

This discussion has actually taken place at many places that have various IBA- (or at least LD riding...) related discussions.

Plenty of motorcycling forums out there; each one that I have been to (four or five...) have some level of those LD riding related conversations.

That's possibly where the disconnect happens between those with FB access and those that choose NOT to have FB access. If items are solely posted in closed FB groups that are NOT accessible, then whatever discussion you wanted to have on a given topic (a RTE, a rally, whatever) is now exclusive to that platform. Now, if that same person that's advertising that topic on FB, on the IBA forum, on one or more large motorcycling-based forums, on one or more email listservs, now it's not exclusive, it's inclusive.

Perhaps the root of the problem is 'what level of effort is sufficient enough to get the word out?'.
 

JohnR

Mr. QR code
IBA Member
#24
I will not use Faceache either. I learned of the IBA by way of a real life adventure that involved me getting out of the house, on the road and away from it all. Meeting and talking to real people along the way.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#25
Let me have one last try.

a) When I'm riding my motorcycle it is everyone else's responsibility to keep me alive by following the rules I think they should follow and, in the event of a collision, even though I'm the injured party, someone else will be to blame.
b) When I'm riding my motorcycle it is my responsibility to keep myself safe, regardless of what anyone else does and regardless of whether they followed any rules or not. In the event of a collision, someone else might well be at fault but it was my primary responsibility to avoid it.

I'm a type (a) rider.
If that were really true, you'd be dead.

I don't ask your neighbor to find out what you're doing, I ask you. If you want to tell me what you're doing, you don't tell my neighbor, you tell me.

Social media is only worth anything to those that participate in that narrow venue, be it FB, IG, ect. If you were researching a topic, would you really waste your time trolling thru the wasteland of social media where 99% of what's posted has no stated sources and is not in a venue dedicated to the information you seek?
 

Dave Rose

Active Member
#26
I've been on Facebook for a number of years but came off it about 3 weeks ago (Discontinued rather than Delete Account, that way I can still use Messenger). I was just so fed up with all of the nonsense people post on there. Not talking about IBA/RBLR but everyone else and various groups, plus the intrusion of Facebook into peoples posts, the advertisements, and just the sheer volume of stuff that you have to plough through to find the bits that actually are interesting. I found now that I have a lot more time to do other stuff instead of facebook.
I much prefer a forum where there is some order to posts and you can find areas of interest and knowledge in logical places. On Facebook it just disappears with all the dross that comes in daily.
I am thinking of creating a new account in a false name (my RBL Riders handle is 'Checklist Dave' so I might use that) but just use it for the RBL Riders group and not accept any friends requests from outside that area.

Edit note early January - I tried the 'checklist dave' name but the next day FB removed the account. Contravened their 'community' rules. Looked at the rules and it must be the one about using a false name.
 
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kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#27
Oops, didn't notice this was a UK sub-forum!
Oh, it certainly seems to be a universal dilemma. It may even be more pronounced here in North America as there has been a secondary discussion channel in the LD Riders email listserv for over 20 years.


Perhaps we should consider (for discussion only...) that any given person is going to look at the first place they've learned about LD riding (et. al.) regarding most topics on the subject.

Thus, if FB was where Joe Schmoe rider #72xxx was exposed to IBA topics, Joe will continue to go back to FB to learn more. If Joe is also educated (thru posts on FB) that "Hey, there's another spot that's exclusively LD topics, and it's at https:\\forum.ironbutt.org, maybe Joe will look to see where the best source of news and info for Joe is at.

Those of us that have been around a while are used to using many sources, including forums, email listservs and other places that have existed for nearly as long as LD riding has been actively promoted. FB does have a poor signal to noise ratio; the reverse is true on those sources I just mentioned.
 

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#29
There seems to have been a continuing growth curve in IBA-style riding, as evidenced by the increasing IBA numbers over the last decade or two.
Out of curiosity, do you have any data on how many IBA members have no more than 1 certified ride under their belt?

It's not a criticism, I'm just curious how many people give it a try, get the certificate, say "Okay, I did that", and then move on.
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#30
Out of curiosity, do you have any data on how many IBA members have no more than 1 certified ride under their belt?

It's not a criticism, I'm just curious how many people give it a try, get the certificate, say "Okay, I did that", and then move on.
The way the old "Ride Finishers" list was setup, it makes it a bit of a challenge to do that type of analysis. I would surmise there may be some @ IBA Command Central have those types of values available.

My personal estimate would be 1 in 10 would be in the two-or-more certified rides category.

Maybe.
 

Dave Rose

Active Member
#31
ShawnK - I've only done two, one 500 mile Northern route in 2017 just to test the water with my Honda Shadow (VT750C2) and one in 2018, the Saddlesore 1000 mile Southern Clockwise route, on a Honda CTX1300. Was going to volunteer at the 2019 one but couldn't make it for family reasons.
I'd love to do another 1,000 but maybe some, like me, have a non-biking wife/partner who thinks that at 72 years old I'm feeble, decrepit, senile and it's too dangerous for such a person to ride 24 hours only stopping for fuel!
When I did it I absolutely loved it but can't do the 1,000 mile ride again, she really was worried, didn't sleep all night, and I don't want to put her through that again. I'd do the 500 one again though.
Up until 2017 I hadn't done any longish rides having only recently returned to biking when I retired and got a wreck back on the road in 2014. Prior to that I did a few years of commuting from Maidenhead to Gloucester and back all year round so wasn't averse to bad weather of any kind. I'd like to take part in more IBA rides too but family, grandchildren, and time just don't allow for it despite being retired!
 
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