Is the Facebook ban going to ruin the forum?

[ImTriggerHappy]

I have noticed a few silly priced guns appear on here today and one seller that appears to be a business as hes offering a warranty.

This got me wondering if its a coincidence or with the facebook ban is this site and many others going to get swamped with all the iffy sales.

This site is good because you dont get too much of that on here and the community is relatively small.

Does anyone else feel like this is going to have a large negative impact on the site?

 

[MrMcG]

I have noticed a few silly priced guns appear on here today and one seller that appears to be a business as hes offering a warranty.

This got me wondering if its a coincidence or with the facebook ban is this site and many others going to get swamped with all the iffy sales.

This site is good because you dont get too much of that on here and the community is relatively small.

Does anyone else feel like this is going to have a large negative impact on the site?

It's possible

Can the mods not put a minimum post count before sales posts are allowed maybe

 

[proffrink]

I think we might have to put up with a few lazy posts for a while but ultimately those sellers may turn in to forum members so I see it as a good thing long-term. Mods will stay on top of the crappy threads anyway I'd imagine.

 

[Randymanpipe]

I'm a member of quite a few of the sales groups on FB and the short term reaction seems to be sell on forums Zero and here. So yes I think we will get swamped with new sales. But hope that the core of the forum will probably stay unchanged. Fingers X

 

[jcheeseright]

these forums ran just fine before facebook selling became a 'thing' in large numbers. I expect it'll be fine after too.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

these forums ran just fine before facebook selling became a 'thing' in large numbers. I expect it'll be fine after too.

There was less people playing then though so less private sales. The increasing popularity of airsoft means that the number of sellers on Facebook was huge and those people have to go somewhere.

"Just because it was doesn't mean it will be" as the saying goes.

Hopefully your right but I still think we are going to see a lot of "hardly used, as new combat machine, bargain only £400 sales popping up for a while.

 

[Alex34]

Who exactly have they banned? All the airsoft retailers and techs I follow on FB are still operational.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Who exactly have they banned? All the airsoft retailers and techs I follow on FB are still operational.

Its the unauthorised/private sales that are under the cosh. The shops and legitimate companies are fine.Hopefully it will all get sorted soon because as much as I dont like Facebook its popularity benefitted airsoft.

 

[Lozart]

I know there's been a few join today that were on UKAC on FB but I think it's only right they have a fair crack of the whip same as everyone else.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Mack's airsoft dreamers thread may get some extra posts And I am sure that any stupid sales will be challenged by forum members in the usual way.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

I know there's been a few join today that were on UKAC on FB but I think it's only right they have a fair crack of the whip same as everyone else.

New members is great, the guy who joined doing the custom paint jobs is definitely an asset. Its all the iffy sales threads that are not so great. But as you say its a free country so what will be will be.

 

[Alex34]

Its the unauthorised/private sales that are under the cosh. The shops and legitimate companies are fine.

Hopefully it will all get sorted soon because as much as I dont like Facebook its popularity benefitted airsoft.

Ahh... I see.

 

[Baz JJ]

I think it wont make the slightest bit of difference, Also, new blood can be good - stirs the pool.

Those that use it to sell guns instead of FB will just post adverts I suspect. The inane stuff will still go on the larger FB groups.

Personally, I filter all the adverts out on here as Im personally not interested in buying or trading RIFs, so you only have to see them if you want to.

A lot of people are over-reacting to this FB restriction because they havent read properly.

Its only affecting secondhand sales and trades and FB havent banned airsoft. Sometimes their bots get a bit overenthusiastic and ban somebody because it misunderstands the post. There are some very good groups on FB, not just airsoft related ones.

Groups and forums are about people. FB is just a medium, a carrier, for peoples thoughts.

 

[callumbagshaw]

If anything it will increase the forum's popularity.

If guns seem overpriced, simply don't buy them! The sticky's at the top of the classified threads should tell you to do your research before you go buy a gun from here, so it shouldn't really change anything in a negative way.

