Facebook vs Forums

[Jeff G 78]

I love FB for catching up with out of state friends and I have racing friends all over the country that I have never met in person.  Several of my Datsun racing buddies have helped my out with emergency parts and I have done the same for them.  One guy who I have never met in person FedExed me his rebuilt SU carbs the day before a race because I was having carb issues.  I used his carbs and FedExed them back a week after the race.  9 times out of 10 though, I end up PM'ing with my FB friends rather than going public. 

For almost everything technical, I use the forums.  Other than the bad information on FB, the biggest problem is the transient nature of it.  After a few hours, it's all but impossible to find an old post.  I do, however, use FB for my other car information.  Besides my Datsuns, I also own a Porsche 996.  The Porsche forums are okay, but I can actually get great advice from the FB members.  Many of them are from the UK.  Because of the high cost of entry, the Porsche crowd seems to be very mature and helpful and most are true gear heads.  

I guess in the end, I use every possible method to be better edjucated.  Taking anything from forums or FB at face value is foolish.  The wise people keep researching after finding what they are looking for to make sure they aren't going down the wrong path.  Knowing who you are taking advice from is always important too.  After being around for a while, we all learn who to trust and who to ignore, no matter what the online source.