5 ms·

Social media, when it came on the scene in the form of Facebook, et. al. simply went gangbusters because there wasn't anything like it before (this is arguable,

Social media, when it came on the scene in the form of Facebook, et. al. simply went gangbusters because there wasn't anything like it before (this is arguable, but is beyond the scope of this comment). On the other hand, lower-reach social communities like forums are still humming along just fine after all these years. Their popularity grows and wanes with trends but there will (probably) always be people on forums. Social media has broad reach but shallow depth. Forums, mailing lists, etc. have narrower reach but can be support incredibly deep dives.

the_snooze 4y ago
>Social media has broad reach but shallow depth. I'd argue that the OG university-only thefacebook.com was successful because it had narrow reach and deeper depth (at least compared to its one-size-fits all modern form). The features were tailored very specifically to that audience, and the audience found a lot of value from it.
pram 4y ago
Forums can have amazing longevity. In the past 10 years I’ve seen communities on social media go completely extinct multiple times (rip Tumblr) and yet I’m still regularly using a forum I’ve posted on for 21 years. They don’t have good growth but it’s the closest thing to an authentic “public square” in my opinion. Actual conversations, instead of people just yelling on their soapbox.
DerekBickerton 4y ago
> social communities like forums are still humming along Is the web still full of vBulletin and phpBB forums that can sustain themselves with donations and such? I think the only ones left are the ones who asked for donations from the start. Yes, hosting is relatively cheap, but when boards get bigger they have to add capacity and that all adds up. There's only so much 'pocket money' can get you. Eventually you will need to sustain a forum with fees or donations.

5 ms·

Social media, when it came on the scene in the form of Facebook, et. al. simply went gangbusters because there wasn't anything like it before (this is arguable,

by julianlam 4y ago

the_snooze 4y ago
>Social media has broad reach but shallow depth. I'd argue that the OG university-only thefacebook.com was successful because it had narrow reach and deeper depth (at least compared to its one-size-fits all modern form). The features were tailored very specifically to that audience, and the audience found a lot of value from it.
pram 4y ago
Forums can have amazing longevity. In the past 10 years I’ve seen communities on social media go completely extinct multiple times (rip Tumblr) and yet I’m still regularly using a forum I’ve posted on for 21 years. They don’t have good growth but it’s the closest thing to an authentic “public square” in my opinion. Actual conversations, instead of people just yelling on their soapbox.
DerekBickerton 4y ago
> social communities like forums are still humming along Is the web still full of vBulletin and phpBB forums that can sustain themselves with donations and such? I think the only ones left are the ones who asked for donations from the start. Yes, hosting is relatively cheap, but when boards get bigger they have to add capacity and that all adds up. There's only so much 'pocket money' can get you. Eventually you will need to sustain a forum with fees or donations.