VT Nordic Skating Facebook Group

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Brett Blanchard

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Jan 25, 2020, 5:06:50 PM1/25/20
to VTNordicskating
Dear VT Nordic Skaters:

While I greatly appreciate the email updates and news, I thought I would create a Vermont Nordic Skating Facebook group in order to better share some of the photos, videos and information. This may also allow some email chains to flow better under a specific post. I read other New England skating Facebook posts inquiring about how best to get information about Vermont (and area) ice, so rather than keep adding more emails from more people, I thought this one possible solution. Anyway, if interested (I do realize the justified reluctance for some to use Facebook), here is the newly created group: 

I only added a header and basic information so feel free to post any information/pics from today. 

Thanks,
Brett

Vince Rossano

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Jan 25, 2020, 5:49:52 PM1/25/20
to VTNordicskating

Brett,

 

I’m sorry you don’t find this group adequate for posting information about skating conditions in Vermont.  But I’m even more sorry to see you have decided, on your own, to vitiate the group by establishing an additional place to post information.  Perhaps several others will decide they’d prefer different formats/locations as well.  Pretty soon we would have to go to perhaps five or six different places to get our skate reports.   I would encourage other members of this group to continue to post information here first so those of us who don’t care to hop around looking for reports in different places won’t have to.

 

I’m not sure, Brett, why you believe your Facebook group would allow us to “better share” information.   Of course, if the majority of others believe a Facebook group would be superior to our Google Group, then I would suggest closing this group down and moving to the Facebook group to keep all our reports in one place.

 

Vince Rossano

A group moderator  - who does not necessarily speak for the other moderators in this matter.

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do...@vermonttimberworks.com

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Jan 25, 2020, 6:00:14 PM1/25/20
to Brett Blanchard, VTNordicskating

I love this group as it is! While I haven’t had a chance to skate much this year, and therefore haven’t posted much, I do enjoy reading about peoples’ adventures and ice conditions around the area. I gave up Facebook several years ago, and have no intention of going back, so I appreciate that this group is here.

 

Cheers,

 

Doug

 

From: 'Brett Blanchard' via VTNordicskating <vtnordi...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2020 5:07 PM
To: VTNordicskating <vtnordi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [vtnordicskating] VT Nordic Skating Facebook Group

 

Dear VT Nordic Skaters:

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Stephen Plume

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Jan 25, 2020, 6:02:03 PM1/25/20
to do...@vermonttimberworks.com, Brett Blanchard, VTNordicskating
FWIW, I attend to and enjoy the info, but I won’t use FB. 

Kevin Boyle

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Jan 25, 2020, 6:12:38 PM1/25/20
to do...@vermonttimberworks.com, Brett Blanchard, VTNordicskating
I’ll echo what Doug said. I really love this group as is especially since we moved to a google platform. I’m not going to FB to get skating info, no matter what! 

There are a couple of ways to reduce emails. You can get a weekly digest or use the group through the web. Personally I prefer to get every email so I’ve created a dedicated address for anything skating related. I just let everything pile up since emails from my other life go elsewhere. 

The one thing I would suggest to the moderators is to get to the bottom of why people frequently post they can’t attach pictures. I use the system through email and have never had an issue attaching photos but apparently others have. 

Best,

Kevin

On Jan 25, 2020, at 6:00 PM, <do...@vermonttimberworks.com> <do...@vermonttimberworks.com> wrote:

Evan Perkins

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Jan 25, 2020, 6:51:44 PM1/25/20
to VTNordicskating
Hi Brett, I agree with most of the other responses. I have had to use Facebook to find complete information about New Hampshire as the creation of a group for those places has really cut down on the Listserve use for New Hampshire. This makes it far more time consuming to find accurate information. In my opinion it has made it harder and not easier to get accurate ice condition and safety information
I feel like the Vermont Listserve is the gold standard for Skating information, it is actively used by knowledgeable people as well as those who are just getting into the sport or our occasional partakers. I personally would not like to see information about Vermont Skating split into two different venues. I have noticed on the Facebook pages that it is very difficult to find accurate information as posts are often not titled and will give information about ice without mentioning the body of water that it's on. The Listserve on the other hand is very clear because there is a certain etiquette with which people post and this format makes it very easy to follow that etiquette. For example when I started skating, I did it on my own I did not know anybody who Nordic skated, nor did I have any particular education about safety. When I found the Listserve ,just by reading the post I was very quickly informed of my information deficits in the safety area. The format also allowed me the option to scroll through many years post about the same body of water so that I could learn information about general hazards and ice formation for a particular body of water. Facebook does not lend itself to this kind of educational format.
Starting a new site for Vermont will inevitably split the information and then require those who want all of the accurate information to participate in social media even if they don't want to. The nice thing about the Listserve is that you don't even have to join to view the information. Facebook also leaves out big parts of the population who do not participate, including many older people and most of the younger generation.
I feel like the main downside of the Listserve is that it is challenging to figure out how to post pictures or high data video, I agree that it would be best just to work on solving this problem through education as opposed to starting a Facebook page which would dilute the information.
This is just my opinion and it should be taken as thus ,but if my opinion were asked I would prefer that we did not have to have two sites for information on Vermont Nordic Skating.
Thanks, Evan

Evan Perkins

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Jan 25, 2020, 8:01:51 PM1/25/20
to VTNordicskating
  Oops, thought I lost the first email, so I rushed out a slightly less verbose second email. Maybe this is one con against the Listserve :)

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Jan de Vries

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Jan 25, 2020, 8:27:51 PM1/25/20
to Evan Perkins, VTNordicskating

In response to Brett’s initiative to create a Facebook group for Nordic skaters in Vermont.

