Forums still one of the best ways to communicate on the Internet?

[eyoungren]

I didn't know this was still a thing. Back in the day of desktop computers and Nokia phones yes. Since everyone has a smartphone as an extension to his hand 24/7 connected to the internet, why e-mail if you can simply "text" via imessage or Whatsapp?

Back in the day?

The business world, in which I earn my income, is still very centered around computers and email. Those businesses operating solely on handheld devices are an outlying minority right now. That will grow over time as the tools get better, but the period of desktop computers and email is not over.

And I still have yet to see any iPhone or iPad connected to more than one external display (my Mac Pro has six, including a 55" HDTV) or the ability to run Adobe CC 2020 or QuarkXPress 2020, apps I use every day.

 

[eyoungren]

I think the people I talk to - my close friends - they don't use their cellphones that much and they're at computers for a good portion of their day so it is just easier for them to email. That's my guess? I don't have a lot of close friends lol.

Speaking solely for myself, I am in front of a keyboard from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. Whether that keyboard is part of a laptop or connected to a desktop you will find me there.

I use computers for personal things and my job (graphic design) demands a computer. It's far easier to tab into an already open email app then it is to take my hands off the keyboard, reach over, grab and unlock a phone, open an app and then text or email.

Hell, if I want I can even answer the damn phone on my computer.

In short, yeah, I'm not using my phone as a computer - because right now computers are better at being computers than phones are.

 

[jdechko]

The MR forum design is completely unremarkable. It looks pretty much the same as many similar Q&A forums from twenty years ago that ran turnkey bboard packages like vBulletin. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this site ran vBulletin at one time.

It did. It’s gone through quite a few changes since I’ve been a member.

 

[MacBH928]

Back in the day?

The business world, in which I earn my income, is still very centered around computers and email. Those businesses operating solely on handheld devices are an outlying minority right now. That will grow over time as the tools get better, but the period of desktop computers and email is not over.

And I still have yet to see any iPhone or iPad connected to more than one external display (my Mac Pro has six, including a 55" HDTV) or the ability to run Adobe CC 2020 or QuarkXPress 2020, apps I use every day.

Speaking solely for myself, I am in front of a keyboard from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. Whether that keyboard is part of a laptop or connected to a desktop you will find me there.

I use computers for personal things and my job (graphic design) demands a computer. It's far easier to tab into an already open email app then it is to take my hands off the keyboard, reach over, grab and unlock a phone, open an app and then text or email.

Hell, if I want I can even answer the damn phone on my computer.

In short, yeah, I'm not using my phone as a computer - because right now computers are better at being computers than phones are.

1-I was refering to social life since he said he talks with his friends using e-mails. I do imagine work at office place is done via emails and not over chats.

2-To each his own, but to send back and forth 1 liner emails to talk with friends via e-mail is just using the wrong tool for the purpose. E-mails is supposer to be electronic letters, instant messaging for chats. I don't know many people who chat in real life writing letters to each other. Plus its much harder to keep organized with 100's-1000s of emails of back and forth talk in your inbox.

 

[C DM]

I don't know many people who chat in real life writing letters to each other.

Certainly might be much less common these days, but at the same time something that has been around and in use by many for centuries.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Everything is based on context. Prior to the WWW we had Bulletin Boards and other similar online meeting places. When the web as we now now it showed up some BBS users complained that these newfangled "forums" were too easy for anonymous trolls to join and cause trouble. Membership ballooned to unheard-of levels on the larger forums. Moderation became more onerous and online communities became substantially less close-knit.

Of course, the arrival of "social media" was a massive paradigm shift that made internet forums look parochial by comparison. Social media is a cesspit, a bottomless void that collects and amplifies the very worst aspects of humanity and then vomits them forth precisely when where they will do the most real-world damage.

That, and cat videos.

Of course, the issue is not the technology itself so much as the human social institutions that are so inadequate for dealing with constant instantaneous global communication. Our species' ability to evaluate and process communication is still catching up the technological developments from the last century, let alone this one.

