C34 sales and questions for new owners

[Stu Jackson]

Why haven't we done Facebook yet?

Lance, please consider this a personal response, rather than a formal one from the C34IA Officers.

Facebook would, could, might, should, maybe will cause a breakdown of this very website.

The potential dilution of the material from this single repository of dialog and information to yet another form of electronic communication, in my view, would have the potential for reducing this site's importance.

As it is, this is THE place to go for any and all C34 information, as folks have just mentioned in this topic.

We have been extremely fortunate enough to have a band of skippers who have volunteered their time and effort for over the past 20 years into making this one of the best, if not the best website for a single boat probably in the history of that "innernet tube thingy."

Please consider the unforeseen consequences of suggesting that yet another method of communications between C34 owners be used.

Thanks for listening.

Stu

[Stephen Butler]

Another opinion in support of Stu.  Yes, finding info on this site can be "maddening" at times, even with the fantastic job, done for free, it getting it updated and cataloged.  However, there is an advantage in having a little search-difficulty at times, in that often searching for one bit of data, one comes across something new and extremely useful.  We have benefited more often that not when searching for one thing, only to discover 5 new things.  As for using Facebook, given the level of growing concern about the unauthorized release of customer information from that site, I for one would not like to see it used on this site. 

[Lance Jones]

Hummmm. Sorry I touched a nerve. However, one of my marketing hats I wear at Gill is social media. Granted, if FB were used as an information repository, your comments would be valid. However, we use it at Gill to drive people TO our website. We don't have any data stored ON Facebook or Twitter -- they have to go to our website to get it.

While we have less than 500 fans (Number is growing daily), it is THE biggest referrer TO our website -- over 1,000 a month. Facebook surpassed Google this year as THE LARGEST search engine out there.

If you're looking for ways to generate membership to C34IA, you will be missing the boat by NOT doing a simple FB page. Catalina Yachts has a FB page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Catalina-Yachts-News/111093365624393?ref=ts&v=info#!/pages/Catalina-Yachts-News/111093365624393) and a couple of the different associations have a page too.

I'm not suggesting Facebook replace our website. What I am suggesting is that the 34IA use it to DRIVE people TO our wonderful website.

Just some thoughts....

[Stu Jackson]

Lance, it's not a nerve, it's just an opinion.  And your premise is reasonable if that's what it does.  What I've seen, however, is that once a "second source" occurs, discussion starts to happen there, rather than here.  If you do a Google, Yahoo or Ask searches for Catalina 34, it takes you right here.  What's the advantage of Facebook, when anyone who's searching for Catalina 34 info gets right here anyway?

Linking through FB, too, gets you from the CY FB page to yours, which includes political statements that really have no place on this forum.  We've been free of that since we started this Forum almost 10 years ago, and it should stay that way.

[Lance Jones]

Stu, understand what you're saying. But, seeing as we're trying to attract MORE members, wouldn't it be nice to use ALL available bait to catch a fish? Use a bigger net? The reason you don't get anyone from FB is that we're NOT on FB.

Just trying to help. But, I wouldn't take my car to someone who was still using the same tools they used 20 years ago. Times and technology change.

All I'll say on the subject. Obviously the point is moot to everyone but me.

[Ron Hill]

Lance : I agree with Stu.  
BTW, I believe it's not the size of the net that counts - it's the quality of the bate!!
 

[Stu Jackson]

Stu, understand what you're saying. But, seeing as we're trying to attract MORE members, wouldn't it be nice to use ALL available bait to catch a fish? Use a bigger net? The reason you don't get anyone from FB is that we're NOT on FB.

Just trying to help. But, I wouldn't take my car to someone who was still using the same tools they used 20 years ago. Times and technology change.

Lance,

Hey, you're right, but we have a 24 year old boat!!!  I NEED those old tools!    Really...

No reason to stop the conversation.  In fact, since you quite properly feel strongly about it, and you certainly do have a good point, and could well be right 'cuz I'm just an old geezer who just got a new laptop (my first in 15 years!) now that iPhones are making my new-to-me technology instantly obsolete (!), you might want to just go for it, and set a FB page up for the C34IA.  Doesn't need an Officer to do that.

Given this discussion, I suggest that you include on the FB the points you have well put:

---  This is a link to the C34IA Forum/Message board/website

---  All daily discussions relating to the C34s can be found at:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/board,11.0.html

---  Please post all of your contributions on the C34IA Forum/Message Board, and not here on FB

---  We welcome you as registrants to our Message Board http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4782.0.html and invite you to the wealth of information about your boat that is  available on the C34IA website

---  We invite you to become a C34IA Member and support and contribute to the C34IA website and Message Board

Thanks, Lance.