It is not clear to me what complementary function FB is supposed to serve. Let’s talk about that and make sure we do not create confusion

When we changed from Yahoo Groups to Google Groups we (moderators) realized that Google Groups did not provide a place for storing files with permanent information as Yahoo groups did. For permanent information we created a Google Document that everyone can edit. See the link at the bottom of the welcome message. The most extensive source for permanent information is of course Bob Dill’s website .

In addition we could create a Google album for photos with time-independent value. So far, we think a Google Album would be too much of a good thing. Photos can already be added as attachment to an email to the Google Group vtnordicskating  or inserted in the above mentioned Google Document. I do not use FB much; I lose my way there. Maybe I am not the only one.

 

This correspondence illustrates that social media both connect and separate. I experience that fragmentation in trying to stay in touch with my six grandchildren in Europe (between 15 & 25); they live again in another universe; they use WhatsApp and Instagram. For them, email and FB are oddly antique, passé. Reluctantly they are willing to humor grandpa on Google Photos and Google Documents as long as new input is announced on WhatsApp.

Jan de Vries

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Claire Nolan

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Jan 25, 2020, 9:25:15 PM1/25/20
to Jan de Vries, Evan Perkins, VTNordicskating
Hello Folks
I’m chiming in from NY. 
I like the idea of a FB group that would instruct users on how to sign up for the Google Group. 
My thinking is, one could google Vermont (or NY or NH or ME) skating and find the FB group. The FB Group could them send interested skaters to the Google Groups.
Just my two cents!
Praying for Ice!
Claire

Tom Duca

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Jan 26, 2020, 12:36:31 AM1/26/20
to Claire Nolan, Evan Perkins, Jan de Vries, VTNordicskating
To all skaters,
I would like to say a huge “Thank You”, to all the past and current creators and moderators of our VtNordicSkating platform!

It is easy to see the current forum and just take it for granted. But it has been a lot of work for many people and there have been glitches and issues over the years that they have worked hard to overcome. 

So again, I want to say thank you for your silent but guiding hands, hidden in the background of the digital realm.  

I am more a late adopter than a true Luddite and though I personally do not favor many of FB’s protocols, I can understand that others may be interested in other places to post and glean info from. I find my life busy enough and I will not be participating in another info sharing site. If anyone wants to copy a post of mine, I have no problem sharing, especially if it increases awareness and safety. 
Be safe, get outside,
Thank you,
Tom Duca

David Parker

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Jan 26, 2020, 6:46:00 AM1/26/20
to VTNordicskating
I prefer not to use Facebook and have no issues with the current Google format.  Briefly, my FB account has been hacked twice and FB was no
 help in resolving the problems.  Haven't skated yet this year, hence no posts about conditions, but I rely on others' posts to decide whether it's
worth a long drive to get to good ice.

Dave Parker
Manchester Center, VT

Sarah MacDonald

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Jan 26, 2020, 6:47:09 AM1/26/20
to VTNordicskating, Vince Rossano
Vince please dont shut down this group,I have never,nor will I get on face book/,for any reason.The information I see here is very timely and helpful.I dont like techy stuff so for me another place would not interest me .I agree that info come here first,so to keep it simple for skaters who like the ice and not the computer/it would be a shame not to see useful reports because they were not on this important sight.For me if it isnt here,I wont know about it.Thanks Sarah

marshaed

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Jan 26, 2020, 9:07:02 AM1/26/20
to Vince Rossano, VTNordicskating

Great response Vince. There's no way I see a Facebook page as an improvement over what has been and continues to be the best source for safety information and current conditions reports about skating wild ice.

There might be those who prefer the Facebook format, but if that ends up being the source to which they defer, I fear they'll be headed out on thin ice.

Marsha Fraser

Lawrence Smith

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Jan 26, 2020, 9:22:31 AM1/26/20
to marshaed, Vince Rossano, VTNordicskating
To the moderators of this group, the unsung heroes,

This group has been and continues to be an invaluable service to our region. The resource, knowledge, and community provided here has promoted wild skating and provided education that is critical to safe enjoyment of the sport. 

Other platforms may reach new audiences or be a preferred method of communication, but my fear is that they will dilute the impact of this the gold standard.

Thank you for your knowledge, time and commitment in safely promoting this amazing sport. 

Laurie Smith

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/vtnordicskating/84404b1312945b2d828061446947a79e%40vermontel.net.

acer...@aol.com

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Jan 26, 2020, 11:31:14 AM1/26/20
to tho...@yahoo.com, vtnordi...@googlegroups.com

Brett,
I'm all in for Facebook.  Right now you can also join "Squambats", "New Hampshire Nordic Skaters", "Hard Water Kiting", and "New England Ice Reports" on Facebook.
Every post is waiting for you to view in your Daily Feed.
Including, Pictures, Videos, and most importantly, Comments in one east to access spot.
I enjoy Vt Nordic Skaters, but one slight problem is that for every response to any email, is a completely separate email, which sometimes can add up to 10-20 separate emails.
Facebook comments are all in one place.
I'll use both.
Clay

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cmbowker

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Jan 26, 2020, 11:57:41 AM1/26/20
to VTNordicskating
I'd also like to thank the moderators and those who post reports.  You are experts and make this a safer sport and make it possible to choose good ice or enjoy a spectacular vicarious skate. 

Someone raised the issue of confusion and I'd like to second that.  

The Google and FB group names are so similar people might think the moderators of this group are behind both.   Maybe it would help to create a FB page with this group's exact name -- VTNordicSkating -- to describe and link to the Google group.    

 
Christa


On Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 5:06:50 PM UTC-5, thorrvc wrote:
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