From that perspective, the well-regulated internet forum (as previous posters have mentioned) has real advantages, the first of which is moderation that is far more effective than Twitter or Facebook's (and which is never properly appreciated by members...it is so very easy to take it for granted!). Awful behavior is not permitted. Furthermore, good forums provide the opportunity to build reputation - good behavior is rewarded with respect, and longevity is an indicator of a positive track record of behavior. This is not the case on social media, which is merely a global amplifier for the urges that pass through peoples' spinal columns.

But forums seem to be (from my purely anecdotal observations) an increasingly old-fashioned form of internet communication. How many people under 25 are using internet forums?

 

[eyoungren]

How many people under 25 are using internet forums?

I think that may depend on content, or at least where it is that information/help can be found and who holds it.

MacRumors is home to a PowerPC Mac community that frequently sees new users either in their 20s or 30s. We (I frequent that section as it's what brought me to MR) also frequently see new users under the age of 20. Apple considers PowerPC to be long dead, many Apple users consider it to be dead. Our little piece of MacRumors should be a ghost town. Yet we have new users coming into our forum frequently and not all of them are 40 or over.

Why that is, I can only speculate, but it's nice being able to share a common interest with a group of users of all ages.

 

[retta283]

I think that may depend on content, or at least where it is that information/help can be found and who holds it.

MacRumors is home to a PowerPC Mac community that frequently sees new users either in their 20s or 30s. We (I frequent that section as it's what brought me to MR) also frequently see new users under the age of 20. Apple considers PowerPC to be long dead, many Apple users consider it to be dead. Our little piece of MacRumors should be a ghost town. Yet we have new users coming into our forum frequently and not all of them are 40 or over.

Why that is, I can only speculate, but it's nice being able to share a common interest with a group of users of all ages.

I've definitely noticed some younger people in the PPC forums, age usually doesn't come up too frequently in the other tech-related boards so I can't say for certain what the average age would be there. He does have a point, though. For many of the newer generations their main platform of communication is social media and little else. If they do come to forums I think it's mostly for help on a specific issue, not because they want to be a part of that forum's community.

 

[eyoungren]

I've definitely noticed some younger people in the PPC forums, age usually doesn't come up too frequently in the other tech-related boards so I can't say for certain what the average age would be there. He does have a point, though. For many of the newer generations their main platform of communication is social media and little else. If they do come to forums I think it's mostly for help on a specific issue, not because they want to be a part of that forum's community.

That's where my comment on content and where that content is comes in to play - and also where the PowerPC forum tends to shine. A lot of people come in for a specific purpose, they get bitten by the PowerPC bug and then realize it's a great community and stay. Age is not a factor in any of that.

Admittedly, this is a specific scenario and the lack of information on the internet about dealing with PowerPC Macs tends to be a factor in drawing users to our forum, because often there is no other place to get the information you need/want. Also, my limited membership in other forums makes my viewpoint narrow. But I have to believe that there are other forums out there in other places that aren't a collection of old folks home denizens just shooting the breeze.

Certainly, the use of forums has declined, and I expect it to continue to decline. My own kids are examples. Although not on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) they primarily communicate with their friends via iMessage and my son is on Discord. I'm just not entirely certain that forums are a dead concept to younger generations - yet.

 

[ipponrg]

Certainly, the use of forums has declined, and I expect it to continue to decline. My own kids are examples. Although not on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) they primarily communicate with their friends via iMessage and my son is on Discord. I'm just not entirely certain that forums are a dead concept to younger generations - yet.

I think forum participation is very much dependent on the topic like you mentioned earlier.

For example, I peruse all types of message boards including mechanical keyboards, car sites, sports team sites, sub-reddits (if that even counts), and this forum. There are plenty of younger generational participants. However, I do not expect most people to communicate to their friends via forums. Even back in the 90s, most did it via AOL/IM, email, ICQ, IRC, Kali, etc.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Certainly, the use of forums has declined, and I expect it to continue to decline. My own kids are examples. Although not on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) they primarily communicate with their friends via iMessage and my son is on Discord. I'm just not entirely certain that forums are a dead concept to younger generations - yet.

There are a LOT more digital communication platforms out there now than there were when MacRumors started, and the smartphone was a huge paradigm shift towards less text, more audiovisual media. Two major factors in the decline of the forum.

