Im still not ready to sell my soul to FB and that will be my demise.
T.

On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 12:10 AM Ben T <syncro@gmail.com> wrote:

> It’s my opinion the initial erosion of membership started when sub-groups
> started to spin off, way before Facebook. The aircooled folks and Syncro
> drivers spun off. Then the Doka and Singlecab guys left. I know this
> because I moderated some of those on Yahoogroups. After that bulletin board
> forums sucked more members out with Samba being the more popular because of
> the ability to attach photos with having to park them in another site
> first. Then of course, social media started to draw people away because of,
> for the lack of a better word, a more social environment for discourse.
>
> The largest which I participate in is the Vanagon Owners Group of VOG for
> short. They had 768 members when I joined the admin team. There are now a
> little over 11,100 members. I like to think I was instrumental in growing
> that group. Each member was vetted before being allowed to join, in order
> to avoid spammers and scammers. If they manage to sneak in, they are
> immediately removed and blocked from further interaction with the group.
> Not only that, any inappropriate postings can be removed my admin.
>
> Here’s the link to VOG:
> https://m.facebook.com/groups/845132182200467?ref=share
>
> This one is smaller group which I manage more closely. It’s called Vanagon
> Cafe Group
> https://m.facebook.com/groups/154433611260033?ref=share
>
> I manage a few others but this may get you started. To discourage the same
> fracturing effect that happened on the Vanagon List, any postings which
> solicit members to join competing Vanagon subgroups are immediately
> removed. Snarky comments are not tolerated. Not only that, repetitive
> questions from newbies are not discouraged or put down. It is a social
> group first before a technical forum. Check it out for yourself. Be wary
> that the groups which I admin require that you use your true name, unless
> you joined before 01/01/2105. Reach out to me via email or FB Messenger, if
> you have trouble joining. There is a series of questions, when ask to join.
> It’s intended to trip up spambots.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> BenT
>
>
> > On Jun 10, 2019, at 8:36 PM, Jim Arnott <jrasite@eoni.com> wrote:
> >
> > There are currently 490 subscribers on the gerry.vanagon.com list.
> >
> > I suspect that your hypothesis is correct. I admin a few other lists and
> where there used to be ten to a hundred posts daily, there’s now one or two
> a week. All gone to FB no doubt as it’s more ‘immediate.’ WetWesties for
> example, 2008 saw an avg of 299.8 messages/month. 2018, the avg is 32.5/mo.
> >
> > I too miss the chatter. I also miss that chatter being archived.
> >
> > For historical purposes, the following is the first post to the Vanagon
> list.  (There was a vanagon-L list that preceded it, but those archives are
> lost to the sands of time as I’m sure this list’s archives will be
> eventually.)
> >
> > We’ve had a good run.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> >
> > Date:         Sat, 2 Apr 1994 15:01:54 -0600 (CST)
> > Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
> > From:         Gerald Skerbitz <gsker@lenti>
> > Subject:      New listprocessor
> >
> > This is a rather trepid announcement of my installation of the
> > listprocessor software.
> >
> > The list is still called vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu, but you can send
> > help,subscribe,unsubscribe,set vanagon digest messages to
> > listserv@lenti.med.umn.edu
> >
> > As soon as I get a welcome message together, I'll post it to the list
> > so you can forward it to your friends.
> >
> > If there are any problems, I'll probably see them, but please send mail
> > to me as gsker@lenti.med.umn.edu if you see them first or you need some
> > help with something.
> >
> > Also, if you can spare a few seconds to quickly respond to this note so
> I
> > know it got out there somewhere, that'd be nice (I can do that while the
> > list is still small. <smile>)
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > --
> > Gerry
> > Gerald Skerbitz <gsker@lenti.med.umn.edu> U of MN Med.School.Admin
> 6-5379
> > 1984 VW Vanagon Waterboxer 1915
> >
> >> On Jun 10, 2019, at 3:32 PM, Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> I figured that this was best sent to a moderator, hence Ben T in
> subject line.
> >> The Vanagon list seems to have shrunk to just one or two posts a day,
> and I'm wondering where everyone has gone.  I'm thinking they have all gone
> to a FaceBook page, but not sure which one.
> >> I don't do FaceBook, but I checked my wife's account and there is
> several Vanagon groups; one with 11,000 members!  Is that it?
> >> There was even a small Vanagon diesel group, and what really surprised
> me was a Central Florida Vanagon group with a couple of hundred members.  I
> didn't know that there was that many Vanagons here in Florida.
> >> I'd love to know where everyone has gone because I miss the Vanagon
> chatter.  Especially as I am searching for a van again now.
> >> Thanks, Anthony (NE FL)
>