Blood Bowl Community on Facebook turns "private"

[lunchmoney]

Thanks both, I suspect the content is insufficient for me to change my stance on this.

Mr Besters, we are in the minority.

[sann0638]

There are usually a number of posts about "what skill to take next" and then someone kicking off because they recall someone else asking the same question three weeks previously.

Somewhat of a lazy mischaracterisation, I think? The first bit yes, but people tend to answer or ignore.

TBH, I don't think you're missing out by not joining, but there are occasional interesting points, amazing figures, good debates. Diamonds in the rough, and all that. Depends on your tolerance for the rough.

[Saebelsultan]

Never having used Facebook, is there anything of importance there that doesn't originate or get repeated on TFF?

I believe there is, even though a lot is repeated. For me it is also a lot about synergies that hobby related posts generate. A lot of hobby stuff moved away from TFF to FB (probably because of convenience?).

The simple solution is to sign up to Facebook and join the group.

That is simple enough, but for some, me included, the negatives of FB overweight the positives. Of course the consequence will be, I have miss out on lovely hobby content in the future. Which is sad for me. The question is, if it should be of any concern to the BB community to actively shut out people. As mentioned before, I believe in an open community. I suppose time will tell what happens. I can also see the argument that people don't want to spam non hobby friends. I just personally value openess over that

if there is a facebook setting for an individual that allows posts in selected groups to not show up in your friends feeds

There isn't, sadly.

Also, is NOT setting the FB group to private at all an option?

We made the decision based on lots of feedback and conversation between the admins, and think it is best for the group. We'll have the conversation between the admins again, but generally the idea is that it will encourage more people to post more often. It's possible (though no real way of knowing) that we will see a decrease in the rate of growth of BB due to it, but we may also see more people joining if you have to join to see posts, and people are free to post on their own feed if they want to spread the word (as I do).

Pitty FB doesn't offer such a personal privacy setting.
And a pitty the admins decided as they did. I can only hope your reasoning turns out to be true. I also hope you will evaluate the outcome and be brave enough to maybe reverse your decision if there is no positive effect to be found.

[sann0638]

I also hope you will evaluate the outcome and be brave enough to maybe reverse your decision if there is no positive effect to be found.

That's the significant downside - it can't be reversed.

[Skitters]

There are usually a number of posts about "what skill to take next" and then someone kicking off because they recall someone else asking the same question three weeks previously.

Somewhat of a lazy mischaracterisation, I think? The first bit yes, but people tend to answer or ignore.

Point taken - I didn't mean to sound dismissive of "what skill to take next" posts - it does sometimes throw up interesting ideas, and it implies that there are new players who want to learn which has got to be good for the wider community.

I get irritated by the salty "use a search" responses - though they are not as widespread as my comment could be read to imply.

On the whole the posts on the various BB groups on Facebook make up the bulk of my FB usage. It can be an easier platform to digest stuff than a forum, though it is not without its irritations. It takes little effort to create posts which can include images. The like options are nice way to be able to show appreciation for a post without having to add a comment. Conversely there is less control than TFF on what kind of content you are looking for: it'd be hard to imagine how you could have a contained "UK tournaments" section for example.

[Saebelsultan]

I also hope you will evaluate the outcome and be brave enough to maybe reverse your decision if there is no positive effect to be found.

That's the significant downside - it can't be reversed.

As in: once private you cannot switch the group back to public?
Oh well, good luck then.

[Darkson]

I also hope you will evaluate the outcome and be brave enough to maybe reverse your decision if there is no positive effect to be found.

That's the significant downside - it can't be reversed.

??? Are you sure? I've been in a few groups that were 'Open' that went 'Private' and later changed back to 'Open' (though I was just a member of said groups, so I don't know what happened in the background.
Or is this something else FB has changed recently?

[sann0638]

Over 5000 people, I think.

[gjnoronh]

I'm in the FB group and very much in favorite of Private - because of the impact of my frequent BB 'likes', and comments, on how transparent I want to be about my hobby to all 300 or so of the FB friends. I really don't want all of them to know about my gaming hobbies.

A good chunk (50-100?) are probably gamers or one time gamers, but the majority aren't.

It's likely quite a bit confusing to my 78 year old aunt when I'm asking about Bloodthirsters and whether kicking an opponent when they are on the ground at the end of the game is a good choice.

