Are forums as a social medium dying in general?

[Ray-ACP]

Obviously not this one haha but most forums I go to online are either dead or dwindling. The younger generation are overly obsessed with instant messaging and social media thanks to smart phones and quick apps. No one wants to post a message and wait for a response anymore, they want to know if people have seen it immediately.

That being said you could argue that posting a status on facebook is the same, you don't know if anyone's read your post unless they comment on it or 'like' it. I love forums and don't want to see them as a means of discussion die out. Feel free to gladly correct me haha. Most forums that are active nowadays are from big companies with official forums like bethesda or square enix. Is there room for niche forums anymore?

 

[Soda Fox]

I think forums like this are dying out, yes. I prefer these to Facebook and other social media though. It feels more in depth to me.

 

[Ray-ACP]

I bet you more than less of the users here are 20 & over. Forums are mostly used now with the 20-30 generation.

 

[dizzy bone]

Yes and it makes me sad because forums were my childhood . I used to be a part of a lot of pixel/personal website making forums and communities when I was younger but they died when we all went to high school/college and moved on with our lives. These things can only stay alive if the interest is strong/stable like ACNL. I understand why people would want to move onto more lively platforms like Facebook because everyone (well, most people) have one already, so it's so easy to jump onto a thread or discussion. I personally don't use Facebook that much, only to chat, however I am part of a few local groups that I check when I want to know what's happening in my area lol

 

[nintendofan85]

I voted "no", but now that I think about it, they are. Many Animal Crossing forums are dead, but social media has taken over the world by a storm.

 

[MorphiGalaxi]

Seems like theyre dying out. I never used social media like facebook, twitter ect. And have no want to. To me those places just feel like such a random mish mash of subjects and not about anything seriously. It also doesn't replace forums for specific things (like this ACNL forum), so yeah. I don't know. I wish they weren't dying out but they certainly are.

 

[Ghost Of Mascevanje]

Well, this thread only got like 4 replies, so what does that tell you? (And here I am replying 3 years later).

But in all seriousness, they most likely are. I asked a similar question on another forum, and one thoughtful user there told me that particular forum used to be very popular back in like the early-to-mid 2000s. Now, there's only handful of loyal regulars who still post there, and the place is kind of slow and not so very interesting (kind of like here).

Still, it's not a bad forum, and at least no one there ever gave me warnings over stupid, little inoffensive things that I posted (unlike here. Yeah, I'm talking about that uptight mod who likes to LARP as a mole from a certain video game).

 

[Bcat]

Yeah, they are. Big social media sites are where the majority are these days. But the majority is quite often stupid.

All my homies are on tbt, and they’re some of the coolest people I know. If forums are a dying breed, I’ll gladly go the way of the dinosaurs.

 

[kikotoot]

The only social media I use is twitter and I use it to get news

forums like tbt are such a great pace of social interaction, regardless of what happens to forums, I'm glad we got them while they're hot (and hopefully they stay piping)

 

[trashpedia]

It’s slowly dying off over time and I actually kinda prefer the forum format because the structure and layout gives it more of a feeling of “community” than a giant sea of people like Instagram or Twitter. The only closest social media that sorta has the “forum” layout is Reddit but it’s slowly becoming more structured like any other social media app.

It’s kinda disappointing because mainstream social media feels very fake and deceiving, but forums feel genuine and a place to actually be yourself since you’re surrounded by those with a common interest as you.

 

[Alienfish]

It’s kinda disappointing because mainstream social media feels very fake and deceiving, but forums feel genuine and a place to actually be yourself since you’re surrounded by those with a common interest as you.

This, I prefer actual forums or such more because, basically what you said. I do have Instagram but it's basically to follow artists/stores/bands etc. I like and I don't expect anything from it.

 

[justina]

I sadly do agree that forums are not as popular as they once were, but I do prefer them over Reddit. This is the only forum I’m active on, I used to be pretty active on some other forums for other online games I played but they have all sadly closed down. a lot of people seem to favor Discord for gaming communities, which I do love but it’s not the same to me as forums like these.

