Facebook for event notification/discussion/alerts

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:51 am

Donnie Barnes wrote:

Ryan Holton wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

Seriously, I see this FB page as a means of communicating anything:

-Event day reminders
-It's going to be hot, bring water/electrolytes
-It might rain this weekend, bring tarps
-Thanks everyone for putting up with that 7 cone slalom
-We're doing a 2 day autocross for the next event for the Jimmy V charity...bring your friends and their friends and support charity
-The turn out is very large tomorrow (let's get to this point), so please everyone be on time and tech-ed
-Avoid the traffic project on 15-501 in Roxboro and take 86 instead to Danville
-Yesterday was a smoothly run event, thanks everyone who came out
-Sorry grid was a mess today, we have learned from it and will make sure it is better next time

I'm sure I'll get skewered for this but I think Twitter is better for THOSE type of things....

Probably true. And the big advantage with Twitter is that all you have to provide is a link to the twitter page and nobody NEEDS an "account" to see it. They can just load and check it.

That said, Twitter sucks compared to FB at helping get the word out in a viral method in terms of *advertising*. And advertising is sort of linked to content. But what the club could do is get both a twitter and FB page and link them. Then post all the update type stuff above via twitter, and it's still there for FB consumers. Best of both worlds.

--Donnie

Yeah, I meant to edit out the advertising for the Jimmy V event, that's a better thing for FB.

All this stuff is great but it still takes manpower to make it work.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:46 am

Donnie Barnes wrote:

Ryan Holton wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

Seriously, I see this FB page as a means of communicating anything:

-Event day reminders
-It's going to be hot, bring water/electrolytes
-It might rain this weekend, bring tarps
-Thanks everyone for putting up with that 7 cone slalom
-We're doing a 2 day autocross for the next event for the Jimmy V charity...bring your friends and their friends and support charity
-The turn out is very large tomorrow (let's get to this point), so please everyone be on time and tech-ed
-Avoid the traffic project on 15-501 in Roxboro and take 86 instead to Danville
-Yesterday was a smoothly run event, thanks everyone who came out
-Sorry grid was a mess today, we have learned from it and will make sure it is better next time

I'm sure I'll get skewered for this but I think Twitter is better for THOSE type of things....

Probably true. And the big advantage with Twitter is that all you have to provide is a link to the twitter page and nobody NEEDS an "account" to see it. They can just load and check it.

That said, Twitter sucks compared to FB at helping get the word out in a viral method in terms of *advertising*. And advertising is sort of linked to content. But what the club could do is get both a twitter and FB page and link them. Then post all the update type stuff above via twitter, and it's still there for FB consumers. Best of both worlds.

--Donnie

Anyone make a content management system that acts as a front end for FB and Twitter? The ability to enter information once, and have it fed into multiple distribution systems would be awesome.

Richard

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:54 am

Yes, Facebook does.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:27 pm

Ok for those of us still in the the first 5 years of the 21st century (i.e. no smartphone and data plan, texting plan, or whatever for my simple cell phone) :cry:

what is needed in the way of equipment and monthly fee services to actually use twitter and to get mobile updates on FB?

One of the "challenges" of adopting technology and looking forward to a fixed (retirement) income in a few years is "managing" monthly fees as well as upfront costs. :lol:

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:57 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

Ok for those of us still in the the first 5 years of the 21st century (i.e. no smartphone and data plan, texting plan, or whatever for my simple cell phone) :cry:

what is needed in the way of equipment and monthly fee services to actually use twitter and to get mobile updates on FB?

Funny you ask, this news just came across from Verizon about the much anticipated iPhone, which was exclusing to AT&T since it's inception:
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/new ... iphon.html

There's apparently going to be a $30 unlimited plan for the iPhone soon. There will be problems 'aplenty at first but competition is such a wonderful thing. :wink:

Whatever you do, don't do the inexpensive thing that I just signed up below in quotes (lazy and didn't do the research and just wanted a new phone with a nicer camera) although I'm sure they'd take my money to upgrade to an iPhone and the new service when I'm ready. :roll:

from article:
"Data plans on "feature phones," mobile phones that aren't considered smartphones, will have 75MB for $9.99 and $10 for every 75MB in overage. That's compared to the current $9.99 for 25MB.

Read more: Verizon to drop low-price data plan with iPhone | Triangle Business Journal"

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:04 pm

My Blackberry Bold (personal) term runs out in about Feb 2012 and I will likely wait to do my upgrade then. While I like the functionality of an iPhone, by then there may be many other competitors doing it better. AT&T's Motorola Atrix just won best new device at CES and I'm sure there will be more. In a year, the iPhone 5 should be out, so the timing should be good.

Being that I have corporate Blackberry too, I would love to dump the thing all together. There is a small part of me that wants to simplify my life and go back to a standard phone. - AB

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:25 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

Ok for those of us still in the the first 5 years of the 21st century (i.e. no smartphone and data plan, texting plan, or whatever for my simple cell phone) :cry:

what is needed in the way of equipment and monthly fee services to actually use twitter and to get mobile updates on FB?

One of the "challenges" of adopting technology and looking forward to a fixed (retirement) income in a few years is "managing" monthly fees as well as upfront costs. :lol:

Mobile updates = data plan on your cell phone and a phone that can do it

As for twitter, you can log on from any computer to read "tweets" (yes, I think it sounds dumb too). No cost

RobLupella · **Posted:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:53 pm

Matt McGrain wrote:

DickRasmussen wrote:

Ok for those of us still in the the first 5 years of the 21st century (i.e. no smartphone and data plan, texting plan, or whatever for my simple cell phone) :cry:

what is needed in the way of equipment and monthly fee services to actually use twitter and to get mobile updates on FB?

Funny you ask, this news just came across from Verizon about the much anticipated iPhone, which was exclusing to AT&T since it's inception:
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/new ... iphon.html

There's apparently going to be a $30 unlimited plan for the iPhone soon. There will be problems 'aplenty at first but competition is such a wonderful thing. :wink:

Whatever you do, don't do the inexpensive thing that I just signed up below in quotes (lazy and didn't do the research and just wanted a new phone with a nicer camera) although I'm sure they'd take my money to upgrade to an iPhone and the new service when I'm ready. :roll:

from article:
"Data plans on "feature phones," mobile phones that aren't considered smartphones, will have 75MB for $9.99 and $10 for every 75MB in overage. That's compared to the current $9.99 for 25MB.

Read more: Verizon to drop low-price data plan with iPhone | Triangle Business Journal"

They won't necessarily trade you up. They subsidize the iPhones so much that they won't switch you from a phone/plan that may be less expensive but is more profitable.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:39 pm

FYI for those that use FB on public networks or unsecured wireless, etc:

http://gawker.com/5744229/the-facebook-setting-you-should-change-as-quickly-as-possible

Looks like Firesheep is making some dents in FB's "security" not to mention many others.

This is interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firesheep I hadn't heard of Blacksheep and Fireshepard before.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:08 pm

For all those resistant to Facebook, this may change your mind.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/50085/

Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego Coming to Facebook in February

You now have dysentery

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:11 pm

Ryan Holton wrote:

For all those resistant to Facebook, this may change your mind.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/50085/

Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego Coming to Facebook in February

You now have dysentery

Maybe we can replace the Wake County Schools with Facebook and teach everything through FB games. ......just a thought

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:32 pm

Ryan Holton wrote:

Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego Coming to Facebook in February

You now have dysentery

Ha! "Jimbo has typhoid fever"

Hunting was the best.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:00 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

My Blackberry Bold (personal) term runs out in about Feb 2012 and I will likely wait to do my upgrade then. While I like the functionality of an iPhone, by then there may be many other competitors doing it better. AT&T's Motorola Atrix just won best new device at CES and I'm sure there will be more. In a year, the iPhone 5 should be out, so the timing should be good.

Being that I have corporate Blackberry too, I would love to dump the thing all together. There is a small part of me that wants to simplify my life and go back to a standard phone. - AB

One thing I did not realize about verizon phones is that you can't talk and download data at the same time. I would not be able to argue as effectively with my brother about sports without this feature.

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:09 pm

Matt McGrain wrote:

Ryan Holton wrote:

Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego Coming to Facebook in February

You now have dysentery

Ha! "Jimbo has typhoid fever"

Hunting was the best.

Dude...one of my oxen is dead :sigh:

Zach Hill · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:03 pm

Forgive me if it's been mentioned (or if it exists already, I'm not aware of it) but what about a listserv a.k.a. email distribution list? New members get added automatically when they join the club, and it's pretty safe that even "old school" people have and use email, or at least that we could all settle on that for official communication. Not for discussion or conversation, but strictly for announcements, event reminders, etc. (I'm thinking schedule announcements, SCCA rule changes/updates, event cancellations/reminders).

Everything else could trickle down through other channels, but by the club saying "THIS EMAIL LIST IS THE OFFICIAL THSCC COMMUNICATION CHANNEL," that would help prevent people from missing essential bits of information, especially if we begin using Facebook (which I am also in support of, but respect people who don't ever want to touch it) or any other supplementary communication methods.

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