Communiversity

Are internet forums dead?

There  seemed to be a time where everyone congregated on forums. WIth the  presence of Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Quora, etc. it seems like people  are no longer into forums. Does anyone still use forums for online  socialization, asking questions, discussion/hobbies anymore or have  internet forums been rendered redundant?

Sanjay Sabnani (http://www.quora.com/Sanjay-Sabnani),
Forums  are not dead, but they are suffering from an identity crisis right  now.  There was a time when forums were where all the activity happened  on the web.  If you wanted real time discussion, you found it on  forums.  If you wanted social interaction, you found it on forums.  If  you were seeking high quality user generated content, you found it on  forums.  Nowadays the proliferation of social media sites has caused a  competitive dynamic that has reduced overall time spent per session on  forums, but this dynamic has also created an opportunity for forums to  focus on their core strengths.

Forums are the best medium for  many to many discussion around a subject of mutual interest.  These were  initially niche interests, but the accessibility to these topics has  actually resulted in more people learning about these topics and that in  turn keeps driving unique users to forum based properties.  Forums are  where you go to learn about a topic in its entirety.  On a forum you can  ask and answer questions but you can also share content whether it is  something you have found, or something you have created.  Sites like  Quora allow you to ask and answer questions while sites like Reddit  allow you to share content, but forums give you a comprehensive ability  to do both in a way that is not limited by social or follower dynamics.

Another  compelling feature of forums is that real identities are the exception,  not the rule.  While having discussions with users named furryfan72 and  ninjasquid might be offputting at first, it forces you to focus on the  quality of their thoughts and ideas and not how popular they are in real  life.  I personally love this merit based attribute of forums and I  find it hard to reproduce this type of honest exchange of ideas on any  other medium.

If you added up all of the people who post on  forums and were somehow able to network them using common platforms,  sign on methodologies, and forum centric search- you would have one of  the most potent membership bases that has yet to be exploited fully on  the web.

Take the example of a person who is a passionate and  knowledgable scuba diver.  They might share a few scuba pictures on  Facebook or Pinterest, maybe they will tweet about a great dive.  If  they have a question, they could try posting it on Quora or Yahoo  Answers.  If they are very knowledgeable they could look for questions  on these same sites and help out by providing their expertise, but none  of these options allows you to immerse yourself in scuba.  This is where  forums come in- they are immersive and the experience is not replicated  by any of the major social media platforms that you read about in the  press.

Forums are wonderful.  They need some technology upgrades  and smart people to recognize their value so that they can continue to  flourish well into the future.

Are internet forums dead? - Quora (http://www.quora.com/Are-internet-forums-dead)

---------- Post added at 12:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 PM ----------

Are Forums Dead?http://www.pcmech.com/article/are-forums-dead/

by Rich Menga (http://www.pcmech.com/article/author/rich/) on Jun 4, 2008  | 5 Comments (http://www.pcmech.com/article/are-forums-dead/#disqus_thread)

