The GIMPS Facebook page

piforbreakfast · 2020-11-06, 13:20

I just pulled up the GIMPS page on Facebook and it looks like not much activity is happening there.

https://www.facebook.com/GIMPSearch

Maybe I'm a little biased/obsessed since I took the plunge and bought a high-end computer strictly for GIMPS activity, but I wonder what could be done to use the Facebook page to drum up more awareness of what GIMPS participants are doing and try to get more math- and computer-minded people involved in the prime number search. Maybe in my mind I'm overestimating the amount of potential interest in this endeavor, but I could see the FB page becoming a great PR tool. What do you guys think?

retina · 2020-11-06, 13:32

All the activity is happening on this board, not on Facebook.

I don't like the monoculture that is starting to happen. Put everything on Facebook and abandon all other places. That sounds like path to disaster to me.

Also see this brilliant comic that sums it up nicely.
https://theoatmeal.com/comics/reaching_people

piforbreakfast · 2020-11-06, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

All the activity is happening on this board, not on Facebook.

I don't like the monoculture that is starting to happen. Put everything on Facebook and abandon all other places. That sounds like path to disaster to me.

Also see this brilliant comic that sums it up nicely.
https://theoatmeal.com/comics/reaching_people

I wasn't seeing this board and Facebook as being mutually exclusive for the purpose of promoting GIMPS, but yeah, Facebook does tend to create a territorial mindset among many of its visitors.

I love The Oatmeal.

Uncwilly · 2020-11-06, 13:50

What sort of things do you want to see on it? Be specific.

Dr Sardonicus · 2020-11-06, 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

I don't like the monoculture that is starting to happen. Put everything on Facebook and abandon all other places. That sounds like path to disaster to me.

I agree on monoculture being bad. Just look at the folks who get all their (dis)information from Facebook, Twitter, Faux News, and Rush. Bunch of brainwashed sheeple.

Back in the day, before the World Wide Web, the Usenet was a big thing. There were "newsgroups" about all sorts of things. Three "classes" of groups were sci.xxx (e.g. sci.math), rec.xxx (e.g. rec.gardening), and alt.xxx (e.g. alt.flame.niggers).

The alt.xxx newsgroups were the sewer. But at least everybody knew they were the sewer. If they wanted the real deal, they could go to sci.xxx and rec.xxx groups.

Now, from what I have seen, the "social media" have everything flowing through one set of pipes, and many of their denizens have no idea that what they're drinking from is a sewer, and what they're swimming in is a cesspool. And they don't care.

M344587487 · 2020-11-06, 17:05

There is this forum for GIMPS and reddit for everything else, other places for discourse are typically the worst but the Phoronix forums are entertaining to read if you don't mind wading through fanboy nonsense for seemingly every subject (hardware/software/company/FOSS/Propietary you name it). IRC has been largely replaced by discord which is a big loss. The GIMPS subreddit is a little limp putting it mildly.

storm5510 · 2020-11-06, 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

All the activity is happening on this board, not on Facebook.

I don't like the mono-culture that is starting to happen. Put everything on Facebook and abandon all other places...

Agreed!

I use it to keep up with relatives and past schoolmates. If they were elsewhere, that is where I would be. People in my age group stay out of the constant fray.

Facebook is loaded with illiterate, uneducated, irresponsible, and hypersensitive personalities. They write what they want regardless of who or what it may harm. They simply do not care. These last three days have been a free-for-all. Every swear-word known to mankind is flowing there like water over Niagara Falls.

IMHO, there is no need to fret about the GIMPS page. It will not get any traction there. The vast majority of those people could not read an analog clock, so how could they understand any of this? They cannot, and do not care to.

xilman · 2020-11-06, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

All the activity is happening on this board, not on Facebook.

I don't like the monoculture that is starting to happen. Put everything on Facebook and abandon all other places. That sounds like path to disaster to me.

Also see this brilliant comic that sums it up nicely.
https://theoatmeal.com/comics/reaching_people

Do you approve that "All the activity is happening on this board"?

retina · 2020-11-06, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

Do you approve that "All the activity is happening on this board"?

Yup. It's better than being lost in the sea of

that Facebook is.

Narrow focus. Part of the small web.

piforbreakfast · 2020-11-07, 06:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by storm5510

The vast majority of those people could not read an analog clock, so how could they understand any of this?

This line made me spew my coffee.

xilman · 2020-11-07, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

Yup. It's better than being lost in the sea of

that Facebook is.

Narrow focus. Part of the small web.

You mean that you actually go to Fakebook or are you just relying on hearsay?

I have not been over there in many years.

2020-11-06, 13:20	#1
piforbreakfast Oct 2020 Terre Haute, IN 52₁₀ Posts	The GIMPS Facebook page I just pulled up the GIMPS page on Facebook and it looks like not much activity is happening there. https://www.facebook.com/GIMPSearch Maybe I'm a little biased/obsessed since I took the plunge and bought a high-end computer strictly for GIMPS activity, but I wonder what could be done to use the Facebook page to drum up more awareness of what GIMPS participants are doing and try to get more math- and computer-minded people involved in the prime number search. Maybe in my mind I'm overestimating the amount of potential interest in this endeavor, but I could see the FB page becoming a great PR tool. What do you guys think?

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2020-11-06, 13:32	#2
retina Undefined "The unspeakable one" Jun 2006 My evil lair 3²·23·29 Posts	All the activity is happening on this board, not on Facebook. I don't like the monoculture that is starting to happen. Put everything on Facebook and abandon all other places. That sounds like path to disaster to me. Also see this brilliant comic that sums it up nicely. https://theoatmeal.com/comics/reaching_people

2020-11-06, 13:50	#4
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 5×7×263 Posts	What sort of things do you want to see on it? Be specific.

2020-11-06, 17:05	#6
M344587487 "Composite as Heck" Oct 2017 3×5×7² Posts	There is this forum for GIMPS and reddit for everything else, other places for discourse are typically the worst but the Phoronix forums are entertaining to read if you don't mind wading through fanboy nonsense for seemingly every subject (hardware/software/company/FOSS/Propietary you name it). IRC has been largely replaced by discord which is a big loss. The GIMPS subreddit is a little limp putting it mildly.