Large Scale Central

For everyone to see

General Discussion
#1

I am re-posting this forum reply here for all to see, just on case you missed seeing it in full from the sub forum where it was posted.

Let me say that I like this forum, I have even met many of you in person at different events.

But the way some of you reacted to a post that was made by a contributing advertiser is a joke.

Bob M can delete this, move this, ban me, I dont care… what a joke some people are on here.

Ken Bianco said:

Ugh, don’t know where to start on this. Im a bit surprised by the reaction of some on this forum. Sorry for those offended by my post. I figured many G scalers might want to see some new product from Bachmann and even ask questions to the Vice President Of Sales and Marketing at Bachmann Trains. You do not need to join facebook to watch the live stream. Anyone can watch it. I figured this was a huge value for non New Yorkers who can’t be at the event to see the VP of Bachmann and talk about their new products. I don’t see many hobby shops out there bringing in top executives and offering the community a chance for a q&a.

I dont understand why someone would be mad at me, give me two thumbs down or brag that Im not getting their business because I offered this through facebook. Even to call me lazy or view me as cheap… I host tons of in store events, spend 6 figures on marketing through traditional magazines, forums including this one!, ad space, newspapers, and yes social media. I don’t just have a facebook page, I have a youtube page, I have a real site where you can watch the videos and more. Yes facebook offers an easy way to offer live free events and I will take full advantage of it. I don’t see many hobby shops out there offering the same thing. I do my best to promote the hobby but when I see negative comments for offering a free opportunity to see a manufacturer it really drives me crazy. I post a lot of these same opportunities on an o scale forum and a lot of them post questions for me to ask the manufacturer on their forum. I am always happy to get their questions in and respond to them instantly. It always works out great and never had any negative feedback.

Thank you for the guys who stood up for me, I really appreciate it. If it wasn’t for you I probably wouldn’t waste my time explaining myself and not come back. Who wants to pay to help sponsor a forum and then be berated for trying to do something good? Anyways, we had over 3.1 thousand views in 2 days and Rich The VP At Bachmann answered over 100 questions including many G scale questions.

Best,

Ken Bianco Jr.
TrainWorld

#2

Thank you Vincent for posting this. I have to agree with you completely. Some people just need to learn how to be silent or just move on. This site is just too good for that kind of reaction.

#3

I cut the TV cable.

I don’t do Twitter.

I don’t do Instagram.

I don’t do Skype or Facetime

I don’t do Snapchat.

I don’t do dating websites.

I don’t send text messages.

I don’t even have a damn cell phone.

And other than to check on my relatives and friends once in awhile, who post important stuff on Facebook like pictures of newly-painted white lines down the middle of their street, I’ve only updated my Facebook page in over 6 months to change the picture heading. I rarely log on. But…about three times a week, I check the USA Trains Facebook page for updates. And last year, I use to check for often-updated information on the 2016 National Garden Railway Convention on their Facebook page. And there’s even a G Scale Facebook page. This Bachmann event was on the East coast; I live on the West coast. I read it anyway to get info on new products. Whether you prefer to take it or leave it, Facebook is the number one social networking site. Any way to get the information to the masses is OK with me. If it isn’t informative, educating, or entertaining, I don’t read it. Hell, I even skip over some of the topics in this forum if you can believe that! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#4

Wow glad you posted that. If we want to help this hobby then we have to look at alternate ways. Honestly forums are not the way to do it anymore. Social media is the way. It reaches out to a lot more people, in a much shorter time, then any other method. One reason why we don’t see a lot of the FB train users not using forums, is because of the attitudes. That’s a known fact. Im glad to see Ken using FB. Its not a lazy way, its a smart way. FB reaches out to all kinds not just train people. People just need to learn how to navigate it, no different then forums. Its not a security risk if you make up the info FB wants. Nothing is safe as long as you use the web today. Everyone uses the web including banks and hotels etc. Just giving a hotel your info is not any more secure.

#5

Shawn Viggiano said:

Wow glad you posted that. If we want to help this hobby then we have to look at alternate ways. Honestly forums are not the way to do it anymore. Social media is the way. It reaches out to a lot more people, in a much shorter time, then any other method. One reason why we don’t see a lot of the FB train users not using forums, is because of the attitudes. That’s a known fact. Im glad to see Ken using FB. Its not a lazy way, its a smart way. FB reaches out to all kinds not just train people. People just need to learn how to navigate it, no different then forums. Its not a security risk if you make up the info FB wants. Nothing is safe as long as you use the web today. Everyone uses the web including banks and hotels etc. Just giving a hotel your info is not any more secure.

