Kitfox owners group on Facebook

[gregsgt]

I do the Facebook thing and over the years have joined several owners groups for cars, boats, and other interests.

I find them beneficial because other members can instantly answer questions and post photos, videos, and other information.

I searched Facebook and didn't see any owners groups for Kitfox aircraft so I started one.

Feel free to join if you want.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/907503245998540/

[RV8JD]

No thanks. I don't do FB.

[jiott]

I have been doing both FB and this forum for posting Kitfox flying photos. I have a number of non-Kitfox owners who are interested in seeing my flying photos, so I do FB for that purpose. They would not be very likely to come to TeamKitfox to see photos. I usually post the same photos in both places. I'm just thinking out loud here, but I sort of worry that a Kitfox group on FB might cause some folks to post there and not on this forum. I would hate to see that happen because I personally believe this forum is the best thing that ever happened to us Kitfoxers and it should always get all the good photos and trip reports. If we are going to have a group on FB I guess that is OK, but lets try not to have it replace this wonderful forum. Just my 2 cents.

[Slyfox]

this is my thought, it is easier to post pictures on facebook, so if it gets going good I know I will post a bunch. All you have to do is push upload a picture and find it on your computer, nothing else, easy as pie. I like it. I also belong to many groups, fishing, another one for the RV. I do know on my general fb that it's nothing but a tabloid. I know this so I treat it as such. Why is that one like that, most, well all the people on it is just general people, I use it to advertise my business. I get work off it by doing so. So I put that one where it belongs, in the tabloid arena. In other words I don't believe what's on there. period. Sorry people, no boogie man is going to come out and grab you and hurt you on facebook. You make it what you want it to be.

[gregsgt]

I understand the thought. I am a business owner and one of the more eye opening experiences I've had in the last few years is how important social media is to get a business more exposed to potential customers. I've been involved in the beginning stages of other special interest owners groups that also have a dedicated forum and what we've found is that the effect is actually the opposite. It drives more people to participate in the forum and attracts new people which an owners group can actively encourage. None of the other forums for other interests have suffered one bit from it and I will certainly still participate here.

Some of this may be generational differences. I might be one of the younger members of this forum as I'm in my 30's. Talking to my father on the business he was completely against any effort put into social media but now will admit that its made a measurable difference to the positive. I grew up with this stuff and my teenage daughter knows more about it than I do. This is basically free advertising for Kitfox and if they want to take over the group then that's fine with me.

[DesertFox4]

Kitfox Aircraft has been on FaceBook for a couple years now. I don't believe they answer tech questions or get into any indepth building assistance there.
There is probably a good reason for that.

Also , "Flying the Kitfox" F.B. Site has been up for some years also so Gregg' is not the only F.B. page relating to the Kitfox.

[gregsgt]

Kitfox Aircraft has been on FaceBook for a couple years now. I don't believe they answer tech questions or get into any indepth building assistance there.
There is probably a good reason for that.

Agreed. I've followed them for a while now. There are all kinds of reasons why they would not want to get in depth with it. This is a little different because it's an owners group. For instance I'm sure Chevrolet promotes the Corvette on Facebook but yet there will still be a separate owners group. No one owns the owners group. It's just a group of passionate people that follow each other around a common interest.

[gregsgt]

Also , "Flying the Kitfox" F.B. Site has been up for some years also so Gregg' is not the only F.B. page relating to the Kitfox.

Right but that's not a group. It's a individuals page about flying the kitfox.

To be clear. I do not own this group and it is not a page. The group has the say as to what happens in this.

[Av8r3400]

You guys can fill me in. I'm a Facebook contentious objector. Never did it, never will. Zukerberg will never get anything from me. [\soapbox]


We have a great group here. Why split it to another? :confused:

[gregsgt]

It's a very difficult thing to explain to someone that's never participated in it and I'm no Zukerberg fan either but social media is here to stay. It doesn't split the group but rather makes it more visible. Tough to explain... You don't give to Facebook but rather use it to your advantage.

[ken nougaret]

No thanks. I don't do FB.

I dont do fb either.

[jrevens]

It's a very difficult thing to explain to someone that's never participated in it and I'm no Zukerberg fan either but social media is here to stay. It doesn't split the group but rather makes it more visible. Tough to explain... You don't give to Facebook but rather use it to your advantage.

