Keeping Updated on Current Blends, Pipes, Etc w Out Social Media

[rdoss16]

so ive always had a love/hate relationship w social media. i got off facebook almost a year ago after just getting fed up with the platform. the oversharing, the complaining status updates, sharing of fakenews from garbage websites and passing them off as gospel, i was really only on to share pics of the kids w relatives i dont speak to often, but ill just send those in an email now. as for instagram, i really loved this platform - less arguements in comments about political topics, just sharing of great pics. However ive noticed this has become a bit of a time suck for me and i decided im gonna deactivate there as well.
one of the MAIN reasons i didnt wanna leave either platform is because its where i learned a lot about pipe smoking. I would stumble upon the pages of lesser know but very talented pipe builders, tobacco companies would share updates about exciting upcoming blends, and its great to see fellow pipe smokers sharing their passion.
so after all that rambling, to my question - other than this website - how do you stay abreast of the must current pipe news. How do you learn about coming blends or upcoming sales? are there newsletters you recommend? i already get emails from the bigger websites (smoking pipes, pipes and cigars etc). i plan on becoming more active in my local club, but wanted to see if i was missing out on any virtual opportunities to gather news re our hobby/lifestyle. thanks for any info you can share!
also sorry for the long boring post!

 

[BROBS]

so ive always had a love/hate relationship w social media. i got off facebook almost a year ago after just getting fed up with the platform. the oversharing, the complaining status updates, sharing of fakenews from garbage websites and passing them off as gospel, i was really only on to share pics of the kids w relatives i dont speak to often, but ill just send those in an email now. as for instagram, i really loved this platform - less arguements in comments about political topics, just sharing of great pics. However ive noticed this has become a bit of a time suck for me and i decided im gonna deactivate there as well.
one of the MAIN reasons i didnt wanna leave either platform is because its where i learned a lot about pipe smoking. I would stumble upon the pages of lesser know but very talented pipe builders, tobacco companies would share updates about exciting upcoming blends, and its great to see fellow pipe smokers sharing their passion.
so after all that rambling, to my question - other than this website - how do you stay abreast of the must current pipe news. How do you learn about coming blends or upcoming sales? are there newsletters you recommend? i already get emails from the bigger websites (smoking pipes, pipes and cigars etc). i plan on becoming more active in my local club, but wanted to see if i was missing out on any virtual opportunities to gather news re our hobby/lifestyle. thanks for any info you can share!
also sorry for the long boring post!

I find it all out on here.. I am not on social media.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

Isn't this, technically, social media?

 

[BROBS]

Isn't this, technically, social media?

no

 

[alaskanpiper]

Social media sucks ass. It is however, downright necessary in today's day and age to keep up with not only talented pipemakers and sites, but it's a great way to share photos with family and friends without bombarding their email inboxes or text messages. Especially if you just had a kid. One post is so much easier than group texts and reply all emails. I don't use facebook aside from AK pipe club business. Like, at all. Instagram is my chosen social media platform. It's fun, but it can be a time suck. Just gotta be diligent about making yourself put it away from time to time.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

no

Ha ha ha... anyways...

If you want to stay in touch with pipe world news... but you don't want to participate in the forums... maybe you could just call all of the companies every day and ask them how they're doing? JK

On the other hand, I'm not sure how close we are to actually sharing anything that is actual news. Mostly the forum is people asking each other about companies, instead of contacting the companies. It's mostly gossip. But, it's the camaraderie and fellowship that keeps me here, not the news.

 

[rdoss16]

Social media sucks ass. It is however, downright necessary in today's day and age to keep up with not only talented pipemakers and sites, but it's a great way to share photos with family and friends without bombarding their email inboxes or text messages. I don't use facebook aside from AK pipe club business. Like, at all. Instagram is my chosen social media platform. It's fun, but it can be a time suck. Just gotta be diligent about making yourself put it away from time to time.

agreed. i have a seperate pipe account (we are friends i believe, ha). i did away w my personal IG account a while back but kept the pipe IG account. maybe ill only log in on weekends. i thought about only logging in and using IG while smoking a pipe, but that would probably be too often. ha

 

[rdoss16]

Ha ha ha... anyways...