On the flip side - imagine if the BB news stream for people who know me somewhat (say the 50 or so folks who hit one of the BB events I TO'd) was interrupted by random bits and pieces of my personal life like what restaurant I went to last night and what I thought of it. It would get annoying quickly.

[Jip]

The Blood Bowl Community Facebook group is the only one of Games Workshop’s main platforms to still have a Public setting on its main group.

If you’re not on Facebook, I don’t s’pose it makes much difference to you, so not sure that your perspective (valid though it may be) is particularly relevant to the debate. I expect my views on the Blood Bowl MySpace page aren’t at all relevant for the very same reason, and the Age of Sigmar Bebo group is probably equally as unphased.

Making it private doesn’t hide the group behind some impenetrable veil; it’d still be the main one people use to interact (the official page has more likes, but doesn’t really have the same level of debate or content that the Blood Bowl Community [BBC] group has).

Nor does making it private cut people out, you just have to click ‘Join Group’ and wait for one of the long-suffering admins to lift the velvet rope.

The main benefit of the Facebook group(s?) for me is the hobby content, which just doesn’t translate on TFF or the NAF website. I think Twitter fulfils a similar role in sharing modelling and painting ideas, too.

Stuff usually gets leaked or revealed on the BBC group before it’s on the ‘official’ Blood Bowl Facebook page, anyway, so I’m not sure I’d miss that one, if I wasn’t already following it.

I wish all Facebook groups were private; then you’d be able to have full access to the content you wanted to tap in on, and remain blissfully unaware of everything else on the Book of Face.

Conversely there is less control than TFF on what kind of content you are looking for: it'd be hard to imagine how you could have a contained "UK tournaments" section for example.

There’s actually a ‘Warhammer Underworlds Event Diary U.K.’ on Facebook that does this pretty well. Not sure if similar groups exist for the other platforms though.

[koadah]

If you’re not on Facebook, I don’t s’pose it makes much difference to you...

It makes a difference because you can read the group without being on facebook.

This thread is a good example of why many people won't join Facebook. It sounds like a nightmare.

I am a member. I'm also a member of the BB group. Though now I have to jump through a load of hoops just to be able to log in. It is a while since I tried so I've forgotten my password since then.

It is still interesting to view the group from time to time though.

[Mystic Force]

About the only reason I go on Facebook is to look at bloodbowl stuff mostly to do with the local game store, I do not find following discussions there particularly easy because it's not set up for that. Posting pictures is easy however. it is great for engaging an audience with an event. I have missed various announcements of new stuff because it came out on Facebook but did not make it to here.

At this point I am not longer ashamed of my hobby I do not care if people see what I do for fun. Lets face it the demographic for this game seems to be mostly male and around 30 to 45 and been playing this type of game for a long time or coming back to it. I do not think we are that ashamed of what we do, having grown up, have families and in a climate where these types of activities have become main stream. It's sure more interesting than seeing what your opinionated uncle thinks about the latest political goings on.

[Skitters]

'Ashamed' is the wrong word

I would say I don't like my BB posts being broadcast to my friends and family because I am conscious that it can be
irritating when a person constantly posts about something you have no interest in.

[Darkson]

I am conscious that it can be irritating when a person constantly posts about something you have no interest in.

You mean like political posts, or 'you should all be vegan' or religious posts or baseball or...?
Half the posts on my wall I have no interest in.

[gjnoronh]

I am conscious that it can be irritating when a person constantly posts about something you have no interest in.

You mean like political posts, or 'you should all be vegan' or religious posts or baseball or...?
Half the posts on my wall I have no interest in.

Sounds like you know exactly how annoying it can be! Wouldn't it be nice if your vegan/religious friends could set their settings so only people who were interested in veganism/religion were forced to see their posts in their feed.

I might make a lot of posts in the BB community FB group in a day 3-6 sometimes and I don't generally get into 'heated' discussions. No reason my family has to deal with that showing up in their feed.

The downside of private is non users FB can't see it - but people are welcome to have as much discussion/tournament postings on sites like this as they want including posting their own questions or information on tournaments they see in FB.

The various social media technologies (including older ones like this forum) all have their pros and cons for communicating gaming related information. FB is pretty ubiquitous now but it's got plenty of ways it doesn't work as well as say a Forum for organizing and presenting information for those who want to find it. And other ways it works really well of course.