Here’s a question.
Why is the Rewild group on Facebook so popular?
Are we okay that all conversations that happen there are essentially the property of Facebook, and are preserved or destroyed at their whim?
How can we move these conversations to places that matter?
Is the Rewild Forum where we want them?
What form do the conversations ideally take? Forum posts? Podcasts? Real-world gatherings?
How do we adapt our ideals to the real-world constraints that shape our behavior?
WTF?
It may be more popular because people are already on Facebook for other reasons. On Facebook there are pages like “Anarcho-Primitivism” or “Wilderness Survival and Bushcraft” which draw additional people and create incentive to make FB their primary site.
However, it may also be because this site has so many categories. That intimidates people. Forums don’t seem to maintain much of a community when trying to find new posts becomes a scavenger hunt. People almost always choose the simpler of two options.
Today I was thinking about this, and as much as I hate Facebook, I wonder if the quality of the conversations in a forum like this winds up being any better than that on Facebook?
It’s a super fair question. That’s what I’m wondering too. But then again, at least Zuckerberg doesn’t own what we say here.
Facebook sucks. Twitter does too. They’re just tools to track us, store our information, and use it against us. Most of the users are too brainwashed and domesticated to break through to anyways, as evidenced by their simple trust of such systems. Forums tend to have more intelligent members and conversations because responses take time to be thought out. You want more activity, make a small general discussion section to give people a break from such serious topics and allow them to bond more on different levels.
I like that idea. I think we’ll add that when we make the switch over. 
Cool someone likes my idea for once! xD Thank God I discovered the rewilding community! I’d say just an arts/entertainment section, one for just miscellaneous chitchat, amd I’d say maybe religion/politics for debate despite the overall tone of the site being spiritual/political (or rather anti-political, because the rest of the site should remain friendly but sometimes people just need to rant. Switching over to what exactly? O.o
That’s a great idea about general discussion. I’ve definitely gotten addicted to facebook in the past so I’ve decided not to use it, plus I don’t like how they manipulate people and make money off human interaction (even though communication over the internet is super mediated to begin with). Hard question about attracting people here, I’d say facebook is just more accessible/fashionable for younger folks (all my friends are on it all the time) and even just the population at large.
I love the changes with the Facebook blurb at the top of the site. Made a profile under an alias once for snooping on an ex’s abusive parents (it’s amazing how they just believed I knew them in high school) and stuck to forums ever since. I find the discussions to feel much more low-key, respectful, and intellectually stimulating. I imagine Facebook and other major sites allow signatures and such, yes? Put links and banners where you can. I know most modern humans are brainwashed twits, but with almost 8 billion, there’s gotta be more that see the truth as we do.
i have several thoughts about this…one initial thought is that the majority of the fb moderators don’t seem to participate in the forum… i’m wondering if asking questions of that group, then using that information to possibly survey the larger membership would be helpful?
Thought these comments would be valuable to this discussion:
Isn’t it funny that I’m responsible for both of these topic threads?
Facebook, if nothing else, is just simply a place we have no control over. I am deeply ambivalent about my use of their site. I hope over time to drain away those interested in more difficult conversations to here.
i almost think that the transition from fb to here mirrors the unlearning / deconditioning / re-learning process of rewilding… being able to even recognize the communication qualities that Alexandre describes in his post is a huge step for a lot of people… then the next step of wanting something more meaningful… being willing to slow down and reflect…
Very insightful comment, Tracie. I think you’re on to something. 
Unlearning-Deprogramming-Rewilding…
Oh wow, the new site looks awesome! Now that I can see it, since it is a bit bulky and don’t load right on most of my devices. Dx I hope the new design helped achieve the goal of this thread though; I can’t find the site statistics, but it seems the intro thread has been busy.