Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

May I just ask, is there something that the forum's missing or is there anything that can be done to improve its value? Or is the forum format not quite meeting needs anymore?  FB groups seem to be gradually diluting specific aspects of the forum bit by bit ( :( ).  Is FB now the prefered format? :buttrf:

Ooh no. I prefer the forum. You can actually find things for starters and FB is just, well FB.

FB is very transient and only really good for small talk.

Absolutely forum for me, I dont do FB.

Thanks guys.... I just wanted to hear other's perspectives about how they prefer to network and to ask whether something was being missed.  I have put so much into the forum over the years that I worry that has now become my downfall and the focus has become a little blinkered, that I am not aware of the bigger picture IYSWIM  :buttrf:

Facebook I use to sell my products, and to vent(plus a teensy bit of networking if I actually really must) but the forum is the place I come foirst if I want/need advice, and just to generally catch up with people etc :buttrf:

I also trust the information/advice I get from the forum far more than I would from FB.

I'm not very sociable atm, full stop. But I use both, contact with people on fb that wouldn't be here. I am more open here, where as I am extremely careful of what I post on fb.

No no no I don't use Facebook please don't make me!

I much prefer the forum - it's far easier to check back a year or more for a topic and it's much easier to keep tabs on a topic because of the grouping (IYSWIM).

I've left the FB groups, find them too muddled.

Don't worry.  I have no plans to do that  :buttrf:

I am just interested in your views...  looking at the overall format & functionality of the forum.  I want to avoid, where possible, any dilution as I want to give it as much value and be as useful as possible to everyone.

I do appreciate everyones honesty though.  Thank you  :buttrf:

I am very active on FB as I have a lot of friends in lots of places and it's so handy to keep up with them.  Here... I haven't been posting for a while.  I can't tell you why not really.. perhaps it's me or because a lot of subjects are covered already that there was nothing new to me for a while? I don't want to be mean but honest with you.  I've also thought there are some people who may not appreciate my posting... nobody said anything at all but I've noticed that there are certain people who never respond to me and I have wondered if people are p*ssed off or bored with me.  I dunno.  I cannot put my finger on it.  I'd love to be as active on here as before but it doesn't feel like home to me, like it once did.  Sorry. 

That's a shame Honey, because you were so active.  I wouldn't want anyone to feel like that.  I hadn't noticed anything that you have mentioned but I guess it isn't obvious unless you are experiencing it personally.  I do feel sad that you feel like that but I thank you for your honesty   :buttrf: :buttrf:

I tend to have both running in the background. I have personal contacts with cosmetic genius friends on fb I like to keep in touch with and belong to a few groups I use. However, here is my go to place regarding soap and I personally feel at home (mostly) here.

No no no!! FB is all well and fine, but it annoys me half the time, and I don't take it very serious the rest. This forum is nice, calm and professional. And Helen wont suddenly claim a right to our photos or sell our phone numbers to the nearest stalker.

Please keep it!!

OH my gosh MP, NEVER!!!!!

Thanks both.  You have both mentioned some interesting points that help make me feel that the forum does achieve some of the objectives set out at the beginning  :buttrf:

Best to take it up directly with those people rather than leave it hanging unanswered in public.

I think thats where I am too

I find that fb is much more superficial, where here on the forum we actually get to know one another.  More of a relationship where we can build trust, share ideas and learn from one another (and have a good laugh too)

I am active on FB to keep in touch with friends and find out about local events.  And I suppose I use it to promote my business.

However, I am very cautious about personal stuff I post there, and I don't really want to post much of anything business related except on my page, or talk about soapy stuff on FB.  I do that here.  I would never ask business advice or b&b/soap advice on FB, but here I do.  This is a more closed community, and my potential clients and competition aren't on here (probably).  I don't think it's missing anything here, it's normal that some people will come and go. 

As for me, in the last 3 months or so, I have been going through some MAJOR family crises and been rather down. As a result, I have not been in a good enough place to contribute to any of the threads as I would love to. This  Forum  beats Facebook  any day and I look forward to coming back soon. Love ya all!

I'm very active on FB (in the reading sense, not so much the posting sense), but I use here for resources and research. I'm not really chatty at the moment (or in FB groups), I just don't really have anything to say. I'm being a hermit for a few reasons. I still look on here everyday though!

