I need the info, which is opinion based, so we won't agree inherently; that's fine. I'm looking for opinions and opinion are inherently going to create friction which is fine as long as it also creates information for me to use.
I can't stand Facebook (and social media in general), which is why we need opinions
because mine isn't the majority. Funny though, Facebook (and the old people that still use it) are "cringe" now too if you ask my nieces. I probably missed that boat altogether and by the time I am comfortable it may not be as usable for sales, or maybe it will only be usable for sales vs. socially. I have no idea; again why I asked since I don't use it and don't have a clear picture of who does.
The people I train at work are young enough that I could have delivered them in the field, and not to a teen mom. They don't use Facebook except to talk to their parents. What the f#$k is tiktok? Chinese spy software? Their Facebook? Do they know? I work with someone that collects lights that doesn't use Facebook and has never used a web forum. I have no idea what he's doing on his phone. There were, years ago, members on here who refused to use email and did everything via landline phone and money orders. So as I inevitably become like them, I need some feedback to keep what is worth keeping. I also need the people giving feedback to keep in mind that the way they do things is probably outdated to some people as well.
I also don't use mobile as my primary method of access so that makes me another minority. I know that is a big problem just from the standpoint of how much people utilize their phones and what they use them for. Again why the question was asked, and it is clearly very important so I am glad to know that. It's obviously part of what we need to focus on. I'm typing this on a mobile device in desktop view. So even I'm using mobile as my access in a way I didn't think about. So I can relate to the fact that this site doesn't work well on a phone, and appreciate that information.
No one needs to get upset about the subject, we have scale back and I only want to keep what is important and useful. Also, I think I should point out that coming to a web forum to tell the people on it why you hate it is a tradition so I don't think we can really get upset if that's part of what this thread is. Over the years I think my favorite trope if you will for the site has been people who use the site to tell me to remove their accounts and then continue to use the site. But again, people become more of an asset than people that simply just leave because the ones that just leave never even give their opinion.
If mobile use and vintage discussions with an archive of info is important, than that needs to be our focus. If it is worth leaving a sales section I don't mind, it's really about what people want. I do think a searchable archive should stay because when I google a warning equipment question I usually find the answer on here from years ago.
Also sadly,
@Stampeed Valkyrie I don't know which stigma you mean. The lawsuit that we won in summary judgement that hurt our budget and annoyed me into not touching things for years? The mods taking over and running it like Soviet Russia while I was in the hospital and my rebooting to regain control? The loose association with companies that went bad? Me doing nothing with it for five years when my work changed and Jman getting stuck with it with no help? The badly planned switch to 3rd party selling? None were great times, but this has been a hobby for me since 1998 and the internet had its share of drama in general since then, but moreover, the internet evolved and at times the site hasn't kept up or worse yet, fought it. I haven't kept up with which drama and mistakes were the worst either.
I honestly would simply make this an archive if it weren't for the fact that I often find the answer to a question that I search for about other subjects in message boards too. And the answers are recent and I'm thankful for them. But I honestly don't join them. I get the information I need about zener diodes and move on. I get the impression that message boards or forums are usually run by a small group of very dedicated people who answer the questions of others, knowing those people probably won't join and just need the answer.
Bottom line, I don't want this site to be what it was. I don't want to run a one-stop shop for everything emergency light related. I'm completely happy with it being a usable resource of information about a niche subject. I want it to best provide whichever one or two services it best provides. To me that's vintage discussions and answers to and archives of tech data. It's clear that mobile platform use is going to need to be addressed even to keep it in that capacity. So in that respect, I think I've gotten good feedback. Whatever gets left will certainly need a mobile makeover. The site is too big for what it provides, but I don't want to lose the archived data. Probably the easiest solution is to update the front end to be mobile friendly and funnel discussions into technical and vintage and leave the searchable archive on the back end for people looking for old information via search engines. As that process occurs, I do need feedback as to whether or not there are parts that shouldn't be sunsetted to new content.
So in the tradition of online message boards, I guess if everyone wants to argue about whether or not the place they're arguing on sucks, that's fine, it is after all an internet tradition. But in that argument I do actually need information as far as what should stay because after it gets archived and the front end of the site is only what people said was important, I don't want to have the argument about having gotten rid of the wrong stuff (which I know we will anyway).
I have heard loud and clear that mobile needs addressed. I know that as an informational resource the site still provides some value. I think my question now is really: Is it worth keeping a sales section? Maybe one big one with tags? Allow people to simply link auctions and posts other places as well? The part that I need the most guidance on is what features of selling are important. My opinion about selling on Facebook isn't really relevant because I look at it as a scam factory. On the other hand, I know that when I do sell things there, I can sell them for triple what people here are willing to pay possibly because they know better. So if we could kind of steer things towards what needs to remain as part of the site from a standpoint of sales or not. That would probably help...
Tldr; If you're going to argue, at least make it information that's useful. Which a lot of the most negative information actually is, so please don't discourage it. At this point I know mobile is important and the information archive portion needs to stay. If we're going to fight about something it needs to be whether sales need to stay.
