A private GMBC members group has been set up on Facebook, and all paid up members should have received an invite today to join from one of the Admins.
People who aren’t registered as having current membership wont be able to see or join this, but the other GMBC Facebook group remains open to all, although membership of the open group is still moderated.
If you aren’t on Facebook don’t worry, WordPress and club mail remain other principal methods of communicating – you won’t miss out on anything (apart from maybe some of the online chat)
Cheers
Iain
Hi Iain
I haven’t received an invite yet.
Cheers
Allan
Allan – can you confirm your email address ?
Thanks
original removed – Allan – i’ve added you and removed address from here. You should have an email, with an ‘accept box’ – if you click that I should get a pop up here.
I’m off to Velodrome in 20 mins, but if I dont do it before I go I’ll do it at 1030
cheers
Iain
Hi Iain – Thanks for posting this up. I had heard there was something going on on Facebook. Although I’m signed up to facebook, I don’t use it much. I didn’t realise that there were two club related facebook groups!
Do you know if ‘private members’ means only some club members – like Allan I haven’t received an invite to either group, but I think I’ve paid my membership.
I don’t wish to appear negative, but do we now have to check two facebook groups and the club site to make sure we don’t miss out on a ride? I was just thinking about being inclusive, and the logic of having one central point where folk know to check….
Cheers – Nigel
Nigel – can you confirm your email address ? there is only one Nigel on the membership list, who was invited to join the group ( I just checked – if it is you there should be an email to your btinternet address asking you to join).
The members group is a closed group, where club benefits are shown, and direct dialogue can be had with the Sponsors etc. All paid up members will have access to this group, although if I have missed a few I apologise.
The other group is an open group, with over 230 members, designed to promote the club, attract new members, and allow general chat on bike related stuff. Anyone can join it, although we do try and moderate out spammers, but it wouldn’t be fair on paid up members to have an open forum on there for club matters.
Hope this clarifies ?
Nigel – also re club rides, Committee will always use the calendar on here, so you wont miss formal rides if not checking Facebook.
A fair percentage of members don’t post up on WordPress though and prefer to use Facebook to organise rides, which is entirely an individual decision – still beats the old way of emails and texting 🙂
It doesn’t really clarify Iain. Are we saying that some rides will be arranged through one of the two facebook groups, but not necessarily through the club website/calendar?
If this means we have to check all three possible post up sites, i.e x2 facebook and the club website, then I think that is a really bad idea.
I really don’t agree with your assertion “A fair percentage of members don’t post up on WordPress though and prefer to use Facebook to organise rides, which is entirely an individual decision”. Is this a club, with a central, inclusive point of contact which works, or various individuals arranging rides via three possible web-based platforms?
Are you saying that in a club, it’s all about individual decisions?
What’s to stop other club members setting up additional sites to book rides on? Where’s the club then?
I’ve e-mailed 3 of the committee members about this, but no reply as yet.
I’m frankly surprised others haven’t seen the issues with this.
I’ve checked my e-mails back to 23rd October, but can’t see an invite for Facebook, so perhaps it got lost in the matrix….
Nigel – according to Facebook an invite has been sent to your BT address and I can’t send another. Maybe in spam ? If you can find it, and respond or delete, I can send again.
Its not my place to address the other points, and as you say you’ve already asked those who we elected to run our Club. I’ve done my stint on Committee and am now just helping out a bit with admin.
Hi Nigel,
My apologies but I’ve only just read your email you sent me at 6.41pm.
To clarify, the club WP site is the main source of club rides, info, events etc. FB is a secondary source. In saying that, some use FB more than WP and we (the committee) don’t police (or aren’t as strict) as we maybe should be. Grant & Graham have done a massive amount of work with the site and all posts created on WP are then copied onto FB. Individuals who use FB to start a ride/gain interest in a ride, should post this up on WP via the ‘Events/Calendar’ section. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen and we try to catch this when we can (by creating a post on WP).
There are now 2 FB group pages, one is an open/public group page which is for rides, info, selling stuff, general chat etc. The 2nd group page just recently created, is from our new sponsors Dales Cycles. It’s been created for paid club members only (if you’ve not paid your 2013 subs, you’ll not gain access). It’s designed as a private page to chat, discuss and beg/steal/borrow from/with Dales. It’s not for ride organisation, trail discussion etc. That’s what the WP & original FB site is for.
For what it’s worth, there are a number of members who don’t have a FB account, Graham is one and I think he enjoys the fact he misses some of the nonsense on there. I only have a FB page for mainly instigating that nonsense 😉
With regards to other avenues of club contact, my opinion would be to leave it as is. We used to communicate via email & text only. This was a very exclusive way of operating the club. We want to far more inclusive, hence the WP & main FB site are public – anyone can view the information. When that individual becomes a paid member, they gain full access rights, this allows posting on the club WP site and access to other club benefits.
Thanks for your query and I see your frustration, especially if you
don’t have access via FB. Hopefully that’s sorted now. Please let me know if you need more info.
Thanks
Barry
Barry,
I’m in the same boat as Graeme, I spend enough time on t’internet as it is without joining facebook!, as long as facebook doesn’t become the main focal point for club discussion, then I don’t really see it as an issue.
If I wanted to Beg/steal/borrow from Dales and don’t have a facebook account, I assume it’s okay to phone them? do we have a contact who we have to deal with?.
Thanks to all the committee for the hard work on the sponsorship and new club base, I’m sure everyone appreciates it.
OK folks – thanks for your thoughtful replies. I understand the situation better now. I certainly appreciate all the time and effort put into the club. I’m also in a few non-mtb clubs, and this by comparison is a very friendly club indeed! Nigel
Hi Iain – I can’t find the e-mail, so unfortunaely I must have deleted it. My address is now removed. Please would you be able to send me the invite again? Many thanks for your help – Nigel
OK found the original e-amil undeleted in my web-based mail and have joined – all sorted now – thanks. There have been a few spaps through wordpress and I must have remember now I thought it was another hoax e-mail, although I did recognise Iain’sname. I’ve tried to delete the above comment with my e-mail in it, but the comment edit in wordpress doesn’t seem to be working. Thanks – Nigel
Nigel – can you check the couple of mails I have just sent you please, still a few clicks required, cheers
I’ve edited your email address out of the comment.
cheers Grant, we got the invite sorted ealier this am so all good now, cheers