I don't really know where else to post this, since it's not really about TTRPGs per se.  Whatever.

I've been doing some work helping out a FLGS with their online presence.  Around here every FLGS has at least a web site, and most of them have some kind of forum.  The forums get used for everything from discussions to event scheduling to notifications to campaign logs for groups that play in the store.  The extent to which the forum software gets tortured into doing this is often gruesome.

It's not any more difficult to install a social networking package than a forum package, but I've been getting a lot of resistance to the suggestion - despite the rather obvious fact that with internal groups, pages, friend-ing, event calendars, notifications, forums etc. most social networking software is much more aligned to what these people are trying to do with their vanilla forum software.

So, I throw the question out to you, tRPGs folks.  Imagine something like facebook without the worrying privacy issues and unpredictably mutating user interface.  Would you prefer something like that to a forum package, assuming you're involved with your FLGS' online community?  Why or why not?

There is Epic Words, which is built around the necessary functionalities for scheduling and managing tabletop games. I'm not excited about it, but I use it and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

I've seen MeetUp used quite a bit, but it all depends on your level of comfort with social media. After years, I finally caved and got a Facebook account, but fuckall, ConsultantGate proved a golden reason why I should never have Twitter. Like ever.

phpBB is free and updates easily as well as has a good support forum, vB is nice but expensive. What social media type software are you looking at?

You can run Joomla with JomSocial and make a near-Facebook clone with gads more bells and whistles. Combined with Joomla's awesome CMS the possibilities are incredible.

However, it costs some cash up front and hosting fees (I think JomSocial is like $300). The bigger you get, the more traffic bandwidth you need. Without some way to monetize it (Google Ads, advertising, memberships...) you would need a seriously generous patron to finance it. Even with the monetization efforts there would be no guarantees you could finance the cost until it gained a serious following; maybe 100k+ viewers?

I do this for a living and I'm familiar with a variety of web apps for this purpose.  I don't need recommendations on software.

I'm asking whether, in the the context of the online community built around your FLGS, you as gamers and customers of the store would prefer regular forum software or something more like social networking software, and why.

It seems to me that social networking software would be a much better fit to what people actually do in these communities, but I'm getting a lot of resistance from the client and the current customer base, and I'm trying to understand their objections.

I'd say forum (or bulletin board).

I loathe social networking software and wouldn't use it.

Right now, in the Knoxville area, I'm watching three stores and two groups on Facebook make a tremendous amount of headway on getting their message of game schedules and new products out. Most people have Facebook and just use it.

(It is funny to me, because it took one of the FLGS over 10 years and the loss of a significant portion of their business before they concluded that they needed an online presence.)

Quote from: daniel_ream;787791It seems to me that social networking software would be a much better fit to what people actually do in these communities, but I'm getting a lot of resistance from the client and the current customer base, and I'm trying to understand their objections.

Because when most people think of social media, they think of Facebook, and all the horror stories of identity theft and other abuses Facebook is regularly accused of (some with good merit).

Quote from: daniel_ream;787791I'm asking whether, in the the context of the online community built around your FLGS, you as gamers and customers of the store would prefer regular forum software or something more like social networking software, and why.

We have no culture of games being organized around stores, neither do we have any game stores left.

The closest thing to that we have is a monthly gaming meet-up at a scheduled date in a public place, which has been around since sometimes around 1995. It received a forum sometimes after that, and never had anyone mentioning a need to move to something more advanced.
The date and time of the meet-up is fixed and known in advance, so that variable is of no interest. It boils down to who GMs what system and adventure, and who announces interest in the particular game beforehand.
Actual assignment of players to GMs and GMs to tables happens on the spot at the actual meet-up. Most participants don't use the forums anyway, but check the physical blackboard at the meet-up for games as they enter.

Quote from: daniel_ream;787694I don't really know where else to post this, since it's not really about TTRPGs per se.  Whatever.

I've been doing some work helping out a FLGS with their online presence.  Around here every FLGS has at least a web site, and most of them have some kind of forum.  The forums get used for everything from discussions to event scheduling to notifications to campaign logs for groups that play in the store.  The extent to which the forum software gets tortured into doing this is often gruesome.

It's not any more difficult to install a social networking package than a forum package, but I've been getting a lot of resistance to the suggestion - despite the rather obvious fact that with internal groups, pages, friend-ing, event calendars, notifications, forums etc. most social networking software is much more aligned to what these people are trying to do with their vanilla forum software.

So, I throw the question out to you, tRPGs folks.  Imagine something like facebook without the worrying privacy issues and unpredictably mutating user interface.  Would you prefer something like that to a forum package, assuming you're involved with your FLGS' online community?  Why or why not?

I can't imagine anything like Facebook without all of Facebook's privacy issues. It's so ingrained in me that FB is bad, and Twitter and many other social media outlets, that I'd be very hard pressed to believe that something with similar functionality won't have similar problems.

It may be the case that what you're saying actually avoids most of the problems, but it has left such a sour taste in my mouth I don't want to try.

The stores around here have terrible websites, and just have the usual weekly Facebook posts reminding every one that Magic happens yet again this Friday.

What I'd like are FRONT PAGE LISTING OF HOURS, location with map, and lots of pictures of the store and its stock.

Live inventory would be cool, but that's probably asking too much. At the very least, POST WHAT YOU JUST GOT IN. Seriously, if I see something saying D&D 5e Monster Manual now in stock, I'll head right over and pick one up rather than waiting for Amazon.com to deliver.

Forums and areas for people to organize games are good.

Calenders (up to date) of games and events are cool as well.

Quote from: Novastar;787851Because when most people think of social media, they think of Facebook, and all the horror stories of identity theft and other abuses Facebook is regularly accused of (some with good merit).

Agreed.

The objection isn't that gamers hate Facebook.  Most of them are probably ON Facebook.

The objection is that gamers hate change.  They like what they're used to, and they see no reason why their cosy forum needs to be torn up just because the calendar software doesn't handshake effortlessly enough with the forum software.

Given how many FLGS forums are torpid things with a half dozen regulars and a dozen one-post-per-two-months lurkers, anything that'd piss off the clientele on one that actually isn't ought to be avoided like the plague.

With my Meetup group (the London D&D Meetup) we tend to use the Meetup's bulletin board  for everything, while other parts of the site & other utilities are neglected and little used. I suspect this just feels more natural and intuitive. I see a similar effect at work, the bosses keep expecting us to use eg an online file-sharing system 'The Hub', but IME if files get shared at all it's via email. If I want to take work home with me, I email it to myself. Then when I go back to work I email myself again with the updated version.

Most people are conservative, and stick with what they know unless the alternative is overwhelmingly better (and lower maintenance).