 

[Corrie]

Forums definitely aren't as popular as they were many years ago thanks to social media becoming a big boom. It sucks because I like forums! I like their format much better than any of the social media. Instead of showing off how amazing your life is, forums to me, are more about chatting with like minded people.

 

[michealsmells]

Forums really do be dying out. Even Reddit, like people say above, is barely like a forum to me.

I'm from a younger generation and I've never liked forums much. Its not because of the instant messaging. People can't message or see messages instantly even on IM platforms, and thats fine! Sure I check plenty of places, including this forum, a lot but thats generally cause I'm impatient lmao.

Forums to me have always felt old. Always looked crusty. Had poor layouts that I didn't know how to navigate. Bell Tree is pretty user friendly in my opinion! If you have half a brain you can figure out how to navigate it, where to post, and where to find answers to any questions you may have.

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

It's hard to say for sure, but I voted definitely. Social media (non-forums, like Facebook & Twitter) is more convenient, easier to keep up with, more streamlined, more well-known, etc. Forums are clunky and outdated honestly. I think they are great for niche things.. but if I didn't have a laptop I would not even bother with the Belltree Forums. I don't know how anyone can stand using it via mobile, but then again I have a very old iPhone so that could be part of the reason why.

I think forums have another decade or so left, maybe.

 

[Imbri]

I'm almost exclusively on my Android, and I prefer a forum to other social media because I can get to the conversation I want and follow it easily. In other formats, the Latest and Greatest swallows everything and things are buried.

I prefer forums as it let's you make a detailed post and follow conversations. I have a much better connection to the people here that someone flitting through my Twitter feed.

 

[Uffe]

Probably. I grew up using message boards. I just prefer them over things like Discord, because there are things I can go back to and look up if I need to, while things in chat related stuff gets swallowed up by chatter.

 

[mayortiffany]

I feel like the downside to forums is that they are rather niche. On social media, you can often find communities that discuss niche interests, but your one account allows you to have access to several niche communities.

Take Reddit for example: I can be an active member of the various Animal Crossing sub-reddits, but also be involved in say, an American politics subreddit, a piano music subreddit, and a fiber crafts subreddit. I find that most forums, however, are dedicated towards discussing one particular subject, so you'd require multiple accounts over multiple forums to be able to discuss all the above topics I've mentioned in depth.

Other social media platforms also have better integration in terms of non-textual information being shared. Take Tumblr and the ability to easily embed pictures and videos, to the point that part of the culture around the site is simply to share photos and videos without much textual commentary. On a forum however, the focus seems to be more so on what we write, so there's less flexibility in this regard about what can actually be shared.

Also, a lot of forums just look really old. The Bell Tree Forum has a nice, sleek design, but there are some out there that look like they came straight out of the 2000s! Not exactly intuitive for users to use, and not exactly exciting for younger people.

The Bell Tree Forum is the only forum I really use, and that's because I find it's one of the best Animal Crossing communities out there.

 

[Imbri]

On a forum however, the focus seems to be more so on what we write, so there's less flexibility in this regard about what can actually be shared.

I disagree. I have a Tumblr, and it's fine for sharing pictured of cats, fall leaves, knitting projects, and AC patterns (a few of the topics I personally follow), but the posts I most prefer are the text-heavy ones.

Writing something in a few characters, as on Twitter, does limit the ability to share thoughts and ideas. But a forum is meant for that - writing coherent sentences/paragraphs that allow people to engage in discussion, either by agreeing and adding to the list, or disagreeing and giving examples why.

If the trend is leaning toward a more visual and "sound bite" tendency, the fault isn't in forums, but in the way many view social exchanges as "get the newest, flashiest, and move on". I'm guilty of that, myself, but I think it might be all the more reason why we need a format that focuses on "use your words" rather than "snap a picture". Both have their place.

 

[buny]

Instead of showing off how amazing your life is, forums to me, are more about chatting with like minded people.

this :c

im glad this forum is still active and alive at least ;w; i voted no, but i realized apart from tbt other forums are definitely dying..