Stu

[Joe Kern]

I understand the concerns but I agree with Lance.  Facebook would be nice way to drive people here and I think the one thing that would be nice that does not happen here would be to have an easier forum to allow people to post their weekend sailing adventures and pictures.   More of the day to day stuff that never makes it here.  I think it could be a nice supplement to this site.  It would not be the site to post or find technical information and the administrator and FB group members could easily self-police that and funnel folks here.  More than once I have seen references and referrals on this site (and vice versa) to other forums so i don't think it would do any harm.   I think Stu's list of what to include is a good one.


Lance if you are so inclined to try it I would be glad to help.

Joe

[Stu Jackson]

...and I think the one thing that would be nice that does not happen here would be to have an easier forum to allow people to post their weekend sailing adventures and pictures.   More of the day to day stuff that never makes it here.  I think it could be a nice supplement to this site.  It would not be the site to post or find technical information and the administrator and FB group members could easily self-police that and funnel folks here. 

Joe, as you know there are other areas for posts on the General Activities page, http://c34.org/bbs/index.php#2

One of them is boat swap and another is suppliers and vendors.  Neither has much activity, and I believe it's primarily because this is the place to be for daily activity.

I see no reason why cruise stuff can't show up here.  I just hate to use sites where you have to click to more than one heading to get daily activity.

That said, if folks want to leave this one technical, then I suppose it would be possible to add "Cruising Stories" under General Activities.  If the registrants would like that, we can make it happen.

[Ron Hill]

I believe that we need a posting on Face Book, that the best place for C34 owners to "tweet" is on the C34 Message Board.   

[lazybone]

I can remember a while back when there were two separate groups gnashing their teeth over whether to switch from an E-mail based discussions format to the newfangled alternative, a BB that became this site.

Anything new is worth trying, who knows maybe we'll like it?

Why haven't we done Facebook yet?

Lance, please consider this a personal response, rather than a formal one from the C34IA Officers.

Facebook would, could, might, should, maybe will cause a breakdown of this very website.

The potential dilution of the material from this single repository of dialog and information to yet another form of electronic communication, in my view, would have the potential for reducing this site's importance.

As it is, this is THE place to go for any and all C34 information, as folks have just mentioned in this topic.

We have been extremely fortunate enough to have a band of skippers who have volunteered their time and effort for over the past 20 years into making this one of the best, if not the best website for a single boat probably in the history of that "innernet tube thingy."

Please consider the unforeseen consequences of suggesting that yet another method of communications between C34 owners be used.

Thanks for listening.

Stu

[Joe Kern]

I think this forum as it stands is not really as friendly to the quickie post as we might think. It is certainly not as picture posting friendly. I will leave it to others to decide whether that is what you want it to be that too.  If so then adding the Cruising/Daysailing category might be a good one to generate more of that.

Regardless, good business says if we want to drive a broader demographic to learn more about us and our great boats we should be on Facebook

[Ron Hill]

Caio : I don't think it's the resistance about trying the "new fangled thing"; it's a fact that a C34 owner can go to a single site and get everything in the Catalina 34 knowledge base.
 
Right now the knowledge that was/continues in the Mainsheet Tech articles is on the Message Board/ C34web site.  Most importantly the answers to peoples questions are already in the C34 website !!
I know people don't like to hear that, but its true.
 
If it's hard enough to find/search the answer on our site, I don't believe that people are going to go to Face Book or Twitter and get a decent answer.

[waterdog]

Guys when we tell people that 99.5% of all relevant questions have been answered and that really we are only here to talk about technical boat fix it stuff, we are not engaging in a conversation.   We're not inviting new members to participate.  In fact we discourage it and tell them check the tech notes.   We are just teaching them how to use a database.  That's not a community. 

I had a great weekend last weekend.   Breaking through a quarter inch of ice to get to the ocean, sailed for hours with white side dolphins.  Came back the next day into a full gale.   Really learned to appreciate my diesel heater.   All in C34.   But we don't talk about that kind of stuff here.   It clutters the database.   If people want to do facebook and form a community with a conversation, it will thrive if there is demand for it.   And if everybody just wants to talk about their exhaust nipples and thru hulls, they'll still come here for that. 

Something new might be a threat.   But it's also an opportunity.  We should all be interested in the maximum enjoyment of our boats, not just optimal maintenance. 

[Ken Juul]

If you look in the menu at the top of the page you will see a link for the Cruising Wiki.  The wiki is not a message board, however if you can log onto this site, then you can use the same username and password and post to the wiki.  It is also totally open, if you don't see a topic area you are interested in, start one.

My personal preference is to keep this forum more technically oriented, however a post pointing folks to non technical stuff (like Waterdog's blog) is certainly acceptable.

My 2 cents.