 Every time a “new” method of communication comes about on the internet that has any functionality to do with threaded discussions (key phrase there), it is in essence a forum.
Twitter (http://twitter.com) does act like a forum at times. How? You can reply  to someone’s “tweet”. Other Twitter users can reply to your tweet. This  is technically a threaded discussion. Granted, it’s a very basic  thread, but it is a thread. In addition, you can “follow” other users in  that system to see who they responded to and add your own into the mix as well – and that’s some more threading right there.
Blog commentary acts very much  like a forum, especially ones (like PCMech) where you can reply to  specific comment authors. The article itself you can think of as the  forum topic, i.e. the “new thread discussion.” Any replies to that topic  continues that thread.
YouTube comments  also act very much like a forum. Just like blog commentary, you can  reply to specific authors. The video itself is the new thread  discussion/topic. And being the commentary is 100% text-based, yes, it’s  forum-style.
If you examine the way text discussion works with  any social medium, it’s the same stuff you’ve seen years before. The  only real difference is that you’re able to post in different ways (such  as from a mobile device) and it’s packaged differently. But the end  result is the same. The threads are the same.
Some things traditional forums have that social media doesn’t“Bumping” a thread
This  is where someone purposely writes a reply to a thread in order to have  it appear in the “most recent discussion”, usually listed at the top.  For example, someone may simply reply with “bump” or “bumped”.
There is no way to “bump” anything with blog commentary, YouTube comments and so on. This is a lack of functionality and not a perk.
Signatures
Some  people use little signatures when they send e-mails. You can do the  same when posting to a forum – if the admins have it enabled (it varies  from system to system).
With social media there usually isn’t any option for signatures. Your name more or less is your signature and that’s it.
Linking threads
Forums  for years have had the ability to link threads. You can literally  cross-connect a post from one forum to another completely different  forum within the same system.
Social media to the best of my knowledge has absolutely no  ability to do this whatsoever. You can’t link a comment to another  comment in another video/article and have the two connected seamlessly.
And yes there are more things forums do that social media doesn’t, but you get the idea.
You could easily say forums are better equipped for communication…and you’d be right. Whether it’s vBulletin (http://www.vbulletin.com/), phpBB (http://www.phpbb.com/), punBB (http://punbb.informer.com/), bbPress (http://bbpress.org/), YaBB (http://yabbforum.com/)  or what-have-you, all of these systems are much better suited for  community conversation than any blog or social media could be.
Where do traditional forums lack compared to social media?You can’t post a thread via a mobile device. (Some would ask “Why?” The answer is that it makes the forum more social.)
Forum  software by and large doesn’t connect with anything else. For example,  there is no easy way (not without a lot of code hacking anyway) to use a  phpBB system as the comment system in WordPress. Is it  possible? Sure, anything’s possible with enough programming effort put  forth. But is it simple or easy? Not at present.
Does this mean social media is better than traditional forums?As a communications medium, no. Forums will always be better in that department.
As  a social medium, yes. As good as forum software is, all forums more or  less act as “islands unto themselves”. If you’re on the island, you can  communicate. When off the island, you can’t. You can get notified (by means of e-mail and/or RSS) but you can’t participate unless you’re back on that island.
Are forums dead?No. Every time you see a threaded discussion it’s just a forum in a different package. Most people just think it’s new because of its social implications.
And it seems that as social media progresses they seem to be “borrowing” more and more ideas from traditional forum software.

---------- Post added at 12:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 PM ----------

Forums Are Dead ? Do Forums Still Help In Marketing Your Business ?                                                (https://www.abibitumikasa.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fe74416a88aa49f3233a155f9b6211f43%3Fs%3D32%26d%3D%26r%3DG&hash=71b6b3287b4a3c721dbe813214fdc4ee1ed20694)                                                          Ven Tesh
  on   August-26-2011  in   Business Tips (http://www.blasho.com/category/business-tips/), Social (http://www.blasho.com/category/social-media-and-business/)                                                                                              2 (http://www.blasho.com/forums-are-dead-do-forums-still-help-in-marketing-your-business/#comments)                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       It’s social media era and tools like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus are hot in the market. And “getting networked” is one of the most important factor towards marketing your business online.
 In fact, having a huge network around your business shows the real strength.
 As of today more than 600 million people are using Facebook which is  one of the largest social network and almost you could find any one  inside Facebook. Interestingly, people are classified/categorized there  and you could utilize it as a best marketing tool than anything – by  means of demographic targeting.
 
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 In this article, i will discuss this topic shortly and in the end, i  want to conclude the effectiveness of forums in today’s business trend.
 Right Forum – Targeted Visitors. Being part of right forum (related to your business) still adds value  to your business, not only today and also, for the long term.
 Forums are completely different from a social network site.
 Because, forums are market specific or niche defined and  hence you could find 100% targeted people. Plus, you could find the real  expertise there because forums are active with hot discussions  happening related to the market or topic.
 Hence it benefits your business a lot from driving targeted visitors and in getting touch with like minded EXPERTS.
 More important, you could solve your own problems on a forum as well  you could give your solution – in order to prove that you are an expert  in the industry.
 This makes sense and i would say, participating in forums related to your business definitely has the “value add”.
 Big Boards is a directory of great forums in the Internet which helps you to quickly search/find related forums, have a look.
 For What You Are Using Forums ? The Purpose. Being  part of a forum is great and when you participate without any purpose –  its useless. Forums are beneficial to you own business ONLY when you  participate with a purpose or goal. It is not just you get into a forum  and add your reply to all of the threads. That’s not a better strategy,  instead define the purpose.

