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Facebook's negative impact on car culture and tech info

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FB is akin to a horrible rash on the inside of one's colon. I will dance a gleeful jig if it goes under and Zuckerberg is forced onto foodstamps inbetween indictments.

That being said, looking forward to updates that play better with mobile browsers and portrait aspect resolutions.
 
Forums áre the best way to learn and share automotive related things , FB never Will be better than this forum ,but now the millenials want all easy and not take their time to search for their issues they preffer ask on a FB Group and wait for spoon feed, and share wrong info of that they believe Is right when Is not the correct
 
FB has all but killed forums. I think the answer is easy, but the implementation of it may not be.

I would assume it would be difficult and pricey, but I’m not tech person so I don’t know.

If Tuners had an app, many of the traffic issues would be solved. Phones are so prevalent for things like this now.

Although making a forum mobile-friendly is one thing, people reach for the push of an app before opening a browser.

Shoot, I’m 36 and guilt of that. But if Tuners had an app, I’d be all over it. I don’t have a DSM anymore, but I’m not really interested in the Evo forums.

I think evoM gives me pop-ups when I’m looking for information. So I don’t even think about it. And assumed it was pretty slow, too.

I’d do anything to never log onto FB again. But for used parts, it’s great. At least for now.

I miss forums as much as you do, Chris. :(
 
I sure miss these forums. You hit the nail on the head with this topic Chris.

The fact that everyone is too busy trying to "make a name for themselves" without having common sense, or getting their boots muddy by learning off of their own trials and tribulations, is a hard pill to swallow. Facebook is literally a social media participation trophy for recognition.

Can we get back to the days of accountability, trial and error, and some good ol' elbow grease?


In.
 
I love perusing forums for info, ideas and parts! A quick google search usually nets the more reputable forums in the top results which is usually an awesomely fast way to find your answers. I almost completely stopped getting on FB a couple years ago, and it wasnt until last year when I picked up the GSX that I went back to it due to the seemingly dead marketplace on forums and CL.
 
FB has all but killed forums. I think the answer is easy, but the implementation of it may not be.

I would assume it would be difficult and pricey, but I’m not tech person so I don’t know.

If Tuners had an app, many of the traffic issues would be solved. Phones are so prevalent for things like this now.

Although making a forum mobile-friendly is one thing, people reach for the push of an app before opening a browser.

Shoot, I’m 36 and guilt of that. But if Tuners had an app, I’d be all over it. I don’t have a DSM anymore, but I’m not really interested in the Evo forums.

I think evoM gives me pop-ups when I’m looking for information. So I don’t even think about it. And assumed it was pretty slow, too.

I’d do anything to never log onto FB again. But for used parts, it’s great. At least for now.

I miss forums as much as you do, Chris. :(
I’m the opposite, I hate apps. I use a desktop browser on my phone for everything.
 
I still send people here or tell them to search the forums. If they get twisted about getting sent a link then I start trolling and/or stop helping them altogether.
 
I’m the opposite, I hate apps. I use a desktop browser on my phone for everything.

I don't have a smart phone. I can have it in my pocket without having to worry about it breaking while im leaning over or getting under a vehicle. I have a 7" tablet that has mobile internet but i just use it to play games or when im not at home and need to look something up.
I would rather use a laptop or desktop.
 
Great post, Chris. It's always nice to see things from your perspective.

Aside from the FB issue, I've got to imagine that another large part of this forum's decline in participation is the fact that we've done so well at archiving over the years. Kind of a double edged sword there. But these cars are old and this forum has been around a while - most things have been discussed extensively (and in some cases, ad nauseam). I've lost track of how many people say that they come here to lurk, search, read, and learn but never post or otherwise participate. I've got to assume this applies to many of the larger auto forums, right?
 
FB has all but killed forums. I think the answer is easy, but the implementation of it may not be.

I would assume it would be difficult and pricey, but I’m not tech person so I don’t know.

If Tuners had an app, many of the traffic issues would be solved. Phones are so prevalent for things like this now.

Although making a forum mobile-friendly is one thing, people reach for the push of an app before opening a browser.

Shoot, I’m 36 and guilt of that. But if Tuners had an app, I’d be all over it. I don’t have a DSM anymore, but I’m not really interested in the Evo forums.

I think evoM gives me pop-ups when I’m looking for information. So I don’t even think about it. And assumed it was pretty slow, too.

I’d do anything to never log onto FB again. But for used parts, it’s great. At least for now.

I miss forums as much as you do, Chris. :(
If DSMtuners had an app and it worked to generate the traffic that FB groups get these days, I've got to assume it would also be the same quality of traffic that the FB groups get. Do we even want a large influx of low quality traffic/posts? DSMtuners holds a standard higher than most FB groups, and most appreciate that. If an app enables laziness and instant gratification, I think more people will be prone to not research and simply regurgitate the same tech question asked yesterday.
 
why is their a "Log in with Facebook" button even allowed on this site. You do know they're tracking & data mining everyone one of us. That button is the main reason I seldom login anymore & visit mostly as a guest.
To make it easy for FB users who don't frequent forums to login more easily and participate. If YOU don't login with FB then FB can't track any of YOUR activity. If you login without FB it doesn't affect you.
 
MEMBERS ONLINE:
Total: 908 (members: 68, guests: 746)

^ Here is the crux of the problem. This is a weeknight, and this is what it says at the bottom of the page.

It's long been known that 20% of the people (of any group) do 80% of the work. Here, on 'Tuners, it may be more like 10% do 90%.

You're up against a couple of things: The cars are getting older and the owners are getting younger. A teenager doesn't value the wealth of knowledge stored here (even though he may need it later), he wants HIS problem fixed RIGHT NOW!

Part of that is the "instant" culture people expect today. Unfortunately, few are willing to even do a search for an answer, they simply throw the question into the universe and want someone else to do the work and spoon feed them the answer.

I see the posts on the DSM Facebook groups and it actually surprises me how many people still are messing (choice of words purposeful) with our platform. The responses crack me up. The couple times I've tried to reply, I've directed them here, but there is no telling if they ever followed my advice.

So, what should we do? Chris has already tried lowering the price for admission by eliminating the minimum number of posts for probationary members to post in certain forum sections and to list items for sale. You may remember, Chris, I sent you a PM as I was concerned about this. I'm liking the idea to require membership in order to see the content we have amassed (see the first line of my response). Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

Current stats may show more new members joining than before, but do they stick around? In a nutshell, the owners of our cars will only be as dedicated to this website as they are to their car. For many youth, their first car is just a stepping stone.

Unfortunately, I fully expect that the number of active members on this forum will plateau, if it hasn't already. As an example, I would guess that a Chevy Big Block Forum isn't exactly bursting at the seams. Unless we can incorporate relevant information on something produced more recently than the last 20 to 30 years, we can't expect to have a growth pattern.

The ultimate success and longevity of this site will be because of the dedication and quality of the members who are the pioneers of the latest technology and its application on our cars.

Chris, it comes down to the purpose for this forum. Right now it appears it is to share as much information for free to foster the participation of the DSM platform, and to encourage the development of specialized components for betterment of the platform. Altruistic, to be sure, but you will have to find a way to create more value to the information you have compiled and more-obviously differentiate DSMTuners from any social media group.

Maybe the best way of determining that purpose is to ask, Who do we want as members?. You can only control your own product while social trends come and go.
My post wasn't necessarily about how to grow participation here on this forum, or better yet, keep it from dropping - it was more about encouraging people to use forums in general for tech discussions instead of FB, and the negative impact FB is having on car culture and tech information. The last car that this site focuses on rolled off the assembly line in 1998 - it's inevitable that the membership participation will fade. Hell, I'm surprised there is still such an active following, and so much money still being spent in this niche. But that isn't fueling the thought that was put into this post. It was more about the observations of how people are using social media these days and how it's been detrimental to car culture. I've outlined some of the reasons and the challenges. I have some plans to keep modernizing this website to keep it user friendly (especially on mobile) but that won't necessarily help change user behavior and mindsets across the industry.
 
Great post, Chris. It's always nice to see things from your perspective.

Aside from the FB issue, I've got to imagine that another large part of this forum's decline in participation is the fact that we've done so well at archiving over the years. Kind of a double edged sword there. But these cars are old and this forum has been around a while - most things have been discussed extensively (and in some cases, ad nauseam). I've lost track of how many people say that they come here to lurk, search, read, and learn but never post or otherwise participate. I've got to assume this applies to many of the larger auto forums, right?
Could be, but I don't know that the archiving prevents people from participating. I keep seeing people say there isn't a need to post because there are so many answers to questions that can be found, and that doesn't make much sense to me. There are so many good reasons why people can and should participate in a forum beyond tech Q&A - updates about their builds, event prep, random off topic discussions, meetups, posting new how-to write ups, etc. I see people who used to post all of that type of stuff here posting it all on FB, and being less active here. I don't think the data archiving doesn't discourage people from interacting with each other.

Also, it's one thing to point people to visit forums to find the info they need. It's probably a lot more effective to point people to the forums and have them reach out to you while they're there so you can interact with them ON the forum. Continue the discussion on the forum, instead of on FB. Build relationships through the forums and interact with others. Invite others in. Welcome new members. In order to keep forums going strong people need to participate and get involved to help shape the community and encourage others to follow suit. The same goes for all forums out there. It's very similar to the community you live in - it requires people getting involved to make sure the community thrives and that your kids and your neighbors' kids will thrive in that community in the future.
 
If DSMtuners had an app and it worked to generate the traffic that FB groups get these days, I've got to assume it would also be the same quality of traffic that the FB groups get. Do we even want a large influx of low quality traffic/posts? DSMtuners holds a standard higher than most FB groups, and most appreciate that. If an app enables laziness and instant gratification, I think more people will be prone to not research and simply regurgitate the same tech question asked yesterday.
I don't think the app itself would equate to poor quality content creation. It's more of a consequence of mobile usage - people are apt to type a more detailed reply on a desktop/laptop machine than a phone. But mobile is how the majority of people interact with online communities these days.

Don't know if we will ever have an app, but we will definitely be working on push notifications and other features that people enjoy with apps. The focus will continue to be on making it easier for people to interact with the site via mobile, since roughly 2/3 of our traffic browses the site that way now. I'm old school, I love desktop/laptop.
 
The FB groups are good for buying/selling parts which is all I use them for. I search this forum daily for the most random threads to learn from which it still amazes me the amount of information that is stored.
 
I search this forum daily for the most random threads to learn from which it still amazes me the amount of information that is stored.
Just don't forget to interact with others here in the forum as much as you can. Searching only doesn't strengthen the community aspect of the site. Data archiving is only half of the equation. Building friendships and networking is the other half.
 
I use Google A LOT, he is my friend and 99% of the time he directs me right back to DSMTuners. A search engine will never lead you to a FB topic, or I have never seen it do so, but I don't use FB, Twitter or Insta-Gram. Still, the results I get from search engines sends me back to our own forum almost every time. It helps me help others on the board. All the info that is on a FB page/group never shows up in my searches. Just ONE MORE GREAT THING about this forum and its participants! Keep the posts coming so information isn't just tossed into the wind!
 
I don't think the app itself would equate to poor quality content creation. It's more of a consequence of mobile usage - people are apt to type a more detailed reply on a desktop/laptop machine than a phone. But mobile is how the majority of people interact with online communities these days.
Agreed. That's what I was getting at. An app that tailors to mobile use, and mobile use that seems to bring in poor quality content creation.

I would think that lower traffic is better than poor traffic. Maybe I'm wrong about that though.
 
I'll never pass up an opportunity to complain about Facebook. One overlooked thing about the FB groups is the general attitude you see amongst the members. For whatever reason, people on FB put less energy into their posts and are more likely to act like shitheads. I was apart of the DSM Tech group for a while and decided to leave because every time I asked a question it became a shit show. A lot of people get on there and try and impress all the other guys by acting cool and bashing people every chance they get; It's like highschool. I don't see this at all on the forums. I almost never see people treating others poorly on Tuners, but for whatever reason, some idiot gets on his FB app and it all changes.
 
Agreed. That's what I was getting at. An app that tailors to mobile use, and mobile use that seems to bring in poor quality content creation.

I would think that lower traffic is better than poor traffic. Maybe I'm wrong about that though.
That's one way to look at it for sure. However, if you simply accept that as the natural progression, the user behavior across the industry will continue to shift that way, and the quantity of the archived data will shrink. As new trends emerge, they will be discussed far less in an archived system, and fewer people will find that information later and will be forced to ask repetitive questions in a "chat" style system to get the info they need. Fewer people will use forums to interact with others who share their passion, using them only as a data retrieval tools - which will eventually kill more forums, especially when less of the data they're looking for can be retrieved in those systems.

I think the better approach is to take the poor traffic and turn whatever percentage you can into good traffic. Educate people on how to be good community members and how to use the forum to its fullest. Show them how platforms like FB are detrimental to our hobby and our motor-head lifestyle and let those who actually give a shit get involved and make a positive impact. Or they can continue to flush some of the best aspects of our hobby down the toilet by participating more on FB than in forums, it's their choice.

Some forums have disappeared. Some have become ghost towns. But others are still very active, though maybe not as active as they used to be. This site still receives an amazing amount of traffic each month even though participation has dropped some over the years. There is still immense value in forums. There is simply less commitment to the idea of participating in and contributing to forum communities as a member. Plenty still use them to find information, they simply interact with them less. This is due to several factors, many of which I outlined in the first post. Many though, are starting to realize how important forums have been in the automotive world, in ways that FB cannot replicate.

Let me put it this way - people like Paul who create and sell unique auto parts will appreciate this - FB is to the automotive enthusiast community what Amazon is to companies that make high quality performance auto parts. And that's pretty scary. I for one, think that we can have social networks AND quality forum communities - maybe forums evolve into something slightly different in order to bring back more member participation. Forum owners need to continue to improve the forum user experience, but we also need to educate people in our communities the importance of supporting forum communities like this through participation, instead of using FB in place of them. And that starts with people actually using the forums and inviting others to connect with them there/here.
 
Hey everyone! a guy named "Dusty Boner" doesnt have a Facebook. I'm shocked some one so open about a dusty penis would be so anti-social.


My only contribution to facebook is to make fun of rusty builds. I cant believe how many people scam people on facebook, it seems really easy though because everyone on the Facebook pages are idiots.

Your Facebook account needs to link to the forum for more builds or member rides to create content. Also organizing builds by number of views and number of replies instead of most current. Our builds section is half page of just blank build info threads and profiles most days
 
I was apart of the DSM Tech group for a while and decided to leave because every time I asked a question it became a sh** show. A lot of people get on there and try and impress all the other guys by acting cool and bashing people every chance they get; It's like highschool. I don't see this at all on the forums. I almost never see people treating others poorly on Tuners, but for whatever reason, some idiot gets on his FB app and it all changes.
Oh it used to be that way on most forums too. Moderation and data organization can help, along with features that encourage and educate people on how to help themselves - things that FB isn't good at. But there has to be a concerted effort to combat trolling. It has always been a challenge in forums, it's all but impossible on FB.
 
With almost 1,100 views...this thread seems to be attracting the right attention :)
 
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