Just wanted to mention that it's actually far easier to "data mine" postings here on .ORG than it is to data mine Facebook. In both cases, anyone can go to .ORG and lurk, search for keywords etc, and they can also go to Facebook groups, lurk and search (provided it's an "open" group).
The big difference is Facebook prevents "Web Bots" from gathering info for search engines like Google. So while I can easily use Google to data mine steamboats.org, I don't get much if I try to use Google to data mine Facebook groups. (unless the creator of the group has enabled a special option to allow Web Bots to gather info, which is not the default, and rarely enabled).
So for example, if I go to Google and do a site search on the phrase "JOHN J. KELLY" appearing only within steamboats.org, I type this in at Google's prompt:
site:steamboats.org "JOHN J. KELLY"
and Google lists 19 or more postings I can go look at.
If I try to use Google to data mine my Facebook group ("Gas & Diesel Sternwheel Boats"), I type this into Google:
site:facebook.com "Gas & Diesel Sternwheel Boats" "JOHN J. KELLY"
and even though the JOHN J. KELLY was a topic in the group, I get no search results because search engines can't data mine the facebook group.
Actually, I kinda like how I can use Google, Bing, etc, to data mine steamboats.org for historical fact, whereas I can't do that to the many facebook steamboat groups. I can go to those groups in Facebook and search them directly, but for research, that takes much longer than using Google. Plus facebook postings can be difficult to find when they get buried.
So there are good things, and bad things...
At any rate, I too wish .ORG was still the most convenient way to post and share, and I thank Franz and Carmen for providing this forum for so many years. It will always be a great resource.
The big difference is Facebook prevents "Web Bots" from gathering info for search engines like Google. So while I can easily use Google to data mine steamboats.org, I don't get much if I try to use Google to data mine Facebook groups. (unless the creator of the group has enabled a special option to allow Web Bots to gather info, which is not the default, and rarely enabled).
So for example, if I go to Google and do a site search on the phrase "JOHN J. KELLY" appearing only within steamboats.org, I type this in at Google's prompt:
site:steamboats.org "JOHN J. KELLY"
and Google lists 19 or more postings I can go look at.
If I try to use Google to data mine my Facebook group ("Gas & Diesel Sternwheel Boats"), I type this into Google:
site:facebook.com "Gas & Diesel Sternwheel Boats" "JOHN J. KELLY"
and even though the JOHN J. KELLY was a topic in the group, I get no search results because search engines can't data mine the facebook group.
Actually, I kinda like how I can use Google, Bing, etc, to data mine steamboats.org for historical fact, whereas I can't do that to the many facebook steamboat groups. I can go to those groups in Facebook and search them directly, but for research, that takes much longer than using Google. Plus facebook postings can be difficult to find when they get buried.
So there are good things, and bad things...
At any rate, I too wish .ORG was still the most convenient way to post and share, and I thank Franz and Carmen for providing this forum for so many years. It will always be a great resource.
Comment