[Cyburbia]

Facebook has had an impact on forums, no doubt. However, I still see a place for forums, because:

* It gives users the chance to discuss issues with some level of anonymity. On my site, many users are in the public spotlight in their communities. They still want to interact with their peers, but they really don't want to have their names out there.

* I've got the dominant English-language forum dealing with a certain profession. On Facebook, and before that Yahoo Groups, there were many scattered groups. Which one of the many groups do you join? (The same thing can be said with subjects that are represented by hundreds of forums, like anime and gaming. Which anime site of the thousands out there do you join?)

* Facebook and other large social networking sites is blocked at many workplaces. Professional forums usually aren't blocked.

* A forum allows a communtity to develop its own identity, independent of Facebook.