Just wondering... wouldn't this forum (TeamKitfox) also be considered "social media"? I have to admit that I'm kinda' with the "don't do Facebook" crowd - my wife does enough of that for both of us. I love this and other special interest forums, but I doubt that I would participate in another Kitfox Facebook group. I get plenty of "Kitfoxing" from this group, and I already spend more time than I should on the computer. I'd rather spend my precious other free time building & flying, among other things. Also, in reply to the comment from someone else about ease of posting pictures on Facebook, I find TeamKitfox to be extremely easy to post pictures on. Just FWIW.

[rosslr]

Interesting to watch the reactions to Greg's initiative - Personally, I don't think there is any fear of 'splitting' interest or loyalty in all things Kitfox as a result of Greg setting up a Kitfox FB page. I think it is worth understanding that there is a generation (or two) that has come after the one that is mostly represented on this site that has been born with chips embedded and who have probably been doing 'FB' in the womb! And aviation generally needs to embrace younger generations - we are certainly lucky to have the likes Greg and Esser and Ben(mcgaero) who are around 30yo and doing great stuff -they are the future and we need to embrace them blend with them. We can't control the web and I know that the broader group will find a way to keep sharing the knowledge and experiences of all things Kitfox irrespective of where and how it is posted on the web.

Let me make it clear that I am truly appreciative of this site and all the support the people on it have given to me during my build and since first flight -I will continue to contribute and enjoy the posts of others here at the same time as learning my way into the FB site. However, I would be less than honest if I didn't say I was recently disappointed lately that a post of mine (and another poster) was taken off this site recently because I was critical some of the posts being 'off Kitfox'. I do find some of the 'US' and 'religious" centric posts on this site off-putting but accept that the 'owners' and moderators of this site have that right. For this reason alone, I welcome Greg's initiative.

Our collective Kitfox enthusiasts challenge is to learn our way in to the future at the same time as understanding and respecting, that outside of things Kitfox, we are likely to hold many different views.

As my fellow Australians on this site will know, it is an exciting time to be a Kitfox owner!

cheers

ross

[jrevens]

I couldn't agree more that we have to embrace the younger generations, and I'm fully appreciative of what Greg is proposing - Facebook is a wonderful tool for all kinds of things. Sure, it's chock full of narcissists and every imaginable time-waster devised by man, but it's also a great tool for keeping in touch with friends & family, advertising your business, and a million other useful & interesting things. My comments were made mostly to clarify my own thoughts and feelings about not personally needing another distraction from actually building and doing things with my hands. I do appreciate this site... it really has it all for me - the technical conversations, sharing pictures, social interaction, and a little bit of love for God and country thrown in. I like that. We all have to make decisions about how we can best spend the short amount of time we have on this planet, and so I've chosen to steer clear of Facebook at this time in my life. I'm a slow learner, so I could be a huge fan in a few years - but not now. There's too much to do.

[DesertFox4]

As John said, we all have limited time to spend on line reading and talking about our airplanes. I visit KitfoxAircraft's Facebook page on occasion but I know not to go there for building assistance. I doubt anyone at Kitfox Aircraft has time to answer tech questions in yet another venue. We are open 24/7 because they can't be.

Also, I archive almost everything here for future use, available for all members to research solutions to common building, maintainence and repair questions.
I think it's important to keep this information available to all who share our passion. If we lose participation and important discussions that impart solutions to real concerns, we lose real value. We are the Kitfox clearing house of information. Knowledge is shared here that you can't even find on Kitfox Aircraft's site.
It has taken over eight years and tens of thousands of posts from thousands of Kitfox enthusiasts to amass this storehouse of brand type specific information. Do any of us have eight years to wait for the possibility of another site or twenty new Facebook sites to even come close to what is archived here?


I thought it was an opportune time to let you all know how important all of your participation on this site is to our community. It gives me another chance to say thank you to all who invest their time and expertise here helping so many others and for patronizing our sponsors. I personally put in 3 hours average per day offline keeping this site on the tracks. I know many here who put in that much time online a day helping others when they could be out flying. Incredible.:)

[colospace]

Most of my family Facebooks, especially my nieces and newphews; shoot even my sister has been bugging me for years to get on Facebook. I don't feel any urgency or real need personally. (Maybe influenced by years of undergoing background investigations, I just don't feel the need to be "out there". This site is enough for me.) But, I think what Greg is up to is sure to be a good thing for Kitfoxing and maybe even helping highlighting the fun side of aviation for a younger demographic that is often distracted by many other (and often just virtual) experiences.
A second note with regard to this site. When I was contemplating what plane to build, I spent time lurking on all the associated builder sites assessing level of support available, ease/difficulty of build, etc. This site was a plus factor in my decision to build a Kitfox.

[Esser]

Just my two cents as a younger member.

A lot of people my age are actually consciously limiting their time on FB as having grown up with it since after high school, we have come to understand what it is great for (keeping in touch with people) and what it is horrible for (wasting time).

I do think that our younger generation still sees a huge value in forums for finding gold nuggets of information.

I belong to to others, and my wife belongs to about 3 Subaru forums as this is where we can get real life experiences from many people in a searchable, chronological, easy to digest place. However, large threads can become cumbersome and hard to find the relevant info you are looking for.

I honestly think that a FB group would be the perfect forum for what you see as the "Where I Fly" thread. The "Where I fly" thread currently sits at 66 pages long. It is picture heavy and half the posts are of people commenting on the pictures. While I find the content of this thread enjoyable, I seldom go back into it to try and find an old post as it is such a large commitment.

A FB page where you can scroll through all the posts, see the pictures, and then read the comments if you choose to is a much more organized and quicker to sift through.

Facebook is hands down easier to post pictures. The whole website is basically built around that premise. I can take a picture with my phone and have it uploaded to a FB group in under 10 seconds. Heck I can do that on short final and have it uploaded before I land. This makes it much easier to update on multi day trips as well to keep everyone abreast of the adventure.

I am in no way wishing this site was a FB group. The complete opposite. I think this site is the best thing to happen to the Kitfox since the Rotax. I check this site more than I check Facebook and it has been the knowledge, the encouragement, and the fun side of the Kitfox that I have needed to get to where I am.

28 year old me just likes the idea of a place where I can slap up my pictures on the web quickly so everyone can see what I am up to and perhaps entice someone new to take the plunge who may not have stumbled on this site. Rest assured, most things I post on FB would end up here too just maybe later:)

[Slyfox]

thanks Esser, you said it great. By the way, my life revolves around the internet. I have private groups that I belong to for my trade that cost each year. I have fun groups on FB that are solely for fishing, now flying. I live on the internet, the information is just, wow! now this will kick, I'm 59 this year.

[TahoeTim]

Use the correct tool for the job

This forum format is the best way to communicate between builders. I have found answers here many times during my build that saved me a call to the factory. I try to give back if I have a useful idea.

Facebook would be a nightmare for searching archives to find an answer. BTW - I call facebook "chick book" because it has turned into a tool for the females to socialize, IMHO. I've seen enough photos of dinner, flowers, shoes, and the like to walk away from my account long ago. Twitter is another look at me social media platform that is worthless to me as well.

I am a member of several forums. I get home from work and check "new messages" of each one very quickly so I can stay up on half a dozen topics. I am in the camp that it will dilute the overall content on both sites. Who here is gonna post stuff twice? Not me.

Man, I am getting old and grumpy :D

[Esser]

BTW - I call facebook "chick book" because it has turned into a tool for the females to socialize, IMHO. I've seen enough photos of dinner, flowers, shoes, and the like to walk away from my account long ago.


Well considering it is International Women's Day, your misogynistic and gender stereotypes are definitely proving you are old.

[TahoeTim]

Jeez, I put a smiley in my post. Some younger kids need to develop a sense of humor. That is best done by putting down the computer and going out and socializing face to face. :cool:

[ken nougaret]

TahoeTim i'm with you. I'm 50 yrs old, never signed up facebook and never will.

[gregsgt]

It's been interesting and as of right now in the small time since the group has been started it is up to 328 members from every corner of the globe. Interestingly enough several were never members of this forum and were directed here for more info.

As far as the correct tool for the job I don't see it as one or the other but simply a different kind of tool to use in conjunction.

Facebook can be a chick tool. My wife uses it for that. I don't, but it is a very powerful tool to connect with people with similar interests. I even use it now to advertise my business.

I too like to socialize with people face to face but since there is no one within several hours drive of me to talk airplanes with now I can connect with a member from Australia, Germany, and Africa while having my morning cup of coffee.

So far it's been very successful and there have been some incredible photos and flight videos posted. It's a great group of international enthusiasts.

[Ramos]

Well considering it is International Women's Day, your misogynistic and gender stereotypes are definitely proving you are old.


Wow. All I saw in the Post by TahoeTim was humor. What you read into it, and your response, is a fair representation of what keeps me away from FB.

By the way, your post was a much better example of stereotyping than was Tim's. I could, of course, be way off base here since I am so old (52). I may also be misogynistic. I need to see what it is before I decide. :D






Esser, you were kidding.............Correct?

[efwd]

Wow! Im with you old guys. I just turned 48 this month. Have never and never will be on FB. This is the only social media site I have ever joined and didnt even know it was considered a social media until it too got me a slant eye by a vender who was not happy with what I posted once. Nice thing was, he emailed me and dealt with the issue very nicely. And for International Womens Day.... we in the US have not really ever heard of it the best I can tell. All the women I work with at the hospital were saying "What"? I just learned that there is an International Mens Day as well in Novemeber. I say What!? Get back to work...
Hows that for grumpy?

[gregsgt]

I'm catching up to you guys. I just turned 40 last weekend.

[HighWing]

Im on facebook, but likely will not friend the Kitfox site - just me. I am not a prolific contributor to facebook, more like a rare contributor. However, I recently found a high school buddy I havent seen in 50 years living near where my wife grew up in the midwest. Smiley face for that one. Also I recently found one of our own, an active builder, is now recovering from a rather serious heart attack - Rarely learn about such things on forums such as this one. I probably spend ten minutes a day on FB mostly seeing what friends and family are doing and it does give a chance to learn about a few more personal things.

[cirrusjetpilot]

I think the facebook media is more geared towards sharing your experience with videos and photos. It is not meant as a knowledge source like here where you can search.

I plan to share videos and my adventures there with hope to inspire others.
Alex

[gregsgt]

I hear you. I haven't been a huge contributer to the group since it was started. Namely because I've been putting an addition on my house and haven't had time lately to work on the plane. Basically I've just been adding members that want to join and keeping the feed free from spam.

It's mostly just a bunch of pictures and videos. Most of the technical questions are referred to this site.

[jrevens]

I think it's great, Greg. However, I am 68 and that's not a factor for me, and I don't do Facebook either... my wife seems to be on it enough for both of us, and probably a couple of other people too. :rolleyes: She keeps me up to date on the family things that I care about, and a bunch of other crap that I usually don't care about, but she's indispensable so I'll keep her.
Maybe getting older does have something to do with it. You realize how short life really is, and maybe I'm too easily distracted and have too many irons in the fire. For me, I realize that Facebook, for example, is amazingly full of distractions, and I spend too much time as it is on the computer and my iPad. I get all of the focused info that I personally need from this and other forums, without the siren-song of the amazing amount of everything on Facebook. I could change my mind... finding old friends, like Lowell did, would be one reason. Sounds like it's successful, and I'm glad... we need as much camaraderie and airplane "stuff" as we can get to foster aviation. You're obviously younger and have more energy, so you can do both... stay active on this forum also, so that we can keep track of you! ;)

[jiott]

I do occasionally look at the FB site, but rarely post over there. I think the guys who use FB exclusively for technical discussions are cutting themselves way short on the info they get. And I agree its way too much trouble to post the same things in both places.

[av8rps]

I'm not a Facebook fan ever since the little weasel that started it referred to his customers as "Stupid MF'ers". I'm sorry, but I just can't get enthusiastic about patronizing a company like that. And I really hate the censorship that they are doing lately. There is a good alternative to Facebook however, it is at www.seen.life and appears to be growing quite well.

But honestly, this is a good forum for us, and I hate the thought of the group here getting fragmented. So I'm staying right here...

[Danzer1]

PLUSSSSSSSS 111111111111111 Paul!