Things...

[tvtech]

Hi Guys

Noticed today that ETO is now linked to Facebook with certain threads...

Check this out: https://www.facebook.com/ElectroTechOnline. Scroll down Not for me as I am a private person and do not like this...
I have a FB account but it stays idle. I could not be bothered to engage with Social Media.

So like Roman who got cross here a while ago....and went to AAC....he was happy until they got this XenForo software. And left. Permanently.

No more Privacy anymore as in the old ETO we used to have. Any chat's we have will be shown to the World. No more joking and no more rants.

So, strictly business. No more fun anymore. Just facts.

EM is not in charge of this ship anymore. That's a pity after what we all went through.

Life I guess.

Thanks Nigel and Ian and Matt and Jim and Mike and anyone I forgot to mention. Amazing Mods in difficult changing times.
And my Forum mates too...always chirped me...kept me on track and made time for me...always loved you...best folks ever.

You all know who you are.

One Month break is going to be good for me while all sorts itself out here

Regards,
tv

 

[jpanhalt]

I saw something about Facebook flash by the other day, but didn't pay any attention to it. I would like to know a lot more about the linkage between ETO and Facebook. For example, who decides what goes there and what doesn't? Can one opt out? What effect would opting out have?

There is no privacy on the Internet, so that is not my concern. My concern is the culture, and I perceive ETO's culture much different than Facebook's, CafeMom's and so forth. One big cultural difference is the clear political and religious bias at Facebook that is relatively lacking at ETO.

Maybe this thread should be in site issues so it will get the owner's attention.

John

 

[tunedwolf]

Apart from the icons at the bottom of the page, where else on the site is a link to facebook mentioned? I haven't seen anything pop up, flash by etc when logging in.
Like John, I would like a full and complete explanation with options clearly laid out. I too believe that this site has very little in common with farcebook.

 

[large_ghostman]

I dont think most are getting what actually happened. This is no longer a private website and is owned by a company, this company generates money by adverts amongst other things.
People dont like adverts here and browsers can block them, so the other way of doing it is to get 'Likes' on face book, so every time someone 'Likes' the content on the face book page money is generated. The precise ins and out your going to have to look up as I am not a facebook fan, but I think my description is pretty much there.
So now this is a commercial site you get a settle in period then you start to get changes so they can generate a profit, the main problem now facing them is margin. I have no idea what was paid for this site but it was sold at a time the decline in figures wouldnt have come through fully, so in some ways they didnt get what they thought they were getting.
In the end it will come down to excepting adds on the forum or excepting that what you post will be placed on other sites on the internet, personally I would likely have stayed again here but the facebook thing puts me off.
On here you see the comments to what you put, now you will also have comments made that you dont see unless you go looking over facebook.
The bigger issue is the drawings etc are now displayed to a much wider audience, dosnt matter to me but to some this might have an impact.
ETO gets X number views a day, facebook is another planet view wise so many many many more people are going to read what you put, make a mistake in a thread that is posted and literally the world is gonna see it . I am sure people are going to say I am totally wrong blah blah blah, thats there choice. But I dont use ANY of the sites the company that owns ETO has, and now ETO is on facebook I now reluctantly add it to my not going there list.
Sorry guys its back to the private sites for me!
NIGEL FFS start a forum will you! Its about time you started one and put an end to the rubbish out there, if its a money issue say so as I am certain many here would chip in for a site you run.

 

[JoeJester]

First, if you post on the web, you have no expectation of privacy. That is one condition on using the internet. It's like having an expectation of privacy while talking on your cell phone while walking down the street.

Who in their right mind thinks that the words published on these pages are not cataloged, for whatever purpose.

There is no such thing as "free" software, do when you download something and accept their terms, did you really read the terms?

It is the end user's responsibility to know what is in the terms of agreement or terms and rules here. There is also a privacy policy. If your concerned with what they are doing, then read the privacy policy and see what they consider "fair use" of your postings.

 

[ericgibbs]

hi,
I agree with Joe, when first you registered with ETO, you then agreed to abide by its Terms & Conditions.
If the T&C's are amended/revised by the new Owners, you have three simple choices, accept them, lobby the new Owners to make changes or go elsewhere.!
If you do go elsewhere, you will still have deal with the T&C's.

My advice is if you don't want the rest of the 7 billion people on the Planet to know your personal business, don't post personal or private information or comments.

Interestingly its the same very small group who are moaning and whining as we had last year, under the previous Owner.

