Forums are dead

[smartpixels]

Just started a new community not necessarily a forum on 13th oct will let you know how it goes next year same time.
BTW with all the bells and whistles that community software's have these days, it doesn't necessarily have to be a forum anymore. It is left to your imagination on what to build.

Use those social networks as a way to drive traffic to your site. Create content on your site, share it on those sites, make debate happen on their sites and then eventually they will come.

It is actually never been easier to promote newer sites. In the olden days it took me couple of weeks just to get the site indexed in search engines let alone to get any unique visitors, right now I promote content on these networks and there is immediate response and visitors. I am loving these.

 

[Stevebullman]

I've been hearing the forums dying out bit since the first social networks like Friendster were popular or that site Bebo. Still not dead. If your forum dies it's really your fault or the niche's, but likely the former. If it's a crap forum, it's a crap forum. Facebook going away isn't going to save your baby.

This is spot on IMO. I think the people complaining about their forums dying need to look closer to home rather than blaming other social networks. Yes the niche plays a big part too though. There are numerous pages and groups in my niche on facebook but they arent very structured and to be fair mostly consist of people talking crap. Admittedly there is a degree of that on my site, but its easier to manage on a forum and with the help of moderators constantly keep things on an even keel, making a forum a more serious platform to engage on.

Another thing I really don't quite see is where you draw the line between what is a forum and what is a social network. I personally see my site as more of a networking site than a forum. Theres plenty of general discussion on the niche topic, but beyond that people are networking, seeking and finding employment, trading, arranging recreational meets etc. Does your site and its members encourage such activites? Or is it simply a list of categories for people to post on? What could you do to increase this 'networking' aspect of your site?

Facebook is just the current fad, there will be another one out in a couple of years no doubt. Focus your efforts on building your own empire and stop worrying about facebook 'destroying' your website

In closing, try googling 'is facebook dying' and you'll see similar doom and gloom threads from the naysayers of the world

 

[Shelley]

#statsthatsaysomethingdifferent

 

[Mike Edge]

#statsthatsaysomethingdifferent

that's a lot of search spiders

Assuming most aren't spiders. Still out of 14,452 views.. Only 42 of those views replied. Leaving 344 views between each post not wanting to interact within the thread. Is forum reading dead? No, but forum interaction is on a decreasing scale for sure.

 

[OSS 117]

Or Adam passed out with his nose on the F5 key.

 

[CTXMedia]

Perhaps people just did this ... ... and moved on to more productive threads.

 

[Digital Doctor]

http://cliptheapex.com/overtaking/

The links I posted are not pages.
Not even close.

What are they then ?
From what I see, Overtaking is a database-driven page.

Xenforo 1.2.x doesn't provide database-driven pages. Probably less that 0.5% of Xenforo sites have database-driven pages. It is therefore a poor predictor of how 99.5% of Xenforo purchasers will fare.

IMO.

 

[wickedstangs]

Should I renew all my sites or is it a waste of time and money? ... With the increase in price for renewal I am torn between the two..

 

[xlegends]

Should I renew all my sites or is it a waste of time and money? ... With the increase in price for renewal I am torn between the two..

To stay on Topic is the #1 problem with forums.

 

[Chris D]

Should I renew all my sites or is it a waste of time and money? ... With the increase in price for renewal I am torn between the two..

There hasn’t been an increase in price for renewals…

 

[Dixie McCall]

I sincerely believe that with all the obvious BIG TECH censoring combined with obnoxious fish-faced morons posting every aspect of their pathetic lives online, drama fatigue has taken over and people are saying goodbye to big tech cesspools (FB, TW ) in great numbers. Forums aren't going anywhere and will likely see a resurge as these BIG TECH overlords demand more compliance. Similar to real life, people are seeking out smaller businesses, Mom and Pop stores and local stores more after seeing how BIG companies profited off of and controlled critical supply during the Pandemic. To be real honest, I'm more concerned that Xenforo will be sold to a big company who will in turn, impose the same, "you do as we say" business model. I would return to a freebee if that ever happened. Look what Shamzon and Apple did to Parler in an instant! Where would all those people go if there wasn't any alternative?

So forums aren't dead and yes you should renew your forums as the small renew cost is well worth it.

 

[otto]

No - death are forums not. But they have to change the way they work to make it members much more easier to read and wrote and find things.

I think it makes a difference which topic I run a forum on. I also think it is still important to offer good content and at the same time to make it as easy to use as possible.