 Fix your goals and decide, why you want to participate in a forum ?  For example, to sell a product or find new customers to your business  etc.
 This way, you could better utilize forums by participating on  relevant topics which benefits your business. Simply, define the purpose  of participation and get involved in relevant conversion ONLY….
 If you are able to meet your purpose then definitely, Forums are Not Dead !
 Facebook’s Recent Partnership With StackOverFlow – An Example. The recent partnership between Facebook and Stackoverflow forum (http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2011/08/facebook-stackoverflow/)  is a great example of utilizing forums. As a social network site,  Facebook partners with SO to facilitate their developers with a  developer forum. Facebook were not able to fully support the developers  with their social interface and hence this move benefits them a lot.
 Because SO has the support/design for developer community in mind and  there are millions of developers already using it, it is a developer  platform. This is one of the best strategy taken by Facebook towards  enhancing their developer network.
 This is a good example which shows that “Forums are not dead”, it  really benefits a community of people or business who are serious.
 The official site (http://facebook.stackoverflow.com/) says:
 Facebook and Stack Exchange are now working together to support the Facebook developer community.
 This collaboratively edited question and answer site is where  Facebook engineers participate along with the best Facebook developers  in the world. If you have a technical question about Facebook, this is  the best place to ask – and you can also log in using Facebook.
The Conclusion… Forums are one of the best marketing tool for your online business and they still adds value to your marketing effort.
 Though social network tools are more or less similar to forums – it lacks the bonding of an expert community.
 I would say, social tools are more personal tool and forums are more  of specific tool which has the real benefits to every business marketer.
 Finally, it all depends on how well you are utilizing the forums  effectively for the benefit of your business – one of my article on forum marketing tips (http://www.blasho.com/2009/09/14/forum-marketing-tips-for-marketing-your-online-business-free/) may help you further. Also, check this forum marketing mistakes (http://onlinebusiness.about.com/od/gettingtrafficmarketing/tp/Common-Forum-Marketing-Mistakes.htm) neatly published by about.com long back.
 Do you still use forums to promote your business ?

I still submit and read forums for my job in the information technology field, since there are many answers on there for problems that arise as it relates to the field.

I use them for the same purposes regarding IT. aK forums were initially an outgrowth of the language class offerings but they grew into a thing of their own to tech support for ReKmtywization and dewhitenization. IT in a sense as well.

I think forums are still alive. But we as a people find a way to always think white ice is colder than Black ice. For example, I have online book store, but most "conscious" will still buy from a white online business to save a dollar or two. Not understanding that if I had their client base (which needs to grow) we can then compete with those prices. Also, we as conscious Kmtyws not only spend with other Kmtyws but all use the money for Nation building for example, our Liberation School programs. We don't want to beg for money like the church, so we develop businesses and most won't support our movements or businesses. It's one thing if you are a Black lost soul (we know they don't understand Powernomics), I'm talking about hard core "nationalist". A true story... a bro, actually told me he is going to buy from amazon cuz its $3 cheaper. I'm not just saying this because we have a business, but figured I would give a real time, real life example for people to feel.As many "conscious" people out there on white websites, AbibitumiKasa should be flooded...Ok Black to the forum topic....Also, just like Hip Hop, online forums have been invaded by a whole bunch of nonsense and degenerate behavior. The asili of babylon always manifests itself. Amani badaa ya Uhuru.

QuoteKweli Mayasa;61431 wrote: I think forums are still alive. But we as a people find a way to always think white ice is colder than Black ice. For example, I have online book store, but most "conscious" will still buy from a white online business to save a dollar or two. Not understanding that if I had their client base (which needs to grow) we can then compete with those prices. Also, we as conscious Kmtyws not only spend with other Kmtyws but all use the money for Nation building for example, our Liberation School programs. We don't want to beg for money like the church, so we develop businesses and most won't support our movements or businesses. It's one thing if you are a Black lost soul (we know they don't understand Powernomics), I'm talking about hard core "nationalist". A true story... a bro, actually told me he is going to buy from amazon cuz its $3 cheaper. I'm not just saying this because we have a business, but figured I would give a real time, real life example for people to feel.As many "conscious" people out there on white websites, AbibitumiKasa should be flooded...Ok Black to the forum topic....Also, just like Hip Hop, online forums have been invaded by a whole bunch of nonsense and degenerate behavior. The asili of babylon always manifests itself. Amani badaa ya Uhuru.

For most there's an idea of "I do Kmtyw things offline, but when I'm online it's not real anyway so if I'm only dealing with krakkka sites it doesn't really count." This is what I like to call being a "virtual house knee-grow". The realities that you speak of online as a people reflect the exact same situation that we face as a people offline. Consistency is not a switch to be turned on and turned off at one's leisure. As Kmtyws who are interested in reKmtywization, there should be a daily, hourly, "minutely" and "secondly" process of self-evaluation in terms of being consistent with supporting Kmtyws and consistent Kmtyw endeavors. While the weeding out process of seeing who is even interested in being serious on this level is good, it is toxic to those Kmtyws who have stepped out to be independent and offer goods and services relying on those who are supposed to know/do better. There is a difference between hearing an Amos Wilson lecture or Claude Anderson lecture and agreeing "theoretically" with what's being said vs. actually making one's activity online and offline be consistent with that agreement.

