Facebook to discontinue 'Discussions' on Oct 31st 2011!

[Dean]

Awesome! This will definitely slow down people drifting over to Facebook from my site...

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-to-remove-discussions-tab-from-pages/4316

http://www.forum-software.org/news/04102011-facebook-removes-discussion-boards-app-pages

 

[Mark.B]

Don't think it'll make much difference. Anyway they are probably just clearing the way for a killer forum app....

The issue with Facebook which many overlook is this - it's not about whether it can offer the same quality content and discussion features as a forum. it can't, we all know that. What it does is it takes up people's time. they go on there and then don't go anywhere else. it's like a drug for many people, I think they must put something in the water. Anyhow I'm immune.

I removed all Facebook/Twitter/Google nonsense from my vB site recently. I want people on MY site, not someone else's. Nobody used it anyhow.

 

[Marcus]

Facebook wall is a threaded discussion forum. You need better search and categorization features and then the wall itself is a great forum.

 

[ChemicalKicks]

I removed all Facebook/Twitter/Google nonsense from my vB site recently. I want people on MY site, not someone else's. Nobody used it anyhow.

+1 Mark, I bet it actually felt quite liberating. I went one further and deleted my own Facebook account while I was it. Felt like I've been tricked all this time into thinking it was all worthwhile. So glad I've removed it all and like you said who ever actually used them anyway?

 

[Brandon Sheley]

Good!
The discussion tabs on the pages and groups were annoying and needed dropped/revamped, long ago.

who ever actually used them anyway?

only about 800,000,000 people.. +/-
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

or do you mean on your own site?
I removed the badges and had users asking for them to come back.
Our users use them somewhat..

 

[Dean]

Facebook wall is a threaded discussion forum. You need better search and categorization features and then the wall itself is a great forum.

Absolutely, but things cannot be found easily that way - at least the way they have it now.

Here is an example of a Facebook discussion which is quite similar to a forum:
http://www.facebook.com/VirginMobileUSA?sk=app_2373072738

 

[ChemicalKicks]

only about 800,000,000 people.. +/-
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

hehe quite right

or do you mean on your own site?
I removed the badges and had users asking for them to come back.
Our users use them somewhat..

Firstly for my site, the stuff being discussed is nothing you would want to appear on your facebook and my users prefer to use their forum identity as a protection of their privacy, really can't blame them tbh

Secondly, speaking for just me, I never retweet or recommend a page when I'm on other peoples websites and if I really did want to share a link on facebook I would copy and paste the page into someones profile anyway, specifically because I wanted to share it with a particular person. Anyway I'm out of that game entirely now