 

[MacBH928]

That's where my comment on content and where that content is comes in to play - and also where the PowerPC forum tends to shine. A lot of people come in for a specific purpose, they get bitten by the PowerPC bug and then realize it's a great community and stay. Age is not a factor in any of that.

Admittedly, this is a specific scenario and the lack of information on the internet about dealing with PowerPC Macs tends to be a factor in drawing users to our forum, because often there is no other place to get the information you need/want. Also, my limited membership in other forums makes my viewpoint narrow. But I have to believe that there are other forums out there in other places that aren't a collection of old folks home denizens just shooting the breeze.

Certainly, the use of forums has declined, and I expect it to continue to decline. My own kids are examples. Although not on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) they primarily communicate with their friends via iMessage and my son is on Discord. I'm just not entirely certain that forums are a dead concept to younger generations - yet.

Forums lost popularity of course due to competition from Reddit, Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter..etc none the less they are still the best at what they do and that is to create a community of enthusiasts that have an informative discussion. You can always display you dance skills on TikTok.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I highly recommend this documentary.

 

[warp9]

I've noticed a mass exodus of companies moving their tech support to Discord and abandoning their forums. Years and years worth of threads, how-tos, and a general knowledge base-- thrown out and replaced with a chat room.

 

[MacBH928]

I've noticed a mass exodus of companies moving their tech support to Discord and abandoning their forums. Years and years worth of threads, how-tos, and a general knowledge base-- thrown out and replaced with a chat room.

I don't get whats the big deal with Discord, sounds to me like IRC on steroids. Forums to me are the best source for many topics, solutions, a searchable knowledge base.

 

[warp9]

I don't get whats the big deal with Discord, sounds to me like IRC on steroids. Forums to me are the best source for many topics, solutions, a searchable knowledge base.

Well first Discord is not a forum it's a chat room, regardless of what they say. Rather than posting a detailed write-up about my particular issue that could help somebody in the future, I'm now "chattin' with Chad!" Whatever abbreviated conversation we might have will occur again 5 minutes later with someone else because none of it is easily searchable or displayed like a forum is. Not to mention, Discord content is not crawled by search engines so googling a problem or question just got infinitely more useless.

I won't even get into the privacy sh*tstorm that's going to blow up there sometime in the future because it will happen. Probably when Facebook buys them out. There is literally no upside for users but a huge upside for companies because they no longer need to maintain their own forums.

 

[Solomani]

Twitter is more like a forum of "groupies". The groupies usually center on an influencer, someone who is being followed by thousands of like minded people (e.g. Trump and his MAGA followers). And for the most part, they are birds of the same feather. Anyone that intrudes into their space is quickly ostracized. So Twitter is really not a good media for debate or discussion. It is, however, an excellent medium for propaganda. If Adolf Hitler were alive today, he'd be a rock star on Twitter, with countless followers in the hundreds of millions who would swallow every tweet as if it were gospel. But the same goes if Winston Churchill had been alive, since he too was a superb orator and communicator and propagandist.

Once again, Twitter is a great medium for disseminating linear information and one-way propaganda. The assumption is that the Followers are of the same mind and same alignment as the Speaker. Groupthink.

But not a good medium for intelligent debate.

Forums are still hard to beat for informative discussions and debate.

 

[eyoungren]

Twitter is more like a forum of "groupies". The groupies usually center on an influencer, someone who is being followed by thousands of like minded people (e.g. Trump and his MAGA followers). And for the most part, they are birds of the same feather. Anyone that intrudes into their space is quickly ostracized. So Twitter is really not a good media for debate or discussion. It is, however, an excellent medium for propaganda. If Adolf Hitler were alive today, he'd be a rock star on Twitter, with countless followers in the hundreds of millions who would swallow every tweet as if it were gospel. But the same goes if Winston Churchill had been alive, since he too was a superb orator and communicator and propagandist.

Once again, Twitter is a great medium for disseminating linear information and one-way propaganda. The assumption is that the Followers are of the same mind and same alignment as the Speaker. Groupthink.

But not a good medium for intelligent debate.

Forums are still hard to beat for informative discussions and debate.

I don't think social media was ever designed for debate. It centers around the subject - you. And your opinion. If anyone disagrees with you then you have tools to either silence them or freeze them out.