The big problem I see is the hurdle to find a forum. Many "normal users" are not able to use search engines properly and the algorithms of Google and co are unfortunately money driven.
Also Facebook ... I install a single app and have access to all subject areas.

I know a browser + search engine also offer access to all subject areas. But apparently this path is not easy enough, perhaps because even today many sites are not designed to be really mobile-friendly. You usually don't have this problem with an app.

A single forum app is only half the battle. Perhaps a "forum app" would be useful, within which you can easily use all connected forums. Don't register x times, not x times a different structure and operation, etc. Unfortunately, the user is often comfortable. He doesn't want to have to research how to use it in every forum. I think there is an advantage with Facebook and Twitter.

But how should that work? Tapatalk was unfortunately not what one hoped for, too small the common denominator, too little supported functions.

 

[Alan_SP]

I sincerely believe that with all the obvious BIG TECH censoring combined with obnoxious fish-faced morons posting every aspect of their pathetic lives online, drama fatigue has taken over and people are saying goodbye to big tech cesspools (FB, TW ) in great numbers.

I agree with you, at least I think along these lines, that something like this would happen.

Hope people will be fed up with so many lies and manipulations.

 

[SheldonCooper]

I honestly see no better way to have a serious discussion online than in a forum. Maybe I'm over 50 and Facebook and Twitter are not for me, maybe I see it only from the user's point of view but I find that even a Forum with only a few hundred active people who, however, really have something to say about Philosophy, History, Religion, Science or Politics is interesting and useful.

Being able to exchange opinions in a structured way with people who live on the other side of the world being able to use a nick that does not reveal my identity to those who do not want to know my thoughts (not because I am ashamed of it, I want to clarify) is a very important added value

Between having a forum with millions of people posting what they ate for lunch and a less crowded one made up of trained people who focus on a topic of my interest, I have no doubts about which one to choose.

The contents not only as topics but also with people who know how to expose them in a clear and civil way.

Long live the Forums.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Between having a forum with millions of people posting what they ate for lunch and a less crowded one made up of trained people who focus on a topic of my interest, I have no doubts about which one to choose.

This in my view sums things up nicely. Forums are not dead it's just that their general audience has become more discerning.

The days when you could upload a forum and expect even a single member to register are long gone. Today your forum has to be long established, an authority within a niche, totally unique or provide a service just like this forum does. If you can tick one or more of those boxes you've got a winner, everything else will probably fail.

 

[ilter]

Facebook can, and does kill any group on Facebook anytime it wants.

They don't have to explain why, and they don't explain why.

How can you trust a system that does not belong to you or at least does not have a proper "customer" service?

 

[SheldonCooper]

Unfortunately all the posts that are composed of more than five lines in other social networks other than the Forum are considered boring (to be clear: I too am opposed to the many copy paste of a hundred lines without even a space every now and then), but obviously we can't talk about the French Revolution, the American War of Independence with a "Wow" and a couple of icons.

It is certainly not the fault of young people that mobile phones have been part of their life since they were born but, unfortunately, young people themselves often (not always) do not know what the French Revolution or the American War of Independence are or do not know how to place them temporally.

And at that point there is no Forum that can compensate for the quality of the contents. The Forum does its utmost to give the possibility to express a thought in an intelligible way but if the problem is the writer it cannot make miracles.

I really hope, for the sake of our young people, that more importance will be given to the study of past events to better understand the present ones.

 

[Alan_SP]

It's not problem of young people. It's a problem of people in general. I already mentioned it here.

 

[SheldonCooper]

It's not problem of young people. It's a problem of people in general. I already mentioned it here.

Fortunately not all the young people and not all people in general. The fact is that it often takes a few trolls to make those who write seriously decide to let it go.

I think (but it's only my opion) that it easier to find someone who has something of interesting to write in a Forum rather than in FB or other social media.

 

[zappaDPJ]

My experience is that the younger generations often land on forums, sent there by search engines. The problem is they consume content but rarely register to contribute. The common reply when I've asked why is always the same, 'effort'.

That reply suggest to many that the younger generation are lazy and want everything handed on a plate. I don't really agree. I believe it's more to do with progress and ease of use. While older generations are prepared to spend time fighting their way through hoops in order to register, young people appear to have better things to do with their time.

In short, forums need a one click registration process or accept that the only contributors are likely to be those of us who have one foot in the grave.