Why are forums less popular amongst the 20 somethings of today?



PTR said:
I would have said "facebook", as I know a couple of forums where the facebook page has basically taken over.

Facebook is mile better for a quick answer, but its terrible for a proper conversation, and you can't search or go back in history very easily at all.

But then, we're being told that kids don't use facebook now..........

Is there another thing? pinterest, reddit, maybe its insta, cos if no, I've f***ing no idea what the point of that thing is!
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facebook has taken a huge amount of traffic from forums with facebook groups. They have also cornered much of the advertising revenue which stifles the development of forum based sites.

Also forums have really been designed for desktop devices and many people are accessing many things via Apps on their phones (facebook, Instagram, youtube etc) and never go near a web browser.

Most forums are for niche areas and we simply don't have the resources or money to develop and support dedicated apps, and Apple reject Apps which are a "repackaged website" so just putting a wrapper around a forum is forbidden.
 
Some Random Guy said:
This place has been around a long time.

Reddit and other social media sites will be more likely to attract young'uns.

Sites like this tend to die on their arses after a while, it's surprising this one has bucked the trend and has such an active user base.
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It’s cause I’m class mate.:cool:
 
Roger said:
Also forums have really been designed for desktop devices and many people are accessing many things via Apps on their phones (facebook, Instagram, youtube etc) and never go near a web browser.
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This!

My two lads mainly use Facebook, Snapchat and Whatsapp through their phones rather that desktops.

My eldest registered on here briefly but he didn't like it.
 
I think it is that they don't like the format. There can be long answers, there can be short answers and there is a structure to it. It is not like a lot of social media where it is just short random comments and likes thrown in together, people can and do write essays on subjects. It is very textual rather than pictures and a news stream.

Oddly, it is the format and structure of this that I really like, and I visit a number of other technical forms too. Earlier today I was searching for something very specific and found exactly the information I wanted on another forum I frequent (though I did just use google and didn't specifically go to that forum). It was a question someone else asked 4 years ago and the full conversation was there to see.

I find facebook to be a long stream of random drivel. Even the one group I did join on that ends up interspersed with the general trivial updates from people I have not seen in decades. Facebook and twitter are things to keep up to date with throughout the day. If you don't then you are lost in a stream of posts. Where as on here you can ignore it all day and catch up at night. You might miss a few bits but the interesting/active conversations float to the top.
 
Keawyeds said:
I would welcome that.



That could well have been on there.
But it's still not as funny as the "Anal Sex / Center Parcs" thread
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Of course anal sex and centre parcs are famously interchangeable.

My missus isn't a fan of centre parcs / me and the family love anal sex, we try to fit it an a couple of times a year :p
 

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