You're describing Twitter, but the same thing can also apply to Facebook - where you have a medium that allows long-form rants and dissertations. My mistake with Facebook was assuming that others I knew held the same opinions I did about open debate. They didn't. They only wanted to hear what fit the narrative they were aligned with. Reality, truth and facts become just another opinion. I'm so glad I deleted my account there.

 

[MacBH928]

Well first Discord is not a forum it's a chat room, regardless of what they say. Rather than posting a detailed write-up about my particular issue that could help somebody in the future, I'm now "chattin' with Chad!" Whatever abbreviated conversation we might have will occur again 5 minutes later with someone else because none of it is easily searchable or displayed like a forum is. Not to mention, Discord content is not crawled by search engines so googling a problem or question just got infinitely more useless.

I won't even get into the privacy sh*tstorm that's going to blow up there sometime in the future because it will happen. Probably when Facebook buys them out. There is literally no upside for users but a huge upside for companies because they no longer need to maintain their own forums.

I agree, for example 1Password forums are superb. I think the reason to use Discord chat is because it gives instant answers to customers so thats a plus in their books, honestly I think most customers will be happier to receive their answer now than make a post and come back tomorrow to read the replies and post again.

Maybe they can organize the chat in "posts" forum and put it into an archive so it will be searchable.

 

[warp9]

I agree, for example 1Password forums are superb. I think the reason to use Discord chat is because it gives instant answers to customers so thats a plus in their books, honestly I think most customers will be happier to receive their answer now than make a post and come back tomorrow to read the replies and post again.

Maybe they can organize the chat in "posts" forum and put it into an archive so it will be searchable.

Discord is great for chat (gaming and hobby communities, etc) and I think it's a worthy successor to horrible telephone customer service. If my ISP was on Discord I would likely use it because my question is probably something like "why is my internet down?" A question that has no historical value and doesn't help anybody.

However, most forums are not suited for it. Imagine if Macrumors shut down this forum and replaced it with Discord. Years and years worth of data tossed to the wind. It would be the end of Macrumors showing up in Google searches. It would be the end of easily accessible threads like how to get a 4K AppleTV up and running properly. Need a decent hdmi cable? Forget looking for an hdmi thread. You need to ask in chat and you're probably the 10th person to ask that day during a big hardware release. If the person who knows the answer isn't online at that moment, you will probably never find out.

I believe Discord is working on their search capabilities and I hope it improves, but as long as it's excluded from search engines and is structured like an imessage, it won't matter.

 

[yurc]

Reddit is fine, until I encountered "continue this thread" and utter piece of carp. Cycling through a sheetload amount of links for reading sub-comments are wasting time.

Twitter is fine as artist, I am building followers and engagement. I post no more than art, keeping out from SJW and political conversation.

Facebook isn't my radar anymore. Deleted six years ago.

My main active forum isn't so much, mostly MR and MTBR (especially night riding threads)

Discord are used for my fellow artist community for quicker collaboration (previously using Skype) but due more fun nature, Discord are preferable.

edit : intentionally using mistaken word

 

[warp9]

Reddit is fine, until I encountered "continue this thread" and utter piece of carp. Cycling through a sheetload amount of links for reading sub-comments are wasting time.

If you sort by something other than "Best", all the threads will expand automatically.

 

[MacBH928]

Reddit is fine, until I encountered "continue this thread" and utter piece of carp. Cycling through a sheetload amount of links for reading sub-comments are wasting time.

Twitter is fine as artist, I am building followers and engagement. I post no more than art, keeping out from SJW and political conversation.

Facebook isn't my radar anymore. Deleted six years ago.

My main active forum isn't so much, mostly MR and MTBR (especially night riding threads)

Discord are used for my fellow artist community for quicker collaboration (previously using Skype) but due more fun nature, Discord are preferable.

edit : intentionally using mistaken word

Reddit comment section is horrific

 

[retta283]

To me Discord can never replace forums. It's closer to what IRC once was than a forum site. Things get buried very, very easily. I don't think it's bad, but it's definitely not a good substitute for a forum.

 

[mailman199]

I think so, its a longford conversation that you can have over time and then revisit.