The Beaufort Scale. . . .
Now that's a great piece of box art! A few months ago Spencer Pollard and I had discussed a joint build of this model. Not a challenge, not a race - just two people building the same model and talking about the experience. No axes, no controversy, no edgy attempts to be cool. Just two people, building the same kit, and talking about it. No rules, a nominal time span to maintain focus but nothing more.
It got sort of back-burnered because of changes, especially in Spencer's professional life. However, Mr Pollard asked just this morning if I was still up for it - well, yes, yes I am. So we're talking about going ahead after we've both wrapped current projects up.
It's also an opportunity to use my blog again, which has had very little use in spite of always being there. Why blog rather than conventional social media? Well, in a word, control. Control over format, appearance, image quality, no intrusive "help" from Facebook's appalling Creator Studio. I'm hoping I can drive traffic here from my social media - it uses me for advertising, so I'm going to use it for the same. At least have the illusion of a two way relationship! I'm especially tired of how bad the compression is on images shared on social media, and how quickly stuff disappears, and lets say "algorithmic shenanigans" cutting people out of seeing my content apparently at random.
So, I'm going to try this. Please leave a comment, tell me what you like, how you got here. Not being social media does not mean it can't be a community. So please, get involved.
Late edit :- We're delighted to welcome the Iwata Princess herself, Jennifer Wright to the upcoming shenanigans! I'm starting to feel outgunned already. . .
Looking forward to this. Two great builders going at the same kit. I'm sure I learn a thing or three.
ReplyDeleteGood to see this. I totally agree about social media, seems to be more and more a necessary evil of modern life that we all tolerate reluctantly. For info Bookfarce informed me of your update and I actually managed to spot it amongst all the advertisements.
ReplyDeleteGood to know Andy, thanks, but you've pretty much defined the problem - *if* the algorithms decide that my update is worth your attention and *if* you can find it amongst the ads. I understand that if a service is free it's you that's being sold, but I just want to make it cut both ways a bit.
DeleteLong time stalker and admirer of your fine work..... and then of course, there's the whole comical insults thing.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree about FB's creator studio. It blows big time, and somehow my modelling FB page is a business... And there is no way to change that it seems.
ReplyDeleteI've maintained my blog (http://hamfisted-modeller.blogspot.com/) primarily as a record of my builds. What the blog does show though, is that many people don't bother clicking from the Facebook links through to the blog.
I usually post a couple of photos on FB then a link to the blog article with more photos and text.. The numbers of “views” in the blog is usually much lower than the "likes" on FB. That said I've been equally guilty of this in the past.
I think many people now solely consume the internet on phones or Tablets, and FB is really designed for those devices. Whereas blogs just seem to work better on a proper computer with a decent screen.
Good luck with the Blog Drewe, I've followed it for ages so I hope to see more of your stuff here.
And back to the point, yeah that box art is cool. Many companies are doing great box art these days, Airfix and Eduard in particular.
I fully expect to receive far less traffic on here, even when a link is provided directly to the entry. That's just the way it is these days - it wasn't that long ago and hour at the computer would be spent hopping from site to site to see what my favourite modellers had been up to. Now the whole lot has migrated to social media, and with that an inherent laziness. I get it really, I've been guilty of the same. But the way Facebook in particular has messed with my ability to just share, with that awful creator studio it takes me to every time I click to see a comment on a post I make on my page, the endless ads clogging up any given feed, the continued attempts to get me to treat my little page like a business. . . I'm just tired of it, and feeling like I'll trade likes and page visits for showing my work to a smaller audience but in a way I like and can control. We'll see I suppose. I'm certainly not leaving Facebook, I just want to use it for more limited things.
DeleteYeah I totally get that. Like most people I'm not making models to be an "influencer" or make money. It's just something I enjoy doing. And like you I don't want my page to be a bloody business because it's not.. it's just somewhere to separate my modelling from my other life.
DeleteI have few reasons to be on Facebook, sharing some family photographs and models/cycling is about it now. I've left all toxic groups which is slowly becoming all groups, I mean I had to leave HHGTTG ffs as it was getting too political and not in a good way. I used to follow lots of blogs but as you say it all started to migrate towards FB. Much happier to follow a blog page and add to my Feedly account, get Mr Mock or the IMC on to it too.
ReplyDeleteCheers Dougie, it's a sad fact that Facebook is so universal that driving traffic anywhere else is a real chore, but I have to try. Just for how much better and well organised your stuff can be without an algorithmic newsfeed. But getting people to click through remains the trick! Thanks for the support, it's much appreciated.
DeleteGood to see you kicking again, Drewe. MUG rules everywhere, even if quietly.
ReplyDeleteI am probably becoming a dinossaur, just get lost on FB and Instagram everytime, although I too have mirror of my old page there.