Where do forums stand today

[GTB]

Simple enough question...

Where do you think forums stand today when trying to get people joining up and posting on one you run?

I think it gotten really hard now trying to get members to be more involved posting and feels like you're always having to lead the way as a forum admin doing it first to try and entice other members into posting something, otherwise most members are just content now with sitting on a forum saying nothing.

[Mark.B]

Simple enough question...

Where do you think forums stand today when trying to get people joining up and posting on one you run?

I think it gotten really hard now trying to get members to be more involved posting and feels like you're always having to lead the way as a forum admin doing it first to try and entice other members into posting something, otherwise most members are just content now with sitting on a forum saying nothing.

Well, firstly...there was never really a time when people would just sign up when nothing was there. Admins always had to make a bit of an effort in the early days, and then gradually, if the content was right, people would come.

The problem today is that people generally do not come. Forums have changed from being the 'platform of choice' for discussions, to being something of a niche, speciality type of thing.

Unfortunately, the reason for this is that Facebook and Twitter have hooked the masses. They are the 'crack cocaine' of the internet, and that is all many people are interested in doing.

That said, there is still plenty of interest in forums if they cover a specialist area. Pistonheads is a very busy car forum and its forum software is literally something from the nineties. Gallifrey Base is the world's biggest Dotor Who forum and it is still going strong.

My forum has been going 14 years this year. Nobody new ever joins. I don't promote it though....it is active so if I did promote it we might get some traction. But even 14 years ago when I started out, there would be people who would never post, except to grumble occasionally that all the posts were boring! The response to that is 'we are not here to provide free entertainment - if you don't like the posts that are already here, post something you DO like, and see if anyone responds'. At which point the flounce off in a huff.

Short version - it's never been easy, but now it's even harder than ever.

[GTB]

Can you not quote sections of text with vB5. I'm so used to doing it I went to try and do here then with a part of your message

[Mark.B]

Can you not quote sections of text with vB5. I'm so used to doing it I went to try and do here then with a part of your message

No.

There is a mod that does it but you can't put mods on Cloud.

[GTB]

Maybe the Cloud service should make some available for using.

[Mark.B]

Maybe the Cloud service should make some available for using.

Pretty much impossible the way things stand. Would require substantial coding to facilitate it, not to mention the legalities surrounding the mod authors.