This forum is dead

[deustroop]

Phones. Is that one reason why the boards are dead ? The transition from gamers with monitors to commuters with screenes leaves boards behind ?

 

[rh71]

When I'm in bed or otherwise away from my desk, I enjoy browsing Reddit on my phone through the app because it's easier to browse and post replies. I basically never come here when on my phone. I'm home all day in front of a desktop for work and the only reason I come to ATOT also, but otherwise would hardly be on. Lack of new posts in comparison doesn't help either.

 

[Midwayman]

I think single topic forums in general are on their way out. I know it much easier to get my fix on reddit for just about any subject than deal with making the rounds. There are probably BBS aggregation websites out there, but I guess I can't be bothered. Honestly I'm still here because I can't get in nearly as much trouble at work. If I got on reddit I could lose hours when I went to take a break anandtech is as big of a rabbithole.

 

[Rifter]

These forums have declined. The fact that I can't explain as to a reason why, just proves that point. I rarely come here anymore, only when I'm very bored and have nothing else left.

Still browse for technical stuff, but much less personal things anymore.

same, and the fact that its unusable on mobile and they literally dont care enough to do anything about it tells me all i need to know, when the admins dont even care its time to leave IMO.

The forum admins don't have any say in the mobile usability of the forums. That's up to the owners. All your concerns have been taken to them. One would think that, with the prevalence of mobile users, mobile usability would be way up there on their list of things to make right. One would think.

admin allisolm

 

[highland145]

Been using the "free adblocker browser" (google play) on the LG. Has been fine. Might collecting all of my ATOTDC posts but whatever.

 

[Ajay]

Been using the "free adblocker browser" (google play) on the LG. Has been fine. Might collecting all of my ATOTDC posts but whatever.

They are tracking you everytime you've had seXors with other members moms

 

[highland145]

They are tracking you everytime you've had seXors with other members moms

Crashed their server then. No wonder it's working fine for me.

 

[Ketchup]

These forums work fine for me, but here are my reasons for infrequent visitits:

1. When I started here, I was in college, then living on my own in an apartment. I had more time. Now married with kids - not so much.
2. The forum layout has changed, but not necessarily with the times. Some subforums with titles that changed were frequently visited and now are pretty much dead (possibly due to the change).
3. Many folks I am used to seeing are gone. Not a huge deal as I am mainly on the tech side anyway, but still goes to the mentality that the forums are "dying."
4. The most active subforums are also the ones that have the least restrictions. That may seem like it is tip for the rest of the subforums, but having read through these, I have little interest in participating in conversation which consists more of name-calling and demoting in some way than the actual topic.

 

[BudAshes]

My rotting corpse just keeps posting on autopilot until the the servers go dark.

 

[BUTCH1]

Well, no, it's not quite as exciting as the old days, but this is home and this is where I stay, I'm not one to jump ship easily.

 

[deustroop]

I understand that in the great scheme of things, there is a passing on and then a momentous renewal . Here there is mostly the passing on phase and little renewal. While the members from 2010 may be gone to better worlds ( Ketchup excepted) few have come to replace them. Where before an SLI hookup had all of us watering at the thought of the next game, today most newbies have there noses stuck into their phones and have no idea what SLI is or was and no interest. Phones are their computers which have no upgrade paths and few technical issues. The sole forums with noticeable activity here appear to be the cpu/oc group and this one.

What I don't get though is why there is activity on Tom's board for Windows issues but very little interest in posting these issues here. How does Tom get all the action ? Are the Mods missing something ?

 

[Mai72]

I downloaded Samsung's web browser on my LG so I could use an ad blocker to view this site. Mobile chrome has no such thing.

You're right, it gets hijacked 80% of the time on a browser with no ad blocker.

Yea, but you're an elite user. Can you please talk to the big wigs?

 

[Amused]

Yea, but you're an elite user. Can you please talk to the big wigs?

My eliteness is from years ago. I'm an old elite who is out of touch with any wigs, much less the big ones.

 

[VirtualLarry]

What I don't get though is why there is activity on Tom's board for Windows issues but very little interest in posting these issues here. How does Tom get all the action ? Are the Mods missing something ?

Newbs like Tom's better? I dunno. Maybe I scared off the Newbs. Sorry, people.

 

[destrekor]

I understand that in the great scheme of things, there is a passing on and then a momentous renewal . Here there is mostly the passing on phase and little renewal. While the members from 2010 may be gone to better worlds ( Ketchup excepted) few have come to replace them. Where before an SLI hookup had all of us watering at the thought of the next game, today most newbies have there noses stuck into their phones and have no idea what SLI is or was and no interest. Phones are their computers which have no upgrade paths and few technical issues. The sole forums with noticeable activity here appear to be the cpu/oc group and this one.

