I have actually pulled out of a lot of FB groups.  I agree with Margaret here.  It gets crazy.  Until I retire, I'm sticking with lactnet.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Margaret Sabo Wills
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2015 7:58 AM
Subject: Lactnet on Facebook

Just saw this question -- As a long-time reader of Lactnet (though up and down with how well I keep up with it -- so maybe this has been discussed in more depth already) I want to comment on the Facebook angle.  Another LC on-line discussion I belong to has migrated much of its discussion to Facebook, and (while this reveals that I'm not a digital native who grew up with it),  I'm finding the format to be an overwhelming jumble.  There are with multiple threads going on simultaneously, with comments being added to threads way down on the page, and, if one isn't fast enough, or visiting multiple times a day, comments can slip down to the hidden realms before one reads them.  Longer posts can get split up.  It's also not easily searchable.  And it's all at the mercy of whatever changes Facebook wants to make to their format, their storage, and policies-- and while the participants may squawk about not liking a change, they pretty much go along. Facebook is a business, not a public utility -- it has no sense of obligation to our higher purpose.  (And even the Yahoo groups, which are an easier format, aren't necessarily there for the ages, and their recent format changes are a pain.  Hmm, just grumpy here in general.)  I know that Facebook was seen as the hip, new way to communicate, and we certainly do need to make younger lactation consultants feel so welcome and listened to in our graying profession, because they live in the house of tomorrow -- but I'm told that now that grandmothers are all on Facebook,  younger people are becoming less and less interested in it.

On the larger point -- Lactnet is a wide and deep resource, that devoted listmothers watch over and maintain.  One can go back and catch up after a few weeks away and feel that they saw everything.  The archives are treasure -- sure, there are some goofy posts -- but whenever I have an unusual situation, it's such a comfort to be able to search the archives that reach back for so many years now.   The maintaining of the archives, and the search feature is valuable to our profession.   If I weren't supposed to be doing other stuff right now, I could go back and search for whether this discussion has already taken place.

Discussion and camaraderie is important, regardless of the format, and I'm sure that some people love the Facebook approach -- find it lively and easy and stimulating.  But so much of that discussion is likely to be lost for the long term.

Margaret Wills, Maryland
             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome