Cross-posting to "social media" websites

[frankdamp]

I've posted a similar message to the following on RV.net, so if the moderators want to delete this one, I don't mind.

For several years, Ive been a listed member and contributor to a Forum that is designed for people who either are current residents or fomer residents of my home mtown in England. It has proven to be very popular with ex-pats like me.

In a recent forum redesign, those driving the redesign decided to add an automatic cross-posting of every message posted on the forum to both Twitter and Facebook. There was no coordination with the registered members and it wouildn't have been noticed had not one long-time member clicked on the "f" symbol at the top of the page.

I personally abhor the kind of predators, spammers and other low-lifes who use the "social media" websites for nefarious purposes and have avoided them like the plague.

While I recognize that all internet forums (fora?) are public domain, I think that their specific subject matter and community to which they're targeted make them relatively immune to the nasties that infect the general social media.

Firstly, I'd like to ask for a consensus - do you want everything you post on this forum to be automatically uploaded to Twitter and Facebook, along with your forum identification?

My second question is "Is this sort of cross posting of everything on this forum to Twitter and Facebook already occurring?" If so, should it be stopped?"

I don't mind the forum identifying itself on those social media, but I strongly object to the postings' content being distributed thereto.

[OneRVer]

When I post something here on this site I do not expect to read my posting anywhere else. If I want to facebook or twitter then I will go to that site. So if cross posting is going on I would like to see it stopped.

[Route 66]

iRV2 does not upload any posts to any other web site.

In addition, our member database is confidential and not shared with anyone.

Quote:

Firstly, I'd like to ask for a consensus - do you want everything you post on this forum to be automatically uploaded to Twitter and Facebook, along with your forum identification? My second question is "Is this sort of cross posting of everything on this forum to Twitter and Facebook already occurring?" If so, should it be stopped?"

[frankdamp]

Thankyou Dirk. That's what I hoped to hear.

[dsbike]

Thanks Dirk & please keep it that way.

[OneRVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsbike Thanks Dirk & please keep it that way.

Ditto. Thank you.

[Andy R]

As Dirk mentioned, we don't automatically post any of the content to other sites.

I have seen that the next version of the software that runs our community has more social media hooks. What that means is people can "like" discussions or digg them and thus link back to us. Nothing is automatically posted to other sites though, it takes a member who is interested in a topic to want to share the item with their friends (a big difference).

[Ray,IN]

I would be offended by such actions. I do not, nor ever expect to, visit any of the "social networking" websites, they have way too many nasties associated with them. Were I to discover anything I wrote moved, pasted, or otherwise shown anywhere else than where I intend. I would stop using both/all the offending websites.
If it is occurring it is a breach of ethics IMO.

[NLOVNIT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy R I have seen that the next version of the software that runs our community has more social media hooks. What that means is people can "like" discussions or digg them and thus link back to us. Nothing is automatically posted to other sites though, it takes a member who is interested in a topic to want to share the item with their friends (a big difference).

Please explain further, Andy. I don't associate with those other sites either so I don't know how this "like" thing works. Does "liking" bring folks here or take our content outside?

Lori-

[Andy R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT Please explain further, Andy. I don't associate with those other sites either so I don't know how this "like" thing works. Does "liking" bring folks here or take our content outside?

Typically the "like" feature works by taking the page titles and then a tiny snippet of text from the page and posting it on the user's profile so their friends can see something they read and liked. That's it. Nothing fancy, evil or unethical about it.

Think of it like reading an article on the 2011 National Rally. Someone who is going might say they "like" it and then their friends might wonder over to read the article as well.