You are right, the user-base is far too large to be properly accounted for; and that is the root of the reason why there are so many articles about FB's decline

You are right, the user-base is far too large to be properly accounted for; and that is the root of the reason why there are so many articles about FB's decline is that some of us wish for it. Think about it: who writes these articles? The same basis of geeks, bloggers and web designers that consider that FB has become overpopular and loaded with a plethora of useless features (game apps, "like" buttons for pointless activities, etc.), and that some users tend to update their statuses too much and too often. Which is the main reason why smaller, and arguably better communities like this one can thrive. It is all a matter of who gets to call the shots regarding what the Internet should be like.