Perhaps I just never noticed before but I see that links to Facebook and Twitter seem to have been added to the bottom of each post stream. Is this new or have I just not been looking?

What's the story Mr Huw?

and, given that I am one of the "old buggers" (i.e. born before 1980) what's the point 'cos I don't do the social networking thing?

Huw is no doubt responding to the needs of the Young Ones, Dave.

Either those, or the idle chavs with nothing better to do than fritter away their semi-waking hours (starting around midday, usually) with so-called "social networking".

You know, important messages like:- "I think I'll have Heinz Spaghetti for lunch today"*!

Everyone's at it, apparently. You know, those we all admire so much. Like "celebrities", politicians, journalists, footballers ... all sorts of "real" (or should that be "extremely sad") folk, in fact.

What's the point? None at all!

To be fair (?) I should imagine that, as far as this forum is concerned, it allows you to alert your friends (eh?) to new and exciting posts.

"Hey Dude, I've just made a really cool post on the ebme forum"!

What the more paranoid amongst us may care to bear in mind are the dangers involved in leaving digital footprints here, there, and everywhere. No doubt all those Tweets get stored on a hard-disc in some dark Data Warehouse someplace ... just waiting to come back and bite you in the butt sometime, who knows (cares?) when?

Did I say that back in 2010? Me? No way!

But just imagine all that, er, trivia filling up those RAID drives. I can only begin to wonder at the numbers involved.

PS: what about those (of us) born before 1960?

* Other popular brands are available.

If, like me, you were born before 1960 (and who's only formal computer training involved punch cards) then..........

Well, ya buggered mate !! (or at best trying very hard to keep up with things but the ol' eyes just don't focus as well as they used to, the knees creek, you can't remember where the hell you put the car keys and you would much rather get on with a spot of gardening than go to a party).

Ah, such is life. Bring on retirement, I can't wait

I read a piece yesterday about Ken Dodd.

Still doing five-hour shows at age 82 ... and still driving back every night (morning?) to Knotty Ash!

@Dave - I take your point, it's of no use to you if you don't use social networking, but a heck of a lot of people do.

@Geoff - I'm not responding to the young ones Geoff. Like it or not, Twitter & Facebook are a big part of peoples lives. I myself resisted it for a long time - but eventually dived in and got in touch with a whole load of old mates.

I don't see the point in being cynical about such things. I mean - this new fangled 'internet' thing, who'd be bothered with that?

Not me, that's for sure!

Cynical? All I got when I tried Facebook was someone hacking into my Hotmail contacts list, thereby causing much embarrassment to all concerned (but to me especially)!

Not too sure about so-called "old mates", either. Don't know about you guys, but I seem to be much better off with my new ones!

: tweet :
: tweet :

so, Huw, could you explain to an "old fart" like myself what the actual functional advantage of these links are (and were they new or had I just missed them in the past?) Perhaps I might be inspired to join the Now generation

Spreading the word Dave.
promoting communication...

When you Tweet or Like something, other people are informed of that fact and may come along and join in the debate.

It's just like skimming through a magazine you don't own and spotting an article that you wouldn't have ordinarily read but nevertheless find very interesting. (Sort of...)

so we are talking MARKETING here? (and nothing wrong with that, I have in the past held the title "sales and marketing manager")

I'm not complaining it's just that I don't "do" it myself (internet social stuff that is) so I don't really get it. I'm sure you are right to include this stuff for those who do.

Similar to the Email Post feature at the bottom right of a post (when you're logged in, that is).

I'm all for Spreading the Word. Let's hope that it leads to increased participation. Somehow I doubt that it will (but shall be happy to be proved wrong). Lurkers will remain as lurkers, I should imagine. Either that or they lack the time to make a post (too busy Tweeting).

For what it's worth (which is probably not a lot) I believe I do "get it" myself (despite being born during the Golden Age of the 1950's) ... but my take on it all is that real "social networking" is far better carried out, shall we say, face to face!

All this Tweeting* and such, just like emails and all the rest, can simply take over your life (to the detriment, in fact, of getting the actual work done) ... unless you lack the necessary (dare I utter the words?) self-discipline. In my experience, that is often very much lacking, especially amongst the young.

* Other "social networking services" exist, unfortunately.

Well, actually, that's not what I had in mind - but I suppose it could be taken that way.

You'd be surprised by how often that function is used.
It all gets recorded in my admin logs.
(Talking of which Geoff, your editing of your posts in this thread is prolific even by your own standards )

Ahah! I knew you logged all that stuff. Kinda supports my own comments about paranoia, I reckon!

As you must already know, then, I use the Email Post feature myself from time to time.

Do you record the "Private" Messages as well, then?

And ... regarding editing. If you remember, it was a technique I picked up from my old Nemesis (no longer seen on the forum, sadly). I guess you know who I mean.

But (unlike him) I don't do it in order to make subsequent posters look foolish, but simply to correct or clarify my posts.

No. PMs are private. Clearly, they are stored in a database - but never accessed.


That's why pencils have erasers

Now that the forum has gone social, it appears that the laundry has been put out to dry in public as well.