If some of these Kmtyw countries didn't want so much cash for an investor permit I would have had time to post more often here, :D been learning a new trade ova the past year and it's taken up a lot of my time and energy.

I definitely appreciate this resourceful site and other pan-Kmtyw online outlets, like I tell any AFRAKAN that may find themselves passing through a krakka site cause as much deceit and fraudulence as they do on our forums!

"To take part in the Kmtyw revolution it is not enough to write a  revolutionary song; you must fashion the revolution with the people" S.Toure

I've only been involved with two internet forums ( that is the correct name?) and they both have provided me with a wealth of info and cultural knowledge. Forums have opened me up to people from around the world with different perspectives and i have learned alot. I have only been involved with Kmtyw centered forums. I believe forums can be another tool in our arsenal for liberation,. @ Kweli Mayasa please share your website.

Black Power Ghosts/Marketing Gimmicks – Where’ The Real, Wholesome and True?
   
  On the surface it would appear that social media is the best thing since Ma Bell Communications.  However, when you consider the fact that our current social environments are created, governed, policed, sabotaged, funded, hacked, monitored and promoted by Home Land Security, FBI, CIA ICU (I see you), and other unnamable go-tell-pro-type snitches, there is minimal value left within online forums.  I’ve been a member of AK, FTP, for over 3 years and have yet to make any true and meaningful connections with new Kmtyws. I don’t even get to connect with Kmtyws that I know in real life.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my Afro(centric websites):flirt:, but we all know and live with the fact that these servers, programs, clouds, in-boxes, web pages, fiber optic lines and threads all belong to enemies of our State. We know that anything put forth online can and will be used against you - we self censor ourselves accordingly.  We know that only a limited few of us can comfortable share and post such jewels of information/music like “crakka indu trunk”:blacklove: for fear of retaliation and/or further economic black listing; we know that these days Willie Lynch wears mud clothe, speaks Kiswahili and celebrates Kwanza (he recently said - good job on the unity front!); we know that our women and children are constantly targeted and in grave danger.  (as a single, unprotected Kmtyw-labeled “black” woman-my ENTIRE tribe has been robbed of Kmtyw men.  They have all been killed, locked up, castrated, and/or otherwise neutralized).  We know this is a common experience.

I imagine different financial/social groups, have “different” experiences.  Still, I find it very sad that we have managed as Pan-Kmtyws to create the very same class system that we so feverously protest against.  Sure we rehash 60’s 70’s and semi-ancient knowledge amongst ourselves in the hopes of reaching 2 or 3 people; we create statistical references to the many murders, multi-dimensional rapes, child molestations and other injustices heaped upon us across the world and throughout history, but the bottom line is that the #s that constitute the masses is getting bigger and the figures that represent the Kmtyws# 131313, sistahsumday86 and their tight-knit elite family is becoming proportionally smaller.  

              As Pan-Kmtyws we SAY we are about unity and upliftment, yet it comes through quite loud and clear to the have-nots, that unless you bring white-man-money to the table and/or a lead to his fake money, there is no significant place for you within online networking forums.  We claim that we desire independence, yet online Kmtyw support systems, manufacturer/commerce leads, human rights advocacy, economic empowerment systems, legal defense systems, women and children protection systems are all black-power-ghosts and marketing gimmicks, best used during the months of December and February.  :soldierg:

CLOSE YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT - FBI STATEMENT - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWFZUyN_e_M)

Uhuru family.. Nisamehe (excuse me) on the late reply. The website is Shyaam Empire (http://www.strongreads.com) or Shyaam Empire (http://www.shyaamempire.com), it's still under construction and the full inventory is not yet uploaded. However, There are plenty of books available for purchase. Nashukuru ( I appreciate you) inquiring. Asante Sana.

My believe forums or not dead Kmtyw people should be supporting black websites. and they are the ones who keeps forums  alive so we need our people to support our websites and not  Facebook and Twitter all the time.

I started with Delphi forums circa 2000 and still perfer forums.

I had a Facebook page and still have Twitter, but do not use it.  I HATED facebook.  It was way too overwhelming getting minute by minute updates on 500 people. Also when I would post something like the status of the job market or something, no one would say anything. But then one day I mentioned that I was eating oatmeal for breakfast and got a ton of responses.  I left shortly thereafter.

Hey Family,

I am not sure & think maybe because they depend on The People gathering to keep them abreast. Our culture has shifted (can't used the word advanced) toward instant gratification, which is what all these social networking websites provide, namely Facebook and Twitter. It's a constant practice in narcissism too. Forums are COMMUNITY.  So many have lost their way from building like that.

