What's new

Welcome to Offtopix 👋, Visitor

Off Topix is a well-established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public in 2009! We provide a laid-back atmosphere, and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content, and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register and become a member of our awesome community.

Join Our Facebook Page Today!

Join the conversation and help spread the word about offtopix on Facebook! Your voice matters—let’s make an impact together!

Join Our X.com Page Today!

Join the conversation and become a champion for Offtopix on X.com! Your voice is powerful, and together, we can create meaningful change!

Join offtopix Discord Server Today!

Join the conversation and become a champion for Offtopix on Discord! Your voice holds incredible power, and together, we can create impactful change!

Will forums ever recover from the social media takeover?

I think it's because the disorganised scroll down apps cater to those with short attention spans etc they don't worry about things that ensure transparency and honesty they just want to shout out whatever they want and see quick reactions from others then quickly move on to the next thing...whereas forums are for those who like to have longer lasting discussions/interactions...I'd compare it to TV vs Books...we forums are like books competing against TV...hard to complete but we will outlast them in the time tested quality department✊
I have to agree with you! It's one of the reasons I don't frequent Social Media. You are just a number there.
 
What's known as a forum now probably won't get critical mass again. Something that captures widespread attention the way discord and reddit did for their niches (and in many cases already consuming forums themselves), an update of the format I can't begin to describe (else, I would be wealthy and better known :p) will be the format that dethrones today's social media. It will include the lessons learned and evidence of evolution both from forums and social media but I am sure it will look different.
 
They would never recover. The golden age of forums has ended.
 
It’s clear that we all share a love for the community and depth that forums provide, which is something that can’t be replicated on social media platforms.

I’m all for keeping the spirit of forums alive! They offer a unique space for organized, in-depth conversations that really allow us to dive into topics and share knowledge in a way that’s meaningful and lasting. Plus, the sense of community is unbeatable.
 
I know in the minority
But forums will never have the power it once did long ago before social media
I mean it has its place but that place is niche and will always be a niche
you can say "Oh forums will one day come back" not when the majority of forum software markers are greedy and .com domains become more expensive
traditional forum's longevity is determined by its community activity and members
I have seen it far too often when forums collapse because of either a good idea but poor execution or staff that are corrupt and only care about their power over the user or use it as a platform to bully or harass others or sometimes they don't care
tl;dr summary:
But forums will never have the power it once did long ago before social media
I mean it has its place but that place is niche and will always be a niche
 
There's plenty of forums out there that are thriving even with the age of social media. It just depends on what the forums are centered around.
 
No, they won't. As Dead said, there are some out there which have been fortunate enough to survive, but new forums don't stand a chance. and the reality is, those big ones that are still alive will most likely die eventually. I can't believe I'm saying this, but even people in their 20s probably have no idea what a forum is simply because they have been phased out so much. I was a kid when forums were new and people didn't know what they were. It feels weird being alive for the birth and death of forums, ngl.

but going back to what I was saying, the kids nowadays want INSTANT communication and gratification. Forums were never meant for that, which imo is what made them great.
 
It's no lie and very much noticeable that since social media started becoming more popular, forums started to take a hit.

As much as forums have been kept going by those who love to use forums and also those who love to run forums, we are definitely seeing less growth compared to say 10 years ago now due to social media.

Do you feel forums will ever recover from the social media takeover?
Unfortunately I don't think forums will ever recover, though that doesn't mean that they cannot be successful :)
 

Create an account or login to post a reply

You must be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Create an account here on Off Topix. It's quick & easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Welcome to Offtopix 👋, Visitor

Off Topix is a well-established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public in 2009! We provide a laid-back atmosphere, and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content, and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register and become a member of our awesome community.

Theme customization system

You can customize some areas of the forum theme from this menu.

  • Theme customizations unavailable!

    Theme customization fields are not available to you, please contact the administrator for more information.

  • Choose the color combination that reflects your taste
    Background images
    Color gradient backgrounds
Back