Moved: -> @[email protected]
Can someone plz plz make something rly accessible that fulfills the needs Facebook Events fill w/o the attachment to Facebook so everyone will stop exclusively promoting events via Facebook
May 30, 2017 at 3:22pmWeb
Show threadMoved: -> @[email protected]May 30, 2017
"Let's host this activist event on a Facebook event. We made it 'invisible' so it's totally safe. Huh? how did the cops know about this?"
Show threadAlex CoventryMay 30, 2017
@shel This is hard primarily because everyone's on FB.
Show threadMoved: -> @[email protected]May 30, 2017
@alx yeah srsly. not being on facebook is almost a social disability these days. whenever i try to get information w/o facebook people treat it like giving me special accomodations...
Show threadFae Geek GirlMay 30, 2017
@alx @shel Sure, but it should be possible to email/toot/poster links to Shiny Freedom-Respecting Activist Organizing Website no matter what networks people are already on. Having to create a new account might raise the activation energy slightly, but ideally the site would let you use existing credentials to sign in I guess.
Show threadFae Geek GirlMay 30, 2017
@shel @alx What functionality does Facebook Events actually provide? Does it just
- provide a shareable link to an event page
- display information about the event
- allow people to RSVP and see how many others have RSVPed
- let organizers send messages to all RSVPed users
?
Show threadAlex CoventryMay 30, 2017
@dukhovni @shel If that's all you want there are plausible alternatives. The main reason people use it is that it's extremely cost-effective marketing, and that's a network effect.
Show threadFae Geek GirlMay 30, 2017
@alx @shel I'm confused about why there'd be a network effect at all; it seems like sharing a link to a non-facebook site on facebook wouldn't be that much harder than sharing a facebook event, and would reach the same number of people.
Show threadMoved: -> @[email protected]May 30, 2017

@dukhovni @alx that is not everything that a facebook event does.

1. Inviting people to Facebook events is easy because it gives you a list of "everyone you know" that's easy to go down checking people off

2. Public events are presented to people in your area, creating a sort of neighborhood billboard

3. People have conversations on the event coordinating things like rideshares

4. It's easy to update everyone on schedule changes

5. Syncs to your calendar

Show threadMoved: -> @[email protected]May 30, 2017
@alx @dukhovni Not only does it sync to your calendar it also reminds you at the start of the week what events are coming up, reminds you the day before, and reminds you an hour before. Which really gets those people who uh, don't use calendars, to show up
Show threadMoved: -> @[email protected]May 30, 2017
@dukhovni @alx you can just kinda click "interested" on a whole series of concerts and talks and parties and then each day see what's happening around you if you're considering going out
Show threadFae Geek GirlMay 30, 2017
@shel @alx Ah, I see. That does seem hard to replicate without an existing network of users and a lot of fancy features (location awareness, integration with various devices, notifications, something that users check regularly...)
Show threadAudrey E.May 31, 2017
@shel I'm not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but pdxactivist.org uses an open source package called Calagator that makes it easy to copy events from Facebook, so people have someplace else to find them. It works best when it's run by a community interested in a given topic and geographic area (like activism in Portland or music in Seattle)