If you want to stay in touch with pipe world news... but you don't want to participate in the forums... maybe you could just call all of the companies every day and ask them how they're doing? JK

On the other hand, I'm not sure how close we are to actually sharing anything that is actual news. Mostly the forum is people asking each other about companies, instead of contacting the companies. It's mostly gossip. But, it's the camaraderie and fellowship that keeps me here, not the news.

i dont plan on leaving the forums. i love it here! just utilizing instagram much less or at all.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

i dont plan on leaving the forums. i love it here! just utilizing instagram much less or at all.

Yeh, people come and go on IG. I wouldn't totally deactivate, just do less on there... is my suggestion. I mean, if you are stuck in traffic, it might give you something to scan through.

 

[alaskanpiper]

But, it's the camaraderie and fellowship that keeps me here, not the news.

Ditto. The word "news" doesn't really carry any weight anymore anyway. It should be called Reality Media.

 

[Chasing Embers]

how do you stay abreast of the must current pipe news. How do you learn about coming blends or upcoming sales? a

The recently added section and email from SPC.

Isn't this, technically, social media?

No, this is a specific interest forum. Not into Facebook or any of the others myself.

 

[shanez]

so ive always had a love/hate relationship w social media. i got off facebook almost a year ago after just getting fed up with the platform. the oversharing, the complaining status updates, sharing of fakenews from garbage websites and passing them off as gospel

Wait a minute. Are you saying you don't want a picture of what I had for dinner last Tuesday??? Isn't that the whole point of facebook?

 

[SATX Pipe]

There's many online vendors that still do some sort of mailing list. Pipestud, Briar Blues, Blue Room all regularly send out great updates. Another one to get in contact with is Robert Lawling and see if he will send you updates of his pipe stock as he gets them restored. He is a great guy and has a very impressive inventory.

 

[perdurabo]

Well this forum is social media, so....

you have to lurk and stalk.

 

[rdoss16]

generally when someone is referring to social media they mean facebook, instagram, snapchat, tiktok, etc. sincerely doubt that most would consider hobby forums a form of social media.

 

[kg.legat0]

This forum is fortunately pretty active...I bet you'd get a lot of feedback every once in a while if you even started a thread asking what's new. I find this site to be the main pipe site I visit besides fartbook groups but also like Briar Report Magazine - The Pipe Smoker's premier magazine on the web - https://www.briarreport.org ...also really love to watch various folks doing their YouTube thing...

 

[brian64]

Wait a minute. Are you saying you don't want a picture of what I had for dinner last Tuesday???

I would hope whatever it was is long gone by now.

 

[bullet08]

typically check SP multiple times a week. mostly for new peterson. and IG for the blenders. the forum is mostly for fun

 

[hauntedmyst]

Isn't this, technically, social media?

no

If this isn't social media them I am in worse shape than I thought. If I don't count the girl with the lazy eye at the Sip N Go gas station and Ralph at the pizza shop as friends, then all my remaining 4 friends are on here. I'm not wiping out 2/3's of my social life just cuz someone doesn't think this is social media. Oh sure we've never met in person and I have no idea what they look like or do for a living but I considered us close friends. I nearly have a couple of real first names. One day I'm hoping for phone numbers. Then one, way way off, a reunion party where regale each other with our stories of lifelong friendship over separate Grubhub orders and cream sodas until mom kicks us out of the basement. Yeah.

 

[Bowie]

If this isn't social media them I am in worse shape than I thought. If I don't count the girl with the lazy eye at the Sip N Go gas station and Ralph at the pizza shop as friends, then all my remaining 4 friends are on here. I'm not wiping out 2/3's of my social life just cuz someone doesn't think this is social media. Oh sure we've never met in person and I have no idea what they look like or do for a living but I considered us close friends. I nearly have a couple of real first names. One day I'm hoping for phone numbers. Then one, way way off, a reunion party where regale each other with our stories of lifelong friendship over separate Grubhub orders and cream sodas until mom kicks us out of the basement. Yeah.

The first round of cream sodas is on me.