Perhaps this is beyond the scope of mods, what's the future for this forum?

[Zeze]

I've been here for many years and I really don't want this to die further into a graveyard. That would actually impact my life a bit. I have gotten so many good advices here and also hang with few ATOTers IRL. (Wow, I just realized my long time good friend from AT has been so long ago, it feels like I just know him from work or something. We've been to trips, kids & wives met, etc.)

Sites like reddit - they steer their company to target for growth.

Anandtech as a site seems to be doing well, but I just don't see anyone clicking 'Forums', join, and actively post anymore.

Growth always come from younger generations. And these kids just don't use vB boards. I'm surprised if anyone actually visits real sites like this. Doesn't reddit just bring you content on their site?

I don't know... maybe this thread is semi-serious.

Do nothing, and inevitably this forum will die. People will either stop using or literally die. If there's growth, then the only other direction is getting smaller.

So, are there any plans to continue maintaining, and at best, revitalize this forum? Perhaps

Or, mods have no info on this right? This is way above their 'pay grade'?

 

[Ns1]

all I'm asking for is the ability to embed social media ffs.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I find it odd that forums in general are dying, while Reddit and other social media has it's place I just don't see it as a viable alternative. With those types of platform it's "topic du jour" and then it's practically gone forever. Like it's sorta archived but it's not the same. You can't have an ongoing discussion going for more than a few days before it's forgotten/irrelevant and no real easy way to bump or keep a topic going. Well maybe FB, because you get a notice if someone comments. But Reddit not so much.

Oddly enough I ran a small tech forum, but I had to shut it down as it was just super outdated and I wanted to redo it all and migrate to a new platform. I got busy and next thing you know it's like 3-4 years later... I still want to finish it, but as I work on it I can't help but wonder if it's a lost effort. All the old timers probably won't be back and it will be hard to get new people too. But at least I'll feel good knowing I actually did finish it. It is actually my new year resolution this year to finally finish that project. It's essentially going to have a custom account system, and the new forum will be 4 of my forums merged into one.

But yeah it's kind of sad to see even big forums like this one are mostly dying it seems. Way less activity.

 

[Carson Dyle]

When the residual ad revenue falls below $x per month, pull the plug, pretend it never existed.

 

[Exterous]

Probably die a slow painful death with fewer and fewer people posting. Might help to combine some of the sub forums like Home and Garden and what not. At least other sections still seem to be busy

 

[mrblotto]

That's what is happening now on my TLB boards......sad really. Used to be a hoppin place....now...pretty much a ghost-town

 

[FeuerFrei]

Seemed active today.
Did the forums go down for maintenance yet??

 

[Carson Dyle]

Seemed active today.
Did the forums go down for maintenance yet??

Yes, but I think they timed it to coincide with the Olympics' mixed doubles curling quarterfinals, so hardly anyone noticed.

 

[paperfist]

You could always start recruiting people from other sites to here

 

[Ns1]

You could always start recruiting people from other sites to here

Yes. Our modern forum software has a lot to offer. 25 posts at a time.

 

[Skunk-Works]

OP, have you ventured outside of ATOT at all? The chief marketing of this site is its tech stories and relevant content on mostly desktop components at the front page. With that brings people in from the main page to the hardware subforums. I see everyday topics in the CPU and video card subforums with issues I have no idea what they are taking about. And I'm no computer dummy. I can build and fix desktops and laptops apart. Some of these topics are waaay over my head in terms of the technical details on GPU efficiency and all that crap. I don't really give a damn about all that. I just know my new GTX 1050TI has more CUDA cores and memory than my GTX560TI and that's all I care about.

 

[Skunk-Works]

But referring to forums. I run a fetish forum and I've netted at least 90 users in 2 years thus far. Goes to show you sex really does sell. LMAO! No, I won't share the link, so don't ask. Not even in a PM.

 

[paperfist]

Yes. Our modern forum software has a lot to offer. 25 posts at a time.

Actually zenforo is one of the most modern forum software out there. Not everyone likes reddit.

This site is primarily a tech site so it's not exactly going to pull in a ton of new people like other sites would.

 

[RossMAN]

Do nothing, and inevitably this forum will die. People will either stop using or literally die. If there's growth, then the only other direction is getting smaller.

So, are there any plans to continue maintaining, and at best, revitalize this forum? Perhaps

I come here several times a week out of habit and sheer laziness, the other forums I frequent are hot deals/travel/credit related which I'm more active in.

Regarding this forum, hopefully the owners (Purch) plan to keep the website and forums as is. As long as the hosting, forum software and moderation are taken care of this forum will be around for a while. But you're right it's slowly dying. One of these days there will be less than a dozen active members left and maybe @ElFenix will finally hit 100,000 posts.

Assuming the forums aren't costing an arm and a leg, I don't see any reason for them pulling the plug. AFAIK the dozen or so ATOT offshoot forums are all dead except for www.neffers.com and that other forum that shall not be named.

Forums die it's a part of life.
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/fatwallet-is-shutting-down-monday-oct-9th.2519636/

 

[WelshBloke]

I think that having more of a link between the website and the forums might help.
Instead of the comments on articles link to a forum thread and have the authors active on the forums.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Assuming the forums aren't costing an arm and a leg, I don't see any reason for them pulling the plug.

It's certainly not costing them much to host the forums. A Purch account guy putting in 10 minutes a week, and maybe a developer doing 20 minutes every other month.

But eventually someone in the company is going ask "What's this $27.63 ad payment for March for something called forums.anandtech.com? Is that for real? We have online assets grossing less than thirty bucks a month?"

 

[ElFenix]

I come here several times a week out of habit and sheer laziness, the other forums I frequent are hot deals/travel/credit related which I'm more active in.

Regarding this forum, hopefully the owners (Purch) plan to keep the website and forums as is. As long as the hosting, forum software and moderation are taken care of this forum will be around for a while. But you're right it's slowly dying. One of these days there will be less than a dozen active members left and maybe @ElFenix will finally hit 100,000 posts.

Assuming the forums aren't costing an arm and a leg, I don't see any reason for them pulling the plug. AFAIK the dozen or so ATOT offshoot forums are all dead except for www.neffers.com and that other forum that shall not be named.

Forums die it's a part of life.
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/fatwallet-is-shutting-down-m
onday-oct-9th.2519636/

:laugh:

 

[RossMAN]

:laugh:

*Cry*

 

[BurnItDwn]

For us, the future is "beyond 2000" TV show or "In the year 2000" conan sketches from the late 90s.

 

[Zeze]

Ugh this really bums me out that everyone, including mods, are basically just conceding.

I guess this forum is on borrowed time.

 

[Smoblikat]

Im still here, whatever thats worth :/

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Alky was the single biggest loss for this forum IMO. It has gone downhill ever since.

 

[momeNt]

Do you have anxiety or something? This sort of fevered nostalgia is somewhat alarming.

 

[Thebobo]

Actually zenforo is one of the most modern forum software out there.


Not everyone likes reddit.

Put me on that list. I can't handle Reddits layout. Maybe just the way my brain has been wired.

 

[Thebobo]

I am really curious when Purch will Merge Toms and Anandtech. I really do I see this happening sooner than we think. My inner bobo tells me so. Anyway I use to be on Toms years ago not sure why I landed at Anandtech. I guess all the cool people were over here.