Exactly.
So what do we do?
Should we go to the Facebook page now and have all our discussions there?
No, because the only reactions you get on fb are 'great!', 'can't wait!', 'it's been too long, Clive! Awesome!'.
And the likes.
There simply isn't a discussion that safes the day.
Should we think of this forum as obsolete?
I certainly hope not.
Facebook is not a discussion site, that's what forums are for.
That's why they call it 'Forum' on the first place.
Forum is a place for discussion.
I think the Romans invented that.
To make an announcement, you do it on Facebook alright, but when you want to talk about it, or better, INTERACT, you go to a forum for that.
True, no doubt about that but there are also things happening in Clive's life that you just can't discuss or let the people be involved with on this or any kind of forum, unless you have thousands of members who actually participate.
Like the She-fundraiser for instance.
Clive Nolan, the artist has 3743 'friends'.
The Caamora Theatre Group has 344 members.
So it's obvious that you can reach twenty times more people, if you'd only count the active members in the Room, than over here.
The world is wider on FB.
I really understand why Clive publish more news over there than over here.
And what if they DO know about this forum? Perhaps they do know, but they can't be bothered to join this forum.
That can be resolved: just say hi on clive's pages and drop the message that it's great work what he does and we all love the support and if they are interested, visit the Shattered Room for active discussions.
The danger is that there are people who believe that the articles on FB are discussion enough but if from the 3743 'friends' about a hundred become a member of the board then life is getting better here in the Room, not?
I think on Facebook there are a lot of 'shallow' fans. Fans who like the occasional Arena album. When there's an announcement about a new album they think: "A new Arena album? Nice. The Visitor was a nice album too." and they post a reply: "Can't wait!" and right after that, they go to the Dream Theater Facebook page for instance.
Hence what I said about the pages of Nolan.
'Great work, Clive'. 'Can't wait!'. ... etc etc etc.
Here in the Room we are desperately waiting for a new album, checking the forum on a (somewhat) daily basis for news, for interaction, for something that binds us Arena fans together. We have been waiting in anticipation for a new Arena album since 2005, the moment I joined this forum. We have been talking about Arena, their albums, their solo projects for a long time almost every day. We're not the shallow kind, we want to talk about the band, we dream about the band, we want to be in the band.
Ok, I'm being a bit dramatic here, perhaps.
Not at all, I see your point.
And partly feel the same way.
Anyway, the Facebook kind of Arena fans won't come to this forum.
And I can't even blame them. There's nothing new here. It's all there.
Clive is a busy man, with the new album of Arena in prospect and the She-fundraiser project, not to mention the Caamora Theatre Company but I agree, it would be nice if he would drop a line in the Room.
No matter what it would be.
This
is the official Arena Forum, right?
I think that Facebook is rather shallow in general. I used it to get in contact with some old classmates from school, and to that end it worked wonderfully - I even met up with some of'm in firstlife 
Mwuah, FB can be a bit more, but basically that's the whole purpose of FB or Myspace (totally overrated) and the Dutch equivalent Hyves.
Personally I'm not so peeved that the Arena guys don't come around in the Room. Arena are still one of my fave groups, but since I became a Roomie, I'v gained quite a number of fave groups
Nicky.
Our love of the music binds us together and the Room is indeed a great place to discover new music.
But a visit from one of the band with news to tell, would be nice from time to time.
We don't ask for an in dept interview or something.
Just some news.