Thank you everyone and it is good to know that you still feel part of the community at times when you don't have anything to say - I think that's very comforting to know that you are still around and feel some benefit from being part of the group, silently.  Those that have their own things going on....  :ghug:

What I have established from the feedback is that, generally and for most, a forum format might be better for bonding and trust building, safer and more 'homely'.  That's good as it tells me that the format isn't becoming redundant  :buttrf: :buttrf:

Helen I love this place.  It is my favourite forum and I find it much easier to share here than FB.  There are a couple of groups I belong to on FB, but even there I don't feel I can share to the same degree as I can here.  Fresholi feels safe to me and I can't think of anything I would want you to change. :buttrf:

That is so very good to know Lindy.  Thank you   :buttrf: :buttrf:

Is there a point in that though? I mean, you can't have everyone like you, they're entitled to their opinion.  I'd never message someone saying "why don't you reply", it just sounds a bit whiney to me.  They're allowed to be bored with me if they want. 

Then why mention it in this topic?

I agree with EJ. Person may not know they've done something to upset you.

A friend of mine got into heated discussion on FB. The other person edited & deleted their posts and took screen print of the conversation making it look like one sided rants. Not good!

Because Helen asked us to be honest!!! Jeez. I should sugar coat it? This is EXACTLY what I mean!!!!

Oh Honey, never mind, I feel like you do sometimes as I know I don't soap and only unguent so no pics really and I think my sense of humour or logic winds people up sometimes so I go to ground (that or health gets the better of me!) but as I have been reminded on a personal message conversation, this isn't real life so hey! I like you though (!) and you're much cleverer than me at all the networking lark so I am learning slowly through reading what you say.

On the forum thing Helen, can I back up what others have said and that didn't occur to me till reading this - although this is quite a "social" rather than technical forum, I really do feel pretty safe asking questions and getting answers (on a personal or technical level) and at some point in the not distant future when I finally post pics of my labels and such I don't feel half as worried as I would in other places about ideas getting robbed or pics used inappropriately.

Not that I am thinking of posting inappropriate pictures of me and my balms. Ooh shudder :-X

That's good to know Nicola  :) :buttrf:

Honey there are so many people here that love and respect you.  I really do miss you on here.  Not everyone loves me either, but there are enough people in here that I do luv and enjoy that it keeps me coming back.... :ghug:

I think that Lindy hit it on the head when she said she feels safe here. There are things I would post on here that I would NEVER post on FB. You have different connections on FB - my MD for example could see what I posted so I could not rant about work - it is far more public. This is more like an exclusive club.

I have my fb setting so that I have different groups who see different posts. Public, Friends, Close Friends, then a variety of self made groups like Family and Best buddies.
I generally feel safe and happy on here but did for a while find it quite cliquey. However, I think that is likely to happen with any new comer arriving in an already established group.  :shrug: (:hug:)

I have set up various lists - Family, Close Friends, Corwen Area etc. (silly FB keeps trying to suggest random friends to add to a list when I have it open).

Another aspect of FB which I don't like is that someone is able to make you a member of a special interest type group without asking whether you wish to join - not at all polite.

Thanks sweetheart x

People were asked for an honest opinion. This can lead to somewhat tentative ground. There's only two options, sugar coat it for Helens benefit which is useless, pointless and disrespectful, or be honest whether it be good, bad or indifferent. Those that chose the latter, their opinion should still be respected on what they feel whether one agrees or not with it.

I like the forum much more for interacting with other soapmakers.  I use facebook just to let my customers know where I will be or if I have something new.  FB can't compete with this forum for chatting with others who are addicted to soapmaking :mwaha:.

If you're referring to posts I've made in this topic then


would have been sufficient, no need to expand; as andoy posted people could become anxious, it would not have been "sugar coating"

On any forum there are bound to be some people who do not appreciate the posts of some of the others; not feeling appreciated by every member is par for the course.

I'm well aware that there are those who do not appreciate every post which I make, I'd be surprised if there were not.

Sorry EJ, but I disagree with both you and Andoy. Just as some people may become anxious, they also may not like  or relate to someone's posts. That's fine. Equally so, one should be able to express themselves in an open and honest way, without their response being dissected, critiqued or suggestion of rephrasing or editing.

You're welcome to do so.

Oh I am ever so sorry if this thread has caused disagreement.  

All I wanted to understand and get clearer picture on was whether there was anything that I could do to improve the format of the forum and get a general idea of the forum format V FB as I don't want the forum to become less valuable to its users, so if I can do something about that, I will.

I have got enough from the great feedback to help give me direction, so maybe, could we lock this thread now?  :buttrf: