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.
John Evens
Arvada, CO
Kitfox SS7 N27JE
EAA Lifetime
Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime
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
Ross
Mt Beauty, Vic
OZ
Sold to Richard and Scott Taubman in OZ, 2019. Kitfox SS7,Rotax 912is Sport, Airmaster CSP 75" blades.
Landcruiser and Cub off road camper (doesn't get any kudos on this forum!)
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.
John Evens
Arvada, CO
Kitfox SS7 N27JE
EAA Lifetime
Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime
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.
DesertFox4
Admin.
7 Super Sport912 ULS Tri-gear
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.
- Gary
S7 SuperSport Tri-gear
w/Rotax 912, Oratex, Dynon
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
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.
steve
slyfox
model IV 1200-flying
912uls
IVO medium in-flight
RV7A-flying
IO-360
constant speed prop
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