I’ve seen increasing evidence the last few years that Forums, once a novel resource and medium for discussion, are dying or dead. Thank fuck! I like to talk online so I’ve been a member of and managed many forums over the years but to be honest it’s never been anything but hassle. From having completely legitimate and harmless posts removed without warning to dealing with massive amounts of spam posts to the simple fact that forums are just damn slow and hard to navigate/search, they just don’t have a place in modern online discussion anymore. People want the instant, real interaction, results and the kind of social connection you get with the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google etc..
Recently I’ve been kicked off AskAboutMoney.com for daring to Ask a question rather than Search for an answer! I have yet to see a good search system on a forum and asking a question is a lot easier and quicker. I’ve also had posts removed on Boards.ie because they were on a thread that was old. So old info can’t be updated!? Also had one removed because the informational links I mentioned to a guy who needed some help were deemed commercial because there was an ad on one. It was pretty obvious that I wasn’t trying to sell anything unless you can sell a county news & events service!?
I’ve also seen a lot of software companies dispense with their Forum Support model which I absolutely hated, in favour of old fashioned but effective email support. Having Forum only support is as good as having NO support really.
Forums are only good for wishing you happy birthday. Do yourself a favour and delete your accounts, get away from the censorship and come talk on Facebook.
Leon
Reverb Studios Design 