I think people are getting tired of the internet in general. It seems that this perceived bad economy is making people realize how important other aspects of our lives are and that spending quality time with our loved ones is back in fashion. All these interactive sites will continue for the young ones, but as they age, experience working for a living, maturing, they move on. Conversely, the engine of forums are need based, whether it's fun or for information and of all ages. I don't think a 40 year old man wants to exchange "gifts" on Facebook for any length of time or at all but they'll log into a forum for gaming or prostate cancer information. This is why forums will alway exist. Twitter and Facebook do not have the seqeuntial interactive abilty necessary to facility information based browsing. I find Facebook annoying as hell. I'm sorry I don't want to exchange virtual plants and animals when I'm looking for people or information.
I think the drive-through aspect of forum software will always remain appealing.
Gabby
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