What do Forum sites get right & what do Forum sites get wrong

[Trenchcoat]

With the closure of this forum site looming I thought this could be an apt topic for anyone left on here while we are still here. I know done of this has been covered in part on discussions on here in recent years but I think it is worth fully evaluating now.

For me I have had a lot of laughs on this forum along the way as I am sure many members here have so fond memories for me. I know this search doesn't always meet with success and many bail out along the way because of it. Others leave for other reasons, etc. Many say that Social Media and Messaging Apps have taken over but I find they all come with problems and that you don't get the same personal experience that you do on a forum site and specialist help.

So from my point of view I still think that forums have a place and just need to adjust slightly to the world we live in at present.

[Trenchcoat]

So now I have a bit more time I will develop what I was saying earlier.

Generally I am most of the main Social Media Platforms and WhatApp. I used to be on Viber but dropped it as most people I know use WhatsApp so Viber kind of becamd clutter.

Of the Social Media sites none of them I really use extensively. I used to use X a fair bit a while ago but if recent I find it an almost pointless scene. Ok for getting done brief info & insights on what's going on in the UK, in Ukraine, etc. However I have found of recent that where I used to get a short amount of conversing with other members now those with accounts with lots of followers & bots dominate and writing anything has become a largely pointless affair.

Then there is Facebook, it's better in terms of community groups and possibly getting sober response but the risk of a fallout with people near to you in the community usually over something petty and people out looking for a conflict remains. I've never really had any conflict with anyone on Facebook as I keep it at arms length and only rarely post anything on there and be discreet as I can. I've heard the stories and know of people that have had big trouble on there many deleting their accounts in the end. I think Facebook has it's plus sides and if you don't use it much like me then it can be ok by flying under the radar lol.

Instagram I don't do much on, it's mostly photos and that's ok but not great for discussion. Linkedin I do also, again I rarely contribute as I don't want to risk getting involved in a lot of conflict for no reason gain. I usually use it to keep a pulse on the industry I am in. Linkedin is ok but can be a bit boring. So for me that is largely it.

In general I don't think that none of the current Social Media sites really deliver well. I think a lot of their novelty has worn off and they too are showing signs of getting long in the tooth and people tiring of them.

That leaves messaging Apps. I think that potentially they can be developed further to offer a lot more. So far they are ok, but I don't think they really offer anywhere near an immersive experience, they are pretty routine.

The main big difference where I think Social Media and to some extent Messaging Apps do well is that they have a lot more money thrown behind them. They kind of dominate the market and suck in people due to the sheer size of the set up, money, etc. So in a way a lot of the Forums and individual websites set up by individuals have been badly squeezed because they have a little smaller budget by a long way.

That said I think that Forums themselves need to evolve and develop along the way. Many forums like this and tend to keep the same format throughout their time. I think a process of adding & removing sections of what is needed and what isn't is needed. That and a more visual input with more images integrated into it. The profiles of members is also an aspect of what could be developed more. My guess is that Forums are probably better for the owner if they can be run free or perhaps run by a group collectively with a small nominal membership fee a year to keep the thing running.

Potentially the whole Forum format could do with being overhauled for most forum sites with perhaps a kind of a cross between a social media site and a forum site. I don't doubt though that running a forum site is potentially a pain in the arse which is probably why they tend to close up over time along with cost, etc.

For this Forum website very few people come on here these days, a great shame. It used to be very vibrant on here years ago so it is sad to see. I think it's a case that many members have either passed on, been banned, got peed off and left, had their relationship fail and feel embarrassed about it, etc The war we have heard before has had some members stop coming here if they sided with Russia.

In any case it's unfortunate to see so many great stories and life experience disappear probably forever but I can understand that a website can become to burdensome to run and infrequently visited to make it viable.

[Trenchcoat]

Interestingly this UK Self Build Forum moved to a not for profit company structure and asking members for donations to carry on operating:

http://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/20708-changes-to-buildhub-a-message-to-all-users/

Am interesting way about it I think. Whether asking for donations is affective who knows.

[Steven1971]

I think it's a generational thing. Those of us now in our 40s and 50s first encountered the Internet having had a life before informed by newspapers, magazines, pub conversations, landlines telephones, the radio and linear TV amongst other things.

Kids today, my son aged 18 for example, grew up with the Internet. He is on Discord chatting with his friends playing computer games, watching Stranger Things on Netflix. He's got many more friends than I had growing up and I'm happy for him.

I think the Internet has reduced attention spans, mine included. I've got 200+ books I havent read on my bookcase. I love books. I love reading. I need to start reading again before I depart this mortal cool.

