Are forums coming back to life? I am getting tired of Social Media

[Mike30]

I did a small research the other day, and there are many people commenting they are missing the community sense of forums.
Most of them express how social media happens too fast and there is not opportunity to keep track of topics with deep conversations
like they use to do on forums.

I feel the same way. Are forums coming back?
What are your thoughts?

 

[JoshB]

It is still a long road ahead as there is an entire generation that grew up with social media being the only avenue of information gathering. What has happened is shown that having only a tiny amount of networks works against you and when one or more fails, there isn't really anything to be a backup to those looking for alternatives. I really do hope to see a move back to forums in which the admins/creators have full control of the sharing of information and content.

 

[joelr]

I did a small research the other day, and there are many people commenting they are missing the community sense of forums.
Most of them express how social media happens too fast and there is not opportunity to keep track of topics with deep conversations
like they use to do on forums.

I feel the same way. Are forums coming back?
What are your thoughts?

People miss the community sense of small groups, which is a feeling that has existed since the beginning of humanity to be valued and connected in a trusted group.

Forums are okay at this, not because it was intended but because our technology design was is slow and linear and chronological. There are other platforms that offer this same design, which isn't the exclusive domain of forums.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I prefer forums as ppl tend to present their authentic selves whereas on social media ppl present their glamorous selves

 

[Kennysplash]

I have never been a fan of social media, it's a total waste of time. Forums are the way to go, sadly they seem to be fading away.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I do feel like more and more people are going back to using forums over things like Facebook groups and even Discord. I know there's at least one Sonic community that made the switch from Discord to a forum and it's quite active too. Maybe the younger generation will get curious about forums and start joining or creating them as they continue to get older. I still prefer forums over any form of social media, and that includes Reddit too.

 

[Empire]

Yes and no, I was talking to someone who loves the good old days and he's into the Forums community but stated that it's been years since he was last on them. He knows PHP and other languages also and so he knows his stuff. Yet worst part that he knows that it's not many as there used to and yet he doesn't get involved or take part hahahaha

So many people don't take part in joining FOurms or being there own owner or other based communities

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I do feel like more and more people are going back to using forums over things like Facebook groups and even Discord. I know there's at least one Sonic community that made the switch from Discord to a forum and it's quite active too. Maybe the younger generation will get curious about forums and start joining or creating them as they continue to get older. I still prefer forums over any form of social media, and that includes Reddit too.

I see a fair few members in their 30’s using forums in the circles I’m in. Pretty much every one of them being nerds, mostly tech/gaming. I guess ppl in the IT industry, with their continuous learning mindset, just happen to be more open to meeting places that are perhaps not as common or popular like say, Instagram.

 

[Empire]

I see a fair few members in their 30’s using forums in the circles I’m in. Pretty much every one of them being nerds, mostly tech/gaming. I guess ppl in the IT industry, with their continuous learning mindset, just happen to be more open to meeting places that are perhaps not as common or popular like say, Instagram.

I see less older people form 50 and up lately lol

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I see less older people form 50 and up lately lol

Agreed. Used to be just older ppl.

Actually i’d say it’s the younger members on newer forums as a general rule. Older members tend to the very large, active ones. By active i mean 50+ members online at once.

 

[Ken]

These things takes time, so yeah.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I also think there’re way too many forums for everyone to settle into a single place

 

[Spartan]

I’ve been spending a lot more times on forums and less on social media.

 

[Jason]

I know two popular drumming forums out of others that are ghost towns or failed.

https://drumforum.org

Drummerworld Forum

Forum software by XenForo

drummerworld.com

What is keeping them alive and prospering?

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I’ve been spending a lot more times on forums and less on social media.

I don’t spend any time on social media

 

[Uncrowned]

I keep hoping that forums come back to life, but social media continues to grow by more users per year than the population grows by people per year in terms of percentages, so the trends appear to point otherwise. Reddit has also shown that no matter how bad it gets, its users will refuse to let go and move on to different platforms. It really appears that forums need to settle into the small percentage of users they have access to and hope that that stays around the same, so the total users slowly grow with more people being added to the world each year and internet access is made available to more people.

Overall, the "golden days" of forums are just that, the golden days, and we can rarely return to that status for anything once it is gone. This isn't meant to be a negative to forums or anything saying that forums are dead, there are plenty of users out there and new users arrive every day, but it is saying that forum owners often need to open up their minds a bit and stop trying to wait for the good days to return and adapt to modern times.

 

[Reverie]

I returned to forums this year and noticed many others who just had a feeling they needed to come back. There are those being reached out to also that haven’t been on forums in ages, but they get here, and realized they missed it.

I don’t think new and younger people will join forums much more than what we may see because they don’t know how to find them unless it’s a specific niche like gaming perhaps.

I think forums are making a return from people who have always used them though.

 

[Empire]

I don’t think new and younger people will join forums much more than what we may see because they don’t know how to find them unless it’s a specific niche like gaming perhaps.

I mean might see some but most don't understand or they also do not see the point.

It tends to pick up then dies again, over again.

 

[Reverie]

I mean might see some but most don't understand or they also do not see the point.

It tends to pick up then dies again, over again.

Yes - I see like the gaming official forums do great though. Like destiny has a great one. Mostly for looking for groups is the main for them, but people end up discussing things.

 

[Mike30]

I think forums are making a return from people who have always used them though.

I do believe that too, based on my own experience.