Forums are not as popular as they once were. Now social media rules the roost. I don't know why as forums are friendlier in my opinion. Posts don't get lost in the shuffle & boards can be organized. A newbie's intro post can get shoved down as soon as others start talking about something else.
I had a forum 15 some years ago & the difference between then & now, my members didn't have their own forum, site, or blog. Now, people help each other out but there's a lot of burnout.
I would say forums are still useful & productive for those of us on Team Forum.
2 years ago, when I told my husband I was creating another forum he said: They still have those?