No secrets here.

Indeed not. We're all friends here, Neil.

But ... here's something for you all to ponder. Taking the so-called United Kingdom as a case in point, has all this instant communication made for a better society?

Answers (no, not on a postcard) via Twitter please!

OK guys ... let's play!

Who'll be the first to beat (and then Tweet) this?

And Huw ... how come we haven't got SMS* on here?

* Anyone we know?

Surely your advocating social networking Geoff through all the posts that you put on here!!??

There is quite a big difference between supplying information to repair equipment, information on databases etc than telling the world what you had for breakfast and the difficult decision of what colour socks to wear.

Thank you for that, Neil.

@Kawasaki:- Yes to "Spreading the Word". But "social networking"? Me? Hardly.

'old bugger' for people born pre 1980!?

:-( argh

Ah well, you see, according to my sources (that being my 22 year old son and 20 year old daughter), "well, you know, like, I mean, if you are over 30 then, well, it's just over".

Funny really, I seem to remember thinking just that when I was 20 (though I may have been more lucid, well, it seemed I was, my parents may have had a different view).

Such is life

As opposed to frittering away your hours on this forum Mr top poster? I wonder what percentage of your posts are actually technical and how many are simply conversing about nonsense i.e. Social, as in networking.

Pots should not throw stones at kettles in glass houses whilst calling them black.

I have explained all that before ... but don't feel the need to explain myself again.

But ... if you're so smart, why not do the "analysis" for yourself?

No need to give your results here, though, as I guess that no-one will be that interested.

I may spend some time on here ... but I certainly ain't no chav!

Oh, go on Geoff, pls explain again, I may have missed it last time.............. (before my time on the forum perhaps)

Cyberdog, is that a bit of jealousy (Mr. Top Poster) that I am reading into your post, and I am typing this before I decide what to cook tonight. Thinking out aloud here "should I check the forum and see if there is any assistance I can give or should I look in the cupboard and see what I should cook" is this the kind of socializing that is required these days.

What did you go for in the end, then, Neil?

Meanwhile ... see this.

Thai Red Curry (beef)

Cos I don't blog, tweet or whatever, I only have a facebook page to view photographs that my friends have up-loaded because it is easier than sending them by email.

Not at all Neil, just trying to emphasise the fact that Geoff himself is guilty of pointless posting as much as the chavs on the social networking sites who post status' such as "going to the toilet now" etc

Define "pointless post" ... one that fails to elicit a response?

@Huw: these posts seem to always come up with [Re: DaveC in Oz]. That's why I deleted my reply to Neil a little earlier (hoping to correct that) which said:-

"How come you didn't Tweet me"?

Neil then replied to that one, so now there is a gap (or a bit missing), as it were. But, not to worry.

the one above (from Cyberdog) is "re Neil Porter"

Perhaps we just have some sort of "connection" here Geoff

Telex, I guess.

Sorry Neil (and others) ... you were responding there to my post:-

How come you didn't Tweet me?

Hey ... it's just come back (see above)!

Now I'm really getting to enjoy all this!

No doubt Huw will be on my case when he comes on ... all to do with "waiting for the cache to clear", not waiting for an earlier post to clear, too many edits, deleting without permission, or some such thing.

Funny that I don't get these problems with Twitter!

Geoff, hope you don't make any spelling mistakes with your tweets and twitterings

At the bottom of the 'reply' it says 2 people like this, what do they like, the subject, the reply or all the conversations?

Ok, pointless is probably the wrong word to use. Lets say 'excessive' for now.

Only 140 characters, don't forget.

By the way, how come your post says [Re: DaveC in Oz]?

Yes. I can't argue with that!

Define "pointless post" ... one that fails to illicit a response?

OK Huw ... I give up. How come that post (above) has reappeared?

Seems like the Aliens have the con, here (that is, powerful forces have control). Scary stuff!

Some kid with his iPod, I guess.

So as there is no confusion regarding what constitutes "social networking", a definition is:

"The interaction between a group of people who share a common interest; Using social contacts to network; Using internet's network groups (such as Facebook and Twitter) to network and communicate between consumers and businesses"

I think it is fair to say that any forum such as this falls into the category of social networking.

If I wanted to tell the world what colour socks I am wearing I would not choose an engineering forum to do this, there are plenty of other sites to do this, and many people do. If I want to discuss engineering problems I would choose an engineering site. Simple really.

Hey guys ... now we have the Shout Box!

(OK Neil ... what colour? I always use white ones myself. Keep it simple, as you rightly suggest)

Go to facebook and I might tell you

Flock: This is for all you youngsters or social media experts. This browser comes under the same wing as Firefox, built by Mozilla. You can utilize this browser as a means of watching all of your social networks with ease. Instead of having multiple tabs you can have all of your social networks split into separate widgets where you can monitor the most important information from each one. It’s basically like having a master control page on your web browser where you can monitor all of your social activity and that of your friends! As for the searching the web side, it is all pretty similar to Firefox, with some problems but without quite as many add-ons.

Flock ... be careful with the spelling, there!