2013-10-22, 03:36 AM
Anyone else remember this? I remember it being a big controversy that social networks would eventually wipe out forums. Doesn't seem to be happening yet. MyBB's popularity looks like it's doing well.
![[Image: attachment.php?aid=30363]](https://camo.mybb.com/9196403bb8b606940cef6d93794c9fbb9f3728fa/687474703a2f2f636f6d6d756e6974792e6d7962622e636f6d2f6174746163686d656e742e7068703f6169643d3330333633)
2013-10-22, 05:45 AM
While I don't think social networks will kill forums the graph is on a decline.
2013-10-22, 08:34 AM
(2013-10-22, 05:45 AM)Alex Smith Wrote: [ -> ]While I don't think social networks will kill forums the graph is on a decline.
+1 - Made me smile a little
.Definatly don't think social networks will kill forums. But it's an interesting thought
.2013-10-22, 04:00 PM
It may be on a decline right now but I would be willing to bet it will bump back up once 1.8 is released.
2013-10-22, 05:25 PM
I don’t participate in social networks. I don’t follow anyone, nor will I ever. “Likes” don’t impress me. Having said that though I know many people are easily distracted by “bright shinies” and social media IMO is bound to distract from thoughtful discussions like those found on forums.
2013-10-22, 05:33 PM
Search query for MyBB doesn't indicate anything about the overall popularity of forums. And, what's worth noting: social networks have engaged a massive portion of people that forums never reached.
I don't think that social networks are killing forums, but they've caused forums to become significantly more specialized.
I don't think that social networks are killing forums, but they've caused forums to become significantly more specialized.
2013-10-22, 05:45 PM
(2013-10-22, 05:33 PM)brad-t Wrote: [ -> ]And, what's worth noting: social networks have engaged a massive portion of people that forums never reached.
Ah yes, the "unwashed masses".
2013-10-22, 05:45 PM
Yes, well, it's a good or a bad thing depending on your perspective
2013-10-22, 06:25 PM
Forums are the perfect way to engage discussion on specialized topics, and provide general information to people.
2013-10-22, 07:07 PM
In my opinion this discussion boils down to understanding how a forum is really different to a social network or a blog and how that makes a forum a unique medium.
Forums are primarily different to blogs primarily because of their network topologies. In a blog, one user, or a predefined small set of users produces content that is consumed by a wider audience. The wider audience can interact with the content in the form of comments but generally has no real content producing power. In a forum, any user can produce content and consume content (given some exceptions) resulting in a completely different communication network topology.
A more interesting question that should be asked is how is a forum different from a social network or say a Facebook Group.
Their communication network topologies are virtually the same, any user can produce or consume content. Discussions are organized in a very similar threaded fashion.
In my opinion, what makes a forum special is its actual 'physical structure'. The persistent organization of content in topical buckets, a.k.a the boards and categories, that influences the way users interact with content.
Having content in those buckets allows users to retrieve and manage information in a very productive way.
In fact, try searching for something you've seen a while back on your newsfeed and you begin to realize that it is a frustrating experience. Social networks don't usually focus on the refind of aggregated information, and focus more on the ephemeral information that might matter to a user at a point in time.
Forums make refinding information much easier, and less recent information is more discoverable and persistent than in social networks.
Forums also generally feature a search box functionality used for information retrieval and archival search. Social networks tend not to. In fact, given this point, I really think MYBB should focus their efforts more fully on providing an amazing search experience as a way of further differentiating their offering from blogs and social networks and solidifying their presence in the modern web.
Blogs generally have shitty search, and social networks don't care about letting users refind or search through archival data. MYBB's search is not golden, but improving it could be what could very well change the slope of the graph above.
Forums are primarily different to blogs primarily because of their network topologies. In a blog, one user, or a predefined small set of users produces content that is consumed by a wider audience. The wider audience can interact with the content in the form of comments but generally has no real content producing power. In a forum, any user can produce content and consume content (given some exceptions) resulting in a completely different communication network topology.
A more interesting question that should be asked is how is a forum different from a social network or say a Facebook Group.
Their communication network topologies are virtually the same, any user can produce or consume content. Discussions are organized in a very similar threaded fashion.
In my opinion, what makes a forum special is its actual 'physical structure'. The persistent organization of content in topical buckets, a.k.a the boards and categories, that influences the way users interact with content.
Having content in those buckets allows users to retrieve and manage information in a very productive way.
In fact, try searching for something you've seen a while back on your newsfeed and you begin to realize that it is a frustrating experience. Social networks don't usually focus on the refind of aggregated information, and focus more on the ephemeral information that might matter to a user at a point in time.
Forums make refinding information much easier, and less recent information is more discoverable and persistent than in social networks.
Forums also generally feature a search box functionality used for information retrieval and archival search. Social networks tend not to. In fact, given this point, I really think MYBB should focus their efforts more fully on providing an amazing search experience as a way of further differentiating their offering from blogs and social networks and solidifying their presence in the modern web.
Blogs generally have shitty search, and social networks don't care about letting users refind or search through archival data. MYBB's search is not golden, but improving it could be what could very well change the slope of the graph above.