Eric

 

[Ian Rogers]

Interestingly its the same very small group who are moaning and whining as we had last year, under the previous Owner.
Eric

Yep!! Weird that...

 

[large_ghostman]

I been gone nearly a year.............. All I see is a few mods and a tiny group, the rest went a year ago, I was pointing out there is a big difference to who see's you on here and who sees you on face book.
I dont actually have facebook and my school discourages it because of bullying, but I know enough to know that it isnt a good thing.
Anyway as a moaner I will go leave you few people to continue on. Shame you didnt listen to some the people moaning you might not have to keep popping over to ACC to answer questions then.
Look around you this is what happened when you were a mod eric and people got sick of it.

 

[ericgibbs]

I seem to have struck a nerve.
What you think of my Moderation at ETO is of no consequence to me.

Regards posting to AAC, I have been a member over there since Jan 2010, posting over 1500 times, hardly 'popping over'.
Also I have been a member of EDABoard since 2007, who have the same Owners as ETO.

To set the record straight, Roman left ETO because of the lack of new projects being posted, not because he was 'cross'

 

[jpanhalt]

Interestingly its the same very small group who are moaning and whining as we had last year, under the previous Owner.
Eric

Eric: I do not like being identified with that group. As you know, I was not part of it and actively supported ETO during that period. The subject here is quite different.

On the topic of Facebook:

Obviously, there is no privacy for what you post on the Internet. We all accept that. However, the nature of information that individuals post on ETO is distinctly different from the personal information (PI) we provide to ETO* to enable us to post. That creates a contract and is why there is a privacy policy that must be accepted by the individual who wants to join.

Unfortunately, the intent of laws designed to protect individuals from the wanton sharing of personal information is easily circumvented by terms such as "business associates" and similar in the privacy policy of those with whom PI is shared. What it boils down to is a matter of trust. It is essential that members here be able to trust the owners of ETO in the extent to which our PI is shared.

Facebook is a gateway to spam. I don't care if ETO advertises on Facebook. I do care and object strongly to the sharing of my personal information with Facebook or with any others to any extent that is not necessary to the technical operation of ETO per se. Facebook is not just another benign site. It is highly sophisticated and not only can be but often is intrusive. Thus, for me it is a hot button item.

As I said just above, contracts come down to trust, and I think the owners of ETO need to clarify what information is being shared with Facebook now that the question has been raised.

John

*I am using ETO not as a bad example, but as a generic to represent any provider of access to information on the Internet. It could include, for example, your physician who provides access to your medical information online or your bank that provides online banking.

 

[ericgibbs]

Eric: I do not like being identified with that group. As you know, I was not part of it and actively supported ETO during that period. The subject here is quite different.

John,
I would never associate you with that group, quite the opposite in fact.
I support your statement:
As I said just above, contracts come down to trust, and I think the owners of ETO need to clarify what information is being shared with Facebook now that the question has been raised.

Lobbying for a change in the T&C's is one of the three options I have listed in my earlier post and is the democratic way to bring about change and/or clarification.

Eric

 

[JoeJester]

All I see is a few mods and a tiny group, the rest went a year ago.

LG, that is the nature of the internet culture.

Attached is a 13 week look at the membership of two forums. It's simply the percentage of the membership who had posted within the last 13 weeks ... by membership time. Both of these forums have Inquiry sections (seeking answers) and a social section. Rest assured, ETO wasn't in this "snapshot". Now, most forums hide their membership data as it has become a business asset, for targeted marketing efforts.

This is not new that marketers would "capture" as many email addresses as possible, as each were a potential client. eMail spam is a big business.

There is nothing new here ... The growth of ETO just isn't as fast as other forums.

 

[killivolt]

I could care less; I am an AAC member as well from 2010 and I'm not smart enough to be on EDA yet. But, my personal info that ETO is holding is my junk e-mail address and as far as my personal home phone is concerned it also is a junk phone #; I give it out never to answer.

I only use it if my cell phone might be down only friends and family have cell.

As to my home address if they want to send adverts it goes to garbage.

Not concerned; never really have been; big deal. I have the NSA in my backyard less than a 20 minute drive. They listen and watch my every move; once your on the NET it's to late.

kv

 

[JoeJester]

I agree. Having a junk mail account is always good. I weed through mine every now and then .... Checking to see if anything interests me.

I could create a small storage size email account on my server as a junk mail account. That way it would reprt back the inbox was full.