Are forums dying?

[Queen of Hamsters]

So many armchair experts, yet they'll never see the day when they're right in their predictions.

[Dacien]

Reddit is basically just a huge forum. Twitter and Facebook... Are not good for long period single topic discussions.

These forum communities will stick around as long as people continue to contribute. Community matters most and a niche community is stronger than a generalized one.

The problem with reddit is that they all glom into their own hiveminds. Utilizing the upvote system, contrary points of view are downvoted into hidden status. People slowly realize only "acceptable" opinions are seen. And it's not unique to any particular point of view left or right. That's why classic forums like these are so nice; opinions stand on their own merits.

[Theodarzna]

The problem with Reddit is that they all glom into their own hiveminds. Utilizing the upvote system, contrary points of view are downvoted into hidden status. People slowly realize only "acceptable" opinions are seen. And it's not unique to any particular point of view left or right. That's why classic forums like these are so nice; opinions stand on their own merits.

The only place you are really free of that is anonymous image boards. The Chans are the freest place on the web in that sense.

[Dacien]

The only place you are really free of that is anonymous image boards. The Chans are the freest place on the web in that sense.

Okay, first of all, 4chan. Second of all, not really. I don't see how being anonymous changes anything. If I post some seriously controversial but strongly-held opinion on here, I cannot simply be downvoted to the last page and hidden.

[Seramore]

I wouldn't really consider Discord as replacement for a forum, I'd consider it as more of a replacement for IRC with each Discord server being what would typically be a channel on IRC.

Reddit is more of a forum itself, except with a shitty points system that makes 90% of the posts ungenuine and generally worded/posted in a way to attract more points.

I do think that forums are dying though, communities are dwindling down and the original userbases of many forums are now grown adults with their own lives. Younger people go on forums but you have a less amount of them posting and creating their own forums. I think the advancement of social media has more to do with this, Facebook groups have become practically glorified and less fancy forums for a lot of people.

MMO champion for example used to be the center of WoW theorycrafting

yikes

Okay, first of all, 4chan. Second of all, not really. I don't see how being anonymous changes anything. If I post some seriously controversial but strongly-held opinion on here, I cannot simply be downvoted to the last page and hidden.

imagine thinking that the only chan on the internet is 4chan

[Dacien]

imagine thinking that the only chan on the internet is 4chan

I don't know about any of the chans, and that's the way I likes it.

[PACOX]

Yes. Twitter, reddit, discord are more accessible to the masses. You can even throw in Facebook and YouTube. Forums are echo chambers. Twitter and all that other stuff cater to circlejerks. You won't meant even a forums standard of "discussion" in a discord channel.

[Theodarzna]

Okay, first of all, 4chan. Second of all, not really. I don't see how being anonymous changes anything. If I post some seriously controversial but strongly-held opinion on here, I cannot simply be downvoted to the last page and hidden.

Well, this gets at the effect of identity versus non-identity in discussions. One flaw of message boards is the need to cultivate an identity, to create a persona that people will then identify with your posts. I think what kills forums is that eventually people no longer discuss what is said but discuss the person saying them as things become bound up on perceptions of a person versus what the person says.

The 'Chans have the advantage in that, short of tripfagging, you are unknown and your words are just words that could come from any person. Nobody has the luxury of responding to you the person, only the words you say.

[Weeps]

Social Media as we know it right now... will not be the same in the near future.

People will generally catch on the pointlessness of fighting with people online, then a new type of etiquette will develop.

[Dacien]

Well, this gets at the effect of identity versus non-identity in discussions. One flaw of message boards is the need to cultivate an identity, to create a persona that people will then identify with your posts. I think what kills forums is that eventually people no longer discuss what is said but discuss the person saying them as things become bound up on perceptions of a person versus what the person says.

The 'Chans have the advantage in that, short of tripfagging, you are unknown and your words are just words that could come from any person. Nobody has the luxury of responding to you the person, only the words you say.

I guess that actually makes sense. I have such a long history here myself that I often find it difficult to post an opinion that won't be viewed through a lens. But at the same time, I like knowing who I'm talking to. One of the best parts of these forums are the people, and I'm kinda sad some of them are gone.

[Theodarzna]

I guess that actually makes sense. I have such a long history here myself that I often find it difficult to post an opinion that won't be viewed through a lens. But at the same time, I like knowing who I'm talking to. One of the best parts of these forums are the people, and I'm kinda sad some of them are gone.

Pour one out for ma' boy Connal, he is a happier man not being here.

[Dacien]

Pour one out for ma' boy Connal

Indeed. I'm glad he reached out before he left, so I know he's always a message away.

User "Wells" too. "Diurdi", "Catta" AKA Cattaclysmic... times go by....

[Kayze]

The problem with reddit is that they all glom into their own hiveminds. Utilizing the upvote system, contrary points of view are downvoted into hidden status. People slowly realize only "acceptable" opinions are seen. And it's not unique to any particular point of view left or right. That's why classic forums like these are so nice; opinions stand on their own merits.

Yeah, there is the issue with the default view being upvoted popular stuff only and the other views... Still not really helping on exposing other posts.

Really, Reddit is a big bin of posts within a niche (subreddit). Community forums are like a subreddit with better sorting and less gaming of exposure.

[Chaelexi]

Yes


eventually they will become small pockets. And drift into obscurity

Depending on the medium. Things like crafting, guild, and general group forums will fade into obscurity. You will see other forums stick around for a while because it is still one of the best forums of communication for it, videogame forums managed by the game manufacturer, car forums, things where continuous long term conversation is needed and appreciated.

[Bigbazz]

? When? MMOC was the center of news and thats about it.

Other sites like elitist jerks, icyviens, and so on had more theorycrafting done on them.

1. Elitist Jerks died years ago, it's not 2008 anymore.

2. Icy Veins has never been the center of theorycrafting, it has been the center of vaguely useful beginner guides and out of date information slapped together for consumption by the masses. The guides are rarely kept properly up to date, they've had guides they claimed were "checked" by top players that had information that differed vastly from the very guides that said top players had published elsewhere (often on MMO-champ).

Most of the actual theorycrafting to how the best methods of play are arrived at, discussion for simcraft, testing, data collection and discussion among theorycrafting players happened on MMO-champion prior to the popularity of discord class groups in recent years, when MMO discussion/theorycrafting threads died off as people moved to discord. It's no different now, the discord discussion and the groups of players involved in working on theorycrafting projects are doing the work that eventually arrives on an Icy Veins guide, but sometimes things are lost in translation or left behind meaning Icy Veins as always is a shaky source for guides.

So no, MMO-Champ was never only a place for WoW news, and Icy Veins has never been a gathering place for theorycrafting.

[Dacien]

1. Elitist Jerks died years ago, it's not 2008 anymore.

2. Icy Veins has never been the center of theorycrafting, it has been the center of vaguely useful beginner guides and out of date information slapped together for consumption by the masses. The guides are rarely kept properly up to date, they've had guides they claimed were "checked" by top players that had information that differed vastly from the very guides that said top players had published elsewhere (often on MMO-champ).

Most of the actual theorycrafting to how the best methods of play are arrived at, discussion for simcraft, testing, data collection and discussion among theorycrafting players happened on MMO-champion prior to the popularity of discord class groups in recent years, when MMO discussion/theorycrafting threads died off as people moved to discord. It's no different now, the discord discussion and the groups of players involved in working on theorycrafting projects are doing the work that eventually arrives on an Icy Veins guide, but sometimes things are lost in translation or left behind meaning Icy Veins as always is a shaky source for guides.

So no, MMO-Champ was never only a place for WoW news, and Icy Veins has never been a gathering place for theorycrafting.

I remember when I was getting back into WoW in 2010-2011 and listening to a ton of WoW podcasts, all they were talking about was how MMO-C was the premeire WoW news website, and how does @Boubouille get all this inside info, and wow what a great site.

Joined quite quickly after all that.

[Theodarzna]

I don't know about any of the chans, and that's the way I likes it.

Sweet summer child, you know only of half-chan.

[breadisfunny]

Do you think forums are becoming obsolete, because of Reddit, Twitter, Discord etc?

reddit is a dumpster fire of a echo chamber. controlled by the draenei.

[Theodarzna]

reddit is a dumpster fire of a echo chamber. controlled by the draenei.

Reddit has gotten worse, but it's partly due to administration letting bad actors run wild and moderators having way too much power.

Only thing reddit is good for is porn and a handful of niche subreddits.

[breadisfunny]

Reddit has gotten worse, but it's partly due to administration letting bad actors run wild and moderators having way too much power.

Only thing reddit is good for is porn and a handful of niche subreddits.

you mean draenei female porn?