All is not lost, for those of us who seek & desire to hold up our communing on higher frequencies, in truer vibrations, with honest energy. Let's Work! :Kmt:

@ Sister Kim , You make some valid and good points. I believe it starts with me and I will find whatever it is i seek. I have found my language or at least one of them anyway :D I have found other Kmtyws to do business with, Kmtyws have willingly shared knowledge with me sight unseen. For me forums are not the revolution but can be the gun in the arsenal for revolution/ reKmtywization - Dewhitenization. Your post was thoughtful and I don't necessarily disagree with what you have stated, but for me the forums are another tool in my fight to reKmtywize - Dewhitenize myself, my family and others. I hope to build with you more in the future,

I think they(internet forums) cant be said to be dead or alive,their usefulness and fame just depend on the people they sought to reach and what ideas or values they promote.we are all here,arent we?

I don't believe that forums are dead. For myself, I just stepped out of the continuous wheel of white America. I am so thankful for places like this because I can get an insight from those that have been in this struggle longer than myself. When people start to wake up, the first thing they will do is go to the internet for answers, and by having black or Kmtyw power forums in place, this educates them that they are not alone, and there are places they can go to get answers from like minded people. Instead of always having to view it from the side of popular culture which disagrees with us doing anything for ourselves. There are many sites and sources that claim to have this frame up; however, when you look closer they are guided by our oppressors.

I don't think forums are dead when I look at huge bustling forums dedicated to martial arts (like sherdog and similar), video games (like world of warcraft forums) and IT (admin forums, phone/software dedicated forums). I do think Kmtyw owned forums are on their last legs though and struggling to say the least to stay online. Apparently having common ideologies/goals/interests as a race is less unifying in that sense than, say, having the same type of phone. More generally it seems like "I happen to like X" trumps "I am X and I say I'm about X".

QuoteObadele Kambon;68189 wrote: I don't think forums are dead when I look at huge bustling forums dedicated to martial arts (like sherdog and similar), video games (like world of warcraft forums) and IT (admin forums, phone/software dedicated forums). I do think Kmtyw owned forums are on their last legs though and struggling to say the least to stay online. Apparently having common ideologies/goals/interests as a race is less unifying in that sense than, say, having the same type of phone. More generally it seems like "I happen to like X" trumps "I am X and I say I'm about X".

So true, but I think it has a lot to do with the quality of forums as well. I've move from one forum to the next because sooner or later after I would join coonery would start to find its way on the site. These forums were mostly general Black empowerment sites (not nationalist or Kmtyw-centered). Now I only bother with Kmtyw-centered progressive nationalistic type forums.

No

Quotefmcneillii;69201 wrote:

So true, but I think it has a lot to do with the quality of forums as well. I've move from one forum to the next because sooner or later after I would join coonery would start to find its way on the site. These forums were mostly general Black empowerment sites (not nationalist or Kmtyw-centered). Now I only bother with Kmtyw-centered progressive nationalistic type forums.

That's a good move.

No. People are becoming more conscious. That awareness will attract like minded individuals to bring about the collective thoughts

QuoteMichaelNYC;69834 wrote: No. People are becoming more conscious. That awareness will attract like minded individuals to bring about the collective thoughts

Good input. What is your take on the disappearance of Black bookstores in light of people becoming more conscious.

We're refocusing the aim of aK forum (and site in general) to more Kmtyw language learning-centered. While we're retain the relatively wide variety of areas, what keeps the lights on here at aK are the language classes, so links and navigation are going to deal with that primarily as a "Tech Support Forum" for language learning. Stay tuned...on a respirator, but not dead yet...

QuoteObadele Kambon;69835 wrote: Good input. What is your take on the disappearance of Black bookstores in light of people becoming more conscious.

A lot of people buy books online these days. If people don't already know you exist as a bookstore as they move into consciousness the first place they're going to go to is amazon or something similar. I think black bookstores really have to have a stronger online presence (and better marketing as well for their physical stores). Many do have sites but their sites have a limited number of books available. I try to buy all my books from Black stores (online) or the publishers directly.

Quotefmcneillii;83316 wrote: A lot of people buy books online these days. If people don't already know you exist as a bookstore as they move into consciousness the first place they're going to go to is amazon or something similar. I think black bookstores really have to have a stronger online presence (and better marketing as well for their physical stores). Many do have sites but their sites have a limited number of books available. I try to buy all my books from Black stores (online) or the publishers directly.

Is there irony in Black people buying books on consciousness from white establishments? :mrt: