Facebook Yes - No

[wyliefoxEsquire]

Many clubs use Facebook for sharing information.  Sharing information is GREAT.

Sadly there is another side to FB.  It is that negative side I encourage clubs to have web sites.

 

compare the advantages versus the disadvantages of using facebook

 

 

Using Facebook offers major benefits for global communication and business growth, but it also carries significant risks regarding personal privacy and mental health. While it serves as the world's largest social directory, users must actively manage their security settings and screen-time habits to avoid its well-documented pitfalls. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Here is a direct comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook:

Core Advantages

• Global Connectivity: Bridges geographical gaps to let you stay in instant contact with long-lost friends, distant family members, and international colleagues. [1, 2]
• Targeted Business Marketing: Offers unparalleled advertising tools that let businesses target highly specific consumer demographics based on age, location, and precise personal interests. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Community Building: Hosts millions of specialized groups where like-minded individuals can share information, learn skills, and organize grassroots events. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Media and Information Sharing: Acts as a centralized hub for real-time news updates, entertainment, personal photo albums, and live video streaming. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Free Essential Services: Provides robust text messaging, voice calls, and video chat through its companion app entirely free of financial charge. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Core Disadvantages

• Privacy Vulnerabilities: Tracks user behavior across third-party websites and carries persistent risks of profile data breaches or identity theft. [1, 2]
• Addiction and Distraction: Employs algorithms designed to hook user attention, which frequently leads to decreased workplace productivity and lower academic marks for students. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Spread of Misinformation: Functions as an ecosystem where unverified news, deepfakes, and fabricated stories can spread rapidly before moderation teams flag them. [1, 2]
• Declining Organic Reach: Restricts the unpaid visibility of business page updates to force creators and companies into buying paid promotions. [1, 2, 3]
• Toxic Social Environments: Exposes vulnerable users to cyberbullying, public harassment, and negative social comparisons that can cause anxiety or depression. [1, 2]

[watab kid]

i dont use facebook so this would not work for me , but most folks do so i see the thinking 

[El Sobrante Kid]

I personally do not use any of the social media platforms, just not my thing. But... a lot of people do. If someone is willing to put their information out there in order to use FB, then I see nothing wrong with a CAS club using it as a further means to communicate information. To me a bigger problem is when a CAS club ONLY uses FB and does not have a decent website. Worse yet is when a club locks down their FB page and requires you to sign up in order to see it. When I see that I know it's time to mosey on down the road a bit. Different strokes for different folks, make sure to stay safe out there.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

One local club (of which I am an officer) uses an official website and also a Facebook page.  The official website is for the club schedule, contact information, match results, club bylaws, meeting minutes and like information.  The Facebook page is for other information like pictures of work parties, cowboy items for sale, videos of members shooting at away matches and significant achievements at major matches.  A club officer controls the content of the official website.  Club members can post to the Facebook page.  This arrangement helps limit the number of e-mails sent to club members.

[Rye Miles #13621]

I see plenty of clubs on Facebook including my home club, Firelands Peacemakers. SASS is also on FB. I personally use it to keep in touch with friends and family and local events. Lots of cities and small towns have a presence on FB. I use it all the time. I’ve used it for my own business as well. Lots of shooting venues as well. NRA is also on there and also Instagram which is META and owned by Facebook. 👍

Edited July 7 by Rye Miles #13621

[Cholla]

Technically, this forum is a social media platform.

[Black Hills Barb]

I am on FB and am the admin of 2 groups, one being our posse. There definitely are pros and cons. The groups that I am admin on have worked out well. With the exception of bogus requests to join the group, I've seen few issues. However, I think I would to be tempted give up FB completely if I only had my personal page. I'm just tired of the posts being nothing more than submittals of news, politics, sports, etc. When I initially joined, it was all about keeping in touch with friends. Posts were actually typed - not just a shared news flash. FB is also full of all kinds of fake profiles that do nothing more than try to invade your site. One has to be very careful to protect their own profile. I will admit that I check FB regularly and do have some friends and sites that I fully enjoy keeping track of. I just wish about half the stuff that's out there would go away. 

[Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804]

No! -no facebook for me

[Chickamauga Charlie, SASS #47963]

11 hours ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

I personally do not use any of the social media platforms, just not my thing. But...

I hate to tell ya but THIS  is social media 🙄 🤣 😂 

[SnakeM]

Use FB all the time, reconnected with long lost friends, stay in touch with my aunt via FB messenger, etc. A great tool. Just be aware of the FBs algorithms for marketing and be careful of contact attempts. And after all the SASS Wire is a social media as well!

[Diamond Jake]

 Three platforms, three purposes:

 

Club Website: one-way communication to send info to current and future club members.

 

Facebook: two way interactions for people mostly local, though interested parties may also join in.

 

SASS Wire: more secure two-way interactions with SASS shooters worldwide.

[Scarlett]

Facebook is a GREAT way to get non-club members attention with pictures and videos of all the fun we have shooting together! There are the stated draw backs but for me, those are outweighed by the positives.  However, it shouldn’t be the only means to share match information. There are a lot of simple free website things available for sharing info. Whatever method you choose, IT MUST STAY UPDATED. BAD information is almost worse than no information. 
 

I’ve met a gazillion people and (across the world) through this game and FB allows us to stay connected. 

Hugs! 
Scarlett

[Tall John]

3 hours ago, Diamond Jake said:

 Three platforms, three purposes:

 

Club Website: one-way communication to send info to current and future club members.

 

Facebook: two way interactions for people mostly local, though interested parties may also join in.

 

SASS Wire: more secure two-way interactions with SASS shooters worldwide.

 

agree with 👆. FB is the best platform to raise awareness and reach potential new members, yet the age of FB users is getting older and we aren’t reaching the next gen on any of these three platforms. 

 

I just wish that when clubs post their big matches on the main SASS FB pages that they would include their club’s address, website or city/state at a minimum.  

[Scarlett]

55 minutes ago, Tall John said:

FB is the best platform to raise awareness and reach potential new members, yet the age of FB users is getting older and we aren’t reaching the next gen on any of these three platforms. 

I should have added that my Facebook pages - both personal and business - are connected to my one Instagram page. All my nieces/nephews (30s-40s) are on Instagram as are my kids - 25 & 27 - and their friends. It’s super easy to connect them and then you don’t have to post on each - my FB posts are automatically shared to my instagram page. My pages are all public - anyone on/off FB can view events etc to a limit. I know most folks don’t want a public profile but you could set up you Club or one with your alias. If you don’t want to do that, you can make some posts public but have your settings default to private. 
 

I am NO expert in all this - most of this is what I’ve learned on my own and by trial and error. 
 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[Jackalope]

I will not have anything to do with Facebook.

 

When I search for a SASS club and find their only source of info is Facebook, that club just lost me as a potential customer.  Likewise, with businesses.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

Jackalope

[Rye Miles #13621]

24 minutes ago, Jackalope said:

I will not have anything to do with Facebook.

 

When I search for a SASS club and find their only source of info is Facebook, that club just lost me as a potential customer.  Likewise, with businesses.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

Jackalope

Curious, why?

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

NO Facebook for me too, I've closed my account years ago.  If a club can only be located on FB, I move on and don't even bother.  I do try to locate if they have a website, if not I just move on.  I don't even want to bother with other social media either.  To each its own.  

[Yul Lose]

I got banned from FB many years ago for posting a picture of Kyle Rittenhouse with an AR slung over his shoulder. I’ve tried to get back on numerous times since then but always get an “account permanently suspended” message, oh well.

[Rye Miles #13621]

21 minutes ago, I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321 said:

NO Facebook for me too, I've closed my account years ago.  If a club can only be located on FB, I move on and don't even bother.  I do try to locate if they have a website, if not I just move on.  I don't even want to bother with other social media either.  To each its own.  

Youre unsociable! 😂 Heck even Johnny Shiloh is on FB! 

[Rye Miles #13621]

Just now, Yul Lose said:

I got banned from FB many years ago for posting a picture of Kyle Rittenhouse with an AR slung over his shoulder. I’ve tried to get back on numerous times since then but always get an “account permanently suspended” message, oh well.

If you want to get on create another account. Pretty sure that works. Others have told me. 

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

3 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Youre unsociable! 😂 Heck even Johnny Shiloh is on FB! 

Oh Well.  I do have a phone, and anybody can call me and I can call them.  I rather talk than type.  😜😂

[Rye Miles #13621]

5 minutes ago, I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321 said:

Oh Well.  I do have a phone, and anybody can call me and I can call them.  I rather talk than type.  😜😂

It’s not only about talking, it’s pictures, videos etc. Lots of stuff to on there. Sometimes you don’t have time to talk. Just sayin’…,to each his own. 😎

[Cholla]

I have been writing the Web Blasts column in Muzzle Blasts for 29 years. The article is a list of websites that would interest NMLRA members. I review about 110 websites a year. It used to be very easy to find good sites to feature. Now everyone has gone to YouTube or Facebook and has abandoned their website

 

Running and maintaining a website requires specific skills and a lot of time. Before my SASS days, I ran my own website, Open Road Outdoors. It was a constant struggle to keep the website looking fresh and to provide new content. I hate to tell you how many times something would mess up and take the site down. It literally took all my spare time and never made a dime.

 

It takes a specific skill set and time to run a website that keeps people coming back, or even to find it in the first place. So, unless you want to be the person spending all their time maintaining the club website, and I do mean ALL YOUR TIME, don't complain about other easier social platforms.

[Rye Miles #13621]

All kinds of gun groups on FB, NRA, GOA, Ohio gun owners and probably most state gun groups. SASS too. 

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

22 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

It’s not only about talking, it’s pictures, videos etc. Lots of stuff to on there. Sometimes you don’t have time to talk. Just sayin’…,to each his own. 😎

Take a picture and text it to me is faster.

[Yul Lose]

38 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

If you want to get on create another account. Pretty sure that works. Others have told me. 

Tried that too. Something about my ip address someone told me.

[Rye Miles #13621]

38 minutes ago, I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321 said:

Take a picture and text it to me is faster.

But I could post that picture on FB to everyone that’s my friend, can’t get faster than that! 

[watab kid]

our gun cl;ub here uses it to post scores and provide info - i guess a lot of floks are more savy than me and use it but the only social media ive ever used are a few of the gunsites - going back to about 2000 i just never went any further than these sites , might change someday but right now - i think not , i have three left of the maybe 20 sites i once visited over the years , most i dont anymore because they dont exist anymore a few do and ive lost interest there , 

this one , my enfeild site and my rimfire site stll get daily traffic when possible , 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

Left FB years ago. Don't miss it. Never going back.