 

[djben9]

On a forum i used to mod, anyone just posting for selling only had the topics removed, they were asked to become sponsors so contributing to any costs the forum owner had, it's now a major site in selling and buying and the guy himself runs it as his business... I'm sure the mods can cope and will be briefed. Plus there's also us lot to provoke any dodgy sales or members ?

 

[Sacarathe]

Unfortunately, the admin, despite logging regularly, does not interact with the community, or afaik respond to PMs. Just look in the hey admins forum.

This whole forums needs about 4 forums (not including sites) closing and at least 10 categories created. The main ones, are a HPA subforum and "what gun should I get".

If the number of users get high enough it will dilute the content too much by not having enough subforums.

 

[GearTech]

I'll openly admit I came to the forum after the clamp down on FB. I started out with the paint business just over 12 months ago and the sales side kind of happened unexpectedly. FB was a great selling platform and it was easy to keep up with what was happening in the UK airsoft community as all the pages were very active. With recent changes I was suddenly struggling for an outlet. I hadn't got a web site up and running as FB was keeping me busy enough. Sales had grown pretty rapidly with January being the best month I'd had so far. The paint side of things had taken on a life of its own with people recommending me as soon as someone mentioned they were looking for someone to spray something so it was plain sailing.

Someone recommended the forum and having been a supplier to the WWII renenactment crowd some years ago I knew they could be a good place to make your self known if you were prepared to put in the time and keep an active appearence.

I don't think it will be a bad thing if there is a sudden influx. You will always get the odd noob but that happens in any hobby. I know that forums can be bitchy when they aren't monitored carefully by the admins and I think that is why FB became so popular. I would like to work with those who run the site as it could be a good platform. My name is getting out there but its not one that everyone thinks of at the moment when they are looking for new kit. Forums aren't for everyone and there are enough retailers out there who are big enough that they don't need to plug themselves at every given opportunity. Guess we will see what happens.

 

[Sacarathe]

I'll openly admit I came to the forum after the clamp down on FB. I started out with the paint business just over 12 months ago and the sales side kind of happened unexpectedly. FB was a great selling platform and it was easy to keep up with what was happening in the UK airsoft community as all the pages were very active. With recent changes I was suddenly struggling for an outlet. I hadn't got a web site up and running as FB was keeping me busy enough. Sales had grown pretty rapidly with January being the best month I'd had so far. The paint side of things had taken on a life of its own with people recommending me as soon as someone mentioned they were looking for someone to spray something so it was plain sailing.

Someone recommended the forum and having been a supplier to the WWII renenactment crowd some years ago I knew they could be a good place to make your self known if you were prepared to put in the time and keep an active appearence.

I don't think it will be a bad thing if there is a sudden influx. You will always get the odd noob but that happens in any hobby. I know that forums can be bitchy when they aren't monitored carefully by the admins and I think that is why FB became so popular.

That may be true, but here most of the users are on the same page. We get bickering, but even the most vile trolls only push a few members to cursing and spilling their own vitriol.

I would like to work with those who run the site as it could be a good platform. My name is getting out there but its not one that everyone thinks of at the moment when they are looking for new kit. Forums aren't for everyone and there are enough retailers out there who are big enough that they don't need to plug themselves at every given opportunity. Guess we will see what happens.

This forum takes a lot of pride in not being tied to commercial airsoft enterprise. At least one moderator works in airsoft industry, but he only mentions services in passing. The paid sponsors don't try to make sales directly on the boards.

I do think this needs to change, but I do not think commercial sales should be permitted - long term, on these forums.

Stick to your airsoft services (with incidental sales), you'll be well received as you have been so far.

If you want to make exploitative commercial sales, get your own forum? Don't try and buy this one.

 

[two_zero]

>Is the Facebook ban going to ruin the forum?

yes.. I'll probably message dev n ask to have my acc deleted :/

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

>Is the Facebook ban going to ruin the forum?

yes.. I'll probably message dev n ask to have my acc deleted :/

Doubt it will ever get that drastic ?You can certainly see the impact already though but it hasn't been too bad.