Has The Forum Fad Died?

[Porky]

Just curious what you all think if forums have died and if a forum needs to keep going....what needs to be done?

I'm not referring to this forum or any other specific one (mine included), just forums in general.

It seems to me that the new blog formats have taken over the forum popularity.

[cannon_fodder]

I used to be really into gaming and the forums were very active.  Then I was in game graphic design and those forums were active.

Currently, I am active on this forum, Hobie Cat forum, insidetulsasports.com forum, and an investment forum.  All of which are active.

Blogs may have taken away some of the chatter from social forums, but forums that foster discussion or seek to have questions answered are still very much active and useful.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by Porky

Just curious what you all think if forums have died and if a forum needs to keep going....what needs to be done?

I'm not referring to this forum or any other specific one (mine included), just forums in general.

It seems to me that the new blog formats have taken over the forum popularity.

Nothing stays the same. If forums seem to be overshadowed by blogs, it is probably because a blog site has the ability to control and direct its own agenda.

I think of a forum as a group of  people at a neighborhood bar yelling out their beliefs to a large crowd that mostly enjoys just being part of the crowd. If you don't like what you hear, you state your case and then go to another bar till you find a group that cheers you on. A free exchange of ideas for sure but no one really seems to change their minds.

A blog seems to be the bar you finally find where everyone pretty much thinks just like you do.

[MichaelC]

BS.

Blogs aren't "taking over".  Forums aren't "dying".  They're two separate things.  There will always be more blogs than forums, hopefully.

Any specific forum can disappear, due to many factors; competition, poor maintenance, or it could simply be based on a bad idea to start out with.  If you're having problems with a forum, you might start there.

[rwarn17588]

It all depends on content.

The reason I continue to surf to TulsaNow and a handful of other such sites is I find them interesting or informative.

You have to give a lot of credit to the posters themselves. Many (but not all) of the ones on TulsaNow are well-educated, well-informed and make a genuine effort to foster discussion. That's not to say that TulsaNow is perfect (hey, discussions can be messy), but it's one of the best forums I've seen.

I've  seen plenty of other forums that die because of stupid posters, or misanthropes who don't want to bring anything to the discussion.  A few whine and cite the First Amendment when  Admin here raises his/her sword, but there has to be some internal controls to curb the pests (Paul Tay and Davaz come to mind) and nasty quarrels.

You also have to have a few smart people posting regularly to draw more smart people and thus dilute the stupidity. You want your forum to grow (like TulsaNow has) and not it be a stagnant cult of cranks and crackpots.

Also, copycats seldom ever work (unless the forum it is copying is in serious trouble) because they're redundant. Not to pick on David Arnett, but that's the reason his Tulsa Today forum bit the dust.

[Conan71]

TN is a great place.  Any great forum is going to have a core group of regulars along with some really good occasional posters who add a lot in the way of personal expertise or passion to our discussions.

I think that's the key to any successful forum.  I'm a regular here and one sailing forum and that's all I really have time for.  

I like the forum concept because you can share ideas or get advice pretty quickly.

I don't blog and I don't read blogs often, just not my personal cup-o-tea.

[RecycleMichael]

I am an idiot. I am not THE village idiot because in a city our size, we have more than one. We work shifts.

Thanks to TulsaNow, I now have witnesses to my idiocy.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588


You have to give a lot of credit to the posters themselves. Many (but not all) of the ones on TulsaNow are well-educated, well-informed and make a genuine effort to foster discussion.

Wow, and still they let me on.

[USRufnex]

Blogs for the like-minded are usually boring and inaccurate... and a refuge for groupthink...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

quote:Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. During Groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group. Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the group's balance. The term is frequently used pejoratively, with hindsight.

But then again, wikipedia itself can be boring, inaccurate and subject to groupthink...[:O]

[YoungTulsan]

I like this forum, but wish it were more active.  It moves pretty slow compared to other forums I visit.  There are some great posters on here with lots of knowledge and insight, but I'd like to see more people, more variety, and more people of this city getting involved in these discussions.

Im guessing a lot of people get on the internet and talk about politics and economics in ways they wouldn't around people they know in real life.  Thus, not many people tell all of their friends about forums like this and encourage them to get involved (unless you're the type that wants to flood the forum with like-minded people that you agree with)

[mdunn]

I think forums may be dying due to high gas prices!(sounds good anyway!)

[Conan71]

There aren't any elections for awhile yet and some of the regular political hawks have been on their summer vacations or grown tired of being chastised, so politics has gone a little stale.  I also think some people have grown weary of the petty sniping that goes on there.

Otherwise, I think this forum stays pretty active.  Personally, I don't care for forums where you have 200 posts to catch up on when you log on in the morning.  Just too hard to keep up with all the comments and to learn anything new.

[Rowdy]

As long as there are people who have interests in things, there will always be forums. Anything from car care to health matters, they will be there.

[Porky]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelC

BS.

FY []

[Aa5drvr]

I heard the other day that many forums are being replaced by some kind of device called a Citizen's Band Radio.  Now THATS a fad. (unless you drive a 18 wheeler)