Are forums dying?

[In Omnibus]

Post count is actually the worst indicator as to how successful a site is or isn't. Many successful sites have relatively few posts because the volume of information contained in the posts they do have is such that there is little need for extensive discussion. Many others have forums as almost an afterthought rather than as the central focus. Sites which are sales focused often have one post for the sale item and then require buyers ask specific questions via private message or e-mail rather than directly in a thread. There are so many variables which depend greatly upon the reason for a site's existence. Even general off-topic forums have largely gone away from allowing anyone to post anything purely for the sake of posting. Ultimately, it all comes down to the same thing: Quality original content >>> quantity.

[CarpCharacin]

I think that for fourms to survive they have to become mobile freindly. I am confident that forums will be around in 10 years. I think that general off topic forums are getting replaced by social media, but i think that forums, especially hobby forums are thriving. I am a member of a large aquarium forum with over 7 million posts that is more active now than it has ever been.

[webmastersun]

Originally Posted by ProSportsForums

28,000 posts per day is dying? :erm:

I have same question to the OP

for me, my forum has 50 new posts daily but I don't think it is dying that vice versa, it is growing because forums have more opportunities to get organic traffic than communities on social networks.

[kerrghann]

I wouldn't say forums are dying.

Seems like certain niches are becoming less and less popular.

I run a forum that's been around since 2001, my niche happens to be creative writing and play by post forum roleplaying. There are quite a few other sites out like it, although I like to think mine is one of the older ones out there currently.

Most roleplaying sites seem to have had a pretty sharp decline lately, but the younger generation isn't quite what it used to be either.

[scottkoz20]

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to give my 2 cents.

I took over sportscardforum.com over a year ago from an absentee owner and the first thing that I had to do was stabilize what was a perceived lack of traffic. The hobby I am in has seen a ton of changes in the last 10 years, with shipping costs making trades and sales domestically and Internationally, the advent of Social Networks and honestly a lack of willing to accept that if you are not adapting, you are going to "die".

The posts are down from what they were 2-3 years ago but I still have plenty of traffic and embracing the changes and adapting to them will help forums long term.

[TheAdminMarket]

Yes they're dying but slowly. On the same way that BBS and Newsgroups died before. On the same way as Facebook, Twitter etc will die later than the forums. People tend to look for new ways to use Internet.

[webmastersun]

Originally Posted by TheAdminMarket

Yes they're dying but slowly. On the same way that BBS and Newsgroups died before. On the same way as Facebook, Twitter etc will die later than the forums. People tend to look for new ways to use Internet.

I don't know or i don't think so, how is dying, my forum traffic is increasing and increase x2 times if compared to years ago.

[TheAdminMarket]

Originally Posted by webmastersun

I don't know or i don't think so, how is dying, my forum traffic is increasing and increase x2 times if compared to years ago.

I'm not talking for big sites and never try to understand how things are going seeing big sites. I'm talking for the average sites. Those ones with 1k members or less.

Last year (2015) I've spent a week just looking the websites from my clients last 10 years. So:

• ~65% of those sites are dead.
• ~15% changed to Wordpress
• ~5% changed forum software
• ~15% are still on vBulletin

So, after all, ~80% of the old forums died. And be sure that I'm talking for more than 10.000 websites that I tested.

When talking for forums we don't mean those "big bosses". It's a mistake to get statistics only by counting the proccess of big sites. It's a big mistake to say "My site increased" while, on the same time, another 100 closed.

--------------- Added 26 Dec 2016 at 11:35 ---------------

Originally Posted by webmastersun

.... if compared to years ago.

As I seen in whois database your site is 4 1/2 years old. You can't count it as an old site as it was not operating on the forum's "Glory days".

I'm coding for forums since 2006 (or since 2003 as Forum owner), 9 years earlier than you in forum market, so I can have a better idea on how things are going. For the same reason that older than me (not in age), forums owners here, can have a more stable and clear opinion.

[MarkFL]

It's my perception that not only has the quantity of forum users declined, but so has the quality. Years ago, users took it in stride when they had to investigate the forum software to discover how to make things happen. Now, users have trouble figuring out how to post and blame the site for being "unfriendly."

Back then, a user might ask what they needed to do on their end if the forum didn't display correctly in their browser. Now, users demand that the site be rewritten to accommodate their gadget of the day and their lackluster browsers.

Maybe I'm just an old fogie shaking my fist at the kids, telling them to get off my lawn, but that's the way I see how things have changed in the last 10 years.

[In Omnibus]

Originally Posted by MarkFL

It's my perception that not only has the quantity of forum users declined, but so has the quality. Years ago, users took it in stride when they had to investigate the forum software to discover how to make things happen. Now, users have trouble figuring out how to post and blame the site for being "unfriendly."

Back then, a user might ask what they needed to do on their end if the forum didn't display correctly in their browser. Now, users demand that the site be rewritten to accommodate their gadget of the day and their lackluster browsers.

Maybe I'm just an old fogie shaking my fist at the kids, telling them to get off my lawn, but that's the way I see how things have changed in the last 10 years.

It isn't only your perception. There once was a time when I knew precisely what made forums successful. There was a formula. I spent the last several years floundering with trying to help others become successful with their forums, only to realize everything has changed but me. I'm not doing it a different way because I've been doing it the same way since 1991 and this old dog isn't learning these new fangled millennial tricks.

Social media is the bane of my existence. I loathe it. It has created a lazy, entitled society whereby everyone expects everything immediately and with no work on their part. If they have to do more than click and type 140 characters of blather about themselves they have no interest. We're officially in the "Me" generation.

In a way I have adapted. I've abandoned all forums whose primary purpose is to get large (or even small) numbers of people to talk about unimportant nonsense. I now run a coding and programming forum for my own pleasure. I also have a full-time job so I don't have the time to run a forum, a facebook page, a twitter, an instagram, a youtube channel, etc. and even if I had the time I have no interest in gouging people for ad money every time they view content.

Perhaps I've lost my mind but I still believe that social media will run its course and people will begin looking for alternatives. Will those alternatives include a return to forums? It's impossible to say but if forum software developers figure out how to take what people like about social media and eliminate what they hate about social media I could easily see forums making a comeback.