What I don't get though is why there is activity on Tom's board for Windows issues but very little interest in posting these issues here. How does Tom get all the action ? Are the Mods missing something ?

I dunno - frankly this forum never catered toward the mobile-first users. It was always about PC technology, and I don't fault them for it. And I don't care to see them change that either. There's all kinds of other social media platforms for those who want to do whatever it is they are wont to do, but here, aside from the general OT, politics, and car talk, and hell even then, most users here have always been involved in the computer side of things - while P&N likely drew few users specifically, many came here for the PC shop talk and discovered a familiar place to discuss other assorted topics.

Remember what the main site is: anandtech.com. It's still a detail-heavy technology-focused website. It'd be too alienating to see anandtech suddenly try to follow the Reddits of the world, with sub-forums for every possible topic ever. That's a no-win situation and market suicide if they ever take that path.

I think the only way AT forums ever change successfully is if they take on a more generalized population at anandtech.com. For me, I'd say the most apt comparison would be arstechnica.com. That's a site I frequent more for actual reading on the main page, because they cover a wealth of topics and generally do quite well by all of them. They rarely [if ever] dive into the deep waters of Anandtech's chip reviews and breakdowns, but they otherwise cover a wide breadth of technology, science, cars, and politics where it fits the other topics. If anandtech went that direction, I'd think the forums would be livelier. Unfortunately, sad as it may be, the dedicated x86 PC isn't that big of deal for many of the new-age kiddos. Form factors and usage patterns are changing. I know as long as anandtech.com is around I'll have a place to read up on the architectural details of just about any technology, but I do worry that's pandering to too specific of a niche - so long as the forums are tied to anandtech.com, these forums should generally focus on what the main site covers... obviously that means branching out to keep readers/forum members engaged, but as a tech site with a forum there's only so far one can go before it becomes a brutal challenge attracting the readership.

 

[clamum]

For the mobile users, I use Tapatalk on my phone and find that to be fine. I gots no problems with it and it works well, IMO.

 

[destrekor]

For the mobile users, I use Tapatalk on my phone and find that to be fine. I gots no problems with it and it works well, IMO.

Yeah I've used that for a long time. I don't want to mess with mobile browser forum pages if there are functional apps instead. Granted many apps these days are glorified webpages anymore considering the same UX elements have migrated to the web; but the good apps, like Tapatalk, are purpose-built code and just not a mobile HTML5 webpage bundled into an app.

 

[Captante]

My eliteness is from years ago. I'm an old elite who is out of touch with any wigs, much less the big ones.

Hey at least you admit it!

 

[Staples]

I just loaded up the forum for the first time in a week (I am part of the problem) and see that @RossMAN posted (7/28). I had not seen a post from him in months and considered the forum officially dead. Maybe it still has some life in it yet.

I can't be the only one.
Reddit and Twitter allows adult material and this forum doesn't.

 

[Ajay]

Reddit and Twitter allows adult material and this forum doesn't.

"Adult" language is allowed in OT, P&N relationships and what not, just not in the technical forums. I don’t think it really matters vis-a-vis participation if one says my cpu is dead vs my fucking cpu is dead.

 

[Staples]

"Adult" language is allowed in OT, P&N relationships and what not, just not in the technical forums. I don’t think it really matters vis-a-vis participation if one says my cpu is dead vs my fucking cpu is dead.

Adult language wasn't where I was aiming with my statement but still good to know for people who speak like a pirate.

 

[RossMAN]

I just loaded up the forum for the first time in a week (I am part of the problem) and see that @RossMAN posted (7/28). I had not seen a post from him in months and considered the forum officially dead. Maybe it still has some life in it yet.

I can't be the only one.
Reddit and Twitter allows adult material and this forum doesn't.

Even an attention whore (myself) cannot bring this place back to life, it's dead, been dead and will continue to wither away.

You know what this means, TFP, Mosh, CasioTech and Alky are all needed. Maybe we'll get a buy 4 get 2 free (MacBaine and Pliablemoose come to mind). What say you Mods?

 

[KK]

Even an attention whore (myself) cannot bring this place back to life, it's dead, been dead and will continue to wither away.

You know what this means, TFP, Mosh, CasioTech and Alky are all needed. Maybe we'll get a buy 4 get 2 free (MacBaine and Pliablemoose come to mind). What say you Mods?

Free Alky

 

[Ajay]

We’ve also lost a lot of good posters from the technical forums. Too many to name, but Idontcare is an obvious loss (not banned, just moved on).

 

[Thebobo]

It's slowed down but not dead by any means. I admit I don't visit the tech side as often as I did in the past. but if I am to build a new PC or if I have a problem I usually find out what I need here. And I can't stand Reddits interface so I am here for life, or until we merge with Toms.