Forums are only as good as those who participate. On a football (soccer) forum I used to post on the number of members has slowly decreased over the years including one called Graham who died just before Covid became a thing.

A typical post had him wishing Nottingham Forest had signed David Batty and Robin Van Der Laan to join our existing midfield of Ian Woan and Kingsley Black. Resulting in the crowd singing : Woan, Black, Batty, Van Der Laan...

[Trenchcoat]

I think it's a generational thing. Those of us now in our 40s and 50s first encountered the Internet having had a life before informed by newspapers, magazines, pub conversations, landlines telephones, the radio and linear TV amongst other things.

Kids today, my son aged 18 for example, grew up with the Internet. He is on Discord chatting with his friends playing computer games, watching Stranger Things on Netflix. He's got many more friends than I had growing up and I'm happy for him.

I think the Internet has reduced attention spans, mine included. I've got 200+ books I havent read on my bookcase. I love books. I love reading. I need to start reading again before I depart this mortal cool.

Forums are only as good as those who participate. On a football (soccer) forum I used to post on the number of members has slowly decreased over the years including one called Graham who died just before Covid became a thing.

A typical post had him wishing Nottingham Forest had signed David Batty and Robin Van Der Laan to join our existing midfield of Ian Woan and Kingsley Black. Resulting in the crowd singing : Woan, Black, Batty, Van Der Laan...

I think you are right Steven that forums are a generational thing. Some young people do forums of differing kinds but it's more our generation that used them and I guess were a new and happening trend about 20 years or so ago. I think through time there are new things that come along that are trendy and fun for a while then it passes. I remember my Mother telling me that my Uncle on her side had a CB radio in his camper van back in the 70s/80s. They were a bit of a craze at the time back then and I guess a little bit like a forum but with the communication done over a radio, so similar thing everyone hand a handle, rubber ducky to fluffy goose sort of thing lol.

I think though apart from members who have passed on here and many we may not know about as there is often no way of notifying and members who are banned, upset, etc I think that some possibly just got fed up with doing the forum. I think this forum is great in that it can give a lift of info but some people don't have the concentration for reading like you and I do Steven, even less may like writing a lot of stuff. I don't mind writing a lot as you can tell lol, I don't start off with the intention of writing a lot it just ends up that way. Probably a site where wordage is balanced with photos is more ideal. I just find a lot of social media sites lacking in detail some people even describe some social media as shallow, I don't fully know though as I don't do a lot of social media but from what my gf does it seems a lot of posting up photos maybe a one liner or something and a few people hit the like button then rinse and repeat.

Discord I looked up, I don't think it would be my thing, it looks very cartoony/gamey looking and at a much younger audience than my years. When I was younger I used to play computer games a lot, too much really, you can kind off get lost in that world and that is not always a good thing. Again like any social media I would say that people on it may not really do much be your friend at least not as friends that we meet physically used to be. Remember the funny one where people used to brag about having 500 Facebook friends 😄 not long after it got going. If course they didn't literally have 500 friends it made them look popular for a while then everyone realised that even popular people don't have the time to know 500+ people well enough to be actual friends in the traditional meaning of the term.

I think that in general those of us that continue to stick with forums until we drop off or until the forum does just tend to feel more at home with the forum model. Like you indicate though Steven it seems to be a dwindling scene with numbers declining and those remaining dropping off as they pass on leaving many forums with too few members to remain viable. I think potentially the forum model could be revived in future with a kind of Social Media Forum sort of mix. In terms of this forum I think it looks like a lot of knowledge and life experience is soon to be lost unfortunately as I don't think a lot of stuff here has become common knowledge at all. Even though the FSU is more connected these days than it used to be and they have more exposure to western culture than ever I still find that they have their own cultural differences that still surprise me.

Books I like, like you I am often too time poor to read enough and that is another firm of media that has its own benefits and adversities. They can contain a lot of information and it's possible to learn a lot. One downside can be that they can be a bit disconnected with everyday life occasionally but in general they are a good source of deep information with the right books. Some books are not so good of course so picking out the right ones are important I think.

I think what I most love about this site was probably the trio reports, it's always fun seeing and hearing about people's experiences and adventures abroad. I loved getting over to the FSU and doing my own trips and having quite an adventure although admittedly it wasn't always easy going, plain sailing and occasionally the odd moment that wasn't as enjoyable. I definitely think the scene of WM going over to the FSU and dating was a fun and interesting time and I am glad to have been a part of it. I think potentially in the near future who knows it may become a thing to do again.