I think forums and social media cater to different audiences.

To me, Facebook tends to be scattershot–I see recipes my sister likes, gun reviews my old Army friend posts, and car posts from the cousin who’s a car dealer. There are the Facebook ads, political nonsense from both sides, and random (and generally uninteresting) posts from various acquaintances telling the world about how their cat is in therapy. I wouldn’t ever try to find info about DCC decoder installations, which locomotives have the best details, or information on scratch building structures on Facebook. I do however follow several manufacturers and resellers there–it’s a good way to keep abreast of new products, sales, events, etc.

Forums are much more focused. Here on LSC it’s mostly G scale train stuff. If I want to ask about operations, or find out which wires to connect to avoid letting the magic smoke out, I ask in a forum. It’s also a good place to get feedback about train projects: you guys (unlike most folks on Facebook) know what you’re talking about. There’s almost no politics (thank God!) and little non-train stuff. And the archives of searchable old posts are a valuable resource.

But to the original point: it’s too bad people today can’t adhere to the old adage: if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Or more succinctly: If you’re nasty, just shut your pie hole.

#6

It’s funny. When coming up in conversation, people who don’t do Facebook are very, very proud of the fact they don’t.

Why?

Are those of us that do and use this social media to communicate less of a person than them? Are we a part of the stupid automatons that walk around with a phone in our faces?

#7

#8

Are we a part of the stupid automatons that walk around with a phone in our faces?

Did you really want an answer to that question? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

P.S. Woz (co-founder of Apple) said that one of their objectives with the iPhone was to help the blind. Instead, he said, they made everyone blind by keeping them glued to their phones.

#9

Re phones…I keep telling my grandkids…their kids will be born with big thumbs and one thumb stuck in their ear when they are born…as far as I can see , kids today usually have one thumb stuck up somewhere else (and a lot of adults as well)…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Oh, and I did not see anything wrong in Ken posting on Facebook.

Some people!

#10

Stupid.

Blown out of Proportion.

Unnecessary.

Sad.

Are we not all friends here?

I would like biz folks to respect my choices as well. I do not need to explain why I choose to avoid places on the net. I have gotten malware from ‘friends’, that the Fix Me Stick couldn’t fix … (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)

Ignored was my request that we at least get vids of the streaming posted here. Instead the pro FB bs was deep.

Please clean up your side, Pete and I have apologized for our part.

Sincerely,

John, a former Luddite, that cut the landline for a Galaxy …

#11

Pete Thornton said:

Instead, he [Woz] said, they made everyone blind by keeping them glued to their phones.

Exactly!

#12

So… Is this a bad time to mention that I will be sending out Tweets from the East Coast Largescale Train Show and if you wish to see stuff before I get home to my editing studio just follow me @smallscalesteam. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)-- Scott

#13

Scott McDonald said:

So… Is this a bad time to mention that I will be sending out Tweets from the East Coast Largescale Train Show and if you wish to see stuff before I get home to my editing studio just follow me @smallscalesteam. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)-- Scott

https://twitter.com/smallscalesteam

#14

I see both sides of the matter. Facebook exists and it is okay to put stuff on it, there’s not much more justification required.

There other things in life which are what I’ll call exclusionary in various ways; here for one, you don’t get to post without being a member. You don’t get to watch TV programs without access to both a television and the network the shows are on. You don’t get to check out library books without a library card. So forth and so on with various things.

I also expect that with something being on, especially only on, Facebook there may be, consciously or not, a feeling of being excluded if you do not have Facebook, being rejected. As we’ve seen in various other parts of life the feeling of being excluded is a powerful feeling which often engenders anger.

I also understand reluctance to use Facebook since they have been in the news for crossing an ethical line or two and for that you the FB user are not their customer, their paying customers are advertisers and you the user and your information are the commodity for sale: people kinda resent being considered a thing for sale. There are people who are not aware of the above and have their own unique set of reason for not going there; the specific mix of reasons is a personal thing unique to the individual.

As for me, I was on FB for about 7 years and FB pulled some things on me to where I made a choice to not use them again.

It is still okay for people to post on FB, I’m not going to attack them for it even though sometime I have that being excluded feeling. Oh well, to not use them again is my decision and has no effect on the rightness of anyone else’s choice to use or not use any give social media.

#15

#16

Seriously, this is a …

#17

Vic, you are so right

(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#18

But I thought the expression was “A tempest in a teapot” (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

#19