Why it's so hard to start a forum nowadays

[Tiffany]

On video, I don't allow live feed video and I have the youtube API key which makes it easy and clean to add a video. Since, we are the exception (because we like to write a lot, but not verbose...lol), there wouldn't be a barrier to discourse with us, however, for the masses which do not write long posts, the video share seems suitable for a comments type social discourse. The barrier though, would be in the platforms design. Comments are designed to be short, so if you wanted to make longer comments, you would have to break up your comments in multiple comment posts. If dev's would address the number of characters allowed in comments and find a way maximize it a bit, that would be nice.

Oh, and let me just add, I do not want to be on video either, not even a little ambition there and wouldn't want anyone to size up my body language. Oy vay! I just like sharing videos of best performances, lectures, concerts, etc.

On options, I think that's why groups, and blogs offer distinct options depending on what your members prefer. The right platform, can enhance that experience by offering the "door" and letting members decide if they want to "walk through".

 

[Arantor]

Couple of relevant tech articles here.

Every innovation contains its dark opposite

From modems to the Metaverse, Mark Pesce has seen it all

www.theregister.com

This one offers thoughts on the metaverse, the fact that we sort of tried to do it before, with VRML but the tech and infrastructure weren't nearly enough - and by the time we had the technology, we'd thrown out the old and decided to reinvent the wheel for 'reasons'.

But far more relevantly, the final two paragraphs:

If we've learned anything over the last four decades, it's that every innovation, however wonderful, contains its own opposite. The splendor of "knowledge at your fingertips" laid the foundations for a planetary-scale "ignorance amplifier". Massive human hyperconnectivity across social networks reawakened and accelerated our tendency to form tribes. Our drawing together begins to look more like our coming apart. Advances in artificial intelligence mean that the surveillance state can scale without human staffing – or human oversight.


We never seem to grasp that our strengths inevitably transform into weaknesses. A touch of humility could go far to help us avoid tragedy as we navigate the next forty years. Where we can admit that we do not know, there we can find some space to think, to feel, and to breathe.

That sounds like an awfully familiar sentiment to me, every word there resonates with me.

And in the midst of that article there's a link to one from 2003 about Friendster. Remember Friendster?

Why the Friendster bubble 'has peaked – will pop'

Built-in obsolescence

www.theregister.com

Long long time ago, I can still remember
How that dialup used to make me smile
-- or something

It reminds me of how the internet was a much simpler time before all the tracking, before all the corporatisation was everywhere - when people didn't worry about being siloed into these monolith networks, as you can see there, the prevailing opinion is that people will join, meet others, exchange details and then remain connected beyond Friendster.

Now imagine doing that with Facebook. At least Twitter feels like you can escape; Facebook feels oddly pervasive.

But one interesting observation:

How many people will pay even $10 or even $5 a month, when they have access to their Outlook Express inbox for free?

Imagine paying for Facebook. Of course it would still have all the awful advertising - because they'd want to make all the money not just some of the money. But that observation is right in terms of Facebook, I think; I don't imagine many people would be that thrilled to pay to play (interestingly, unlike Twitter which seems to have some interest in curating the experience)

But it does also hint at a curious refugeeism trait: how far will people 'go' to remain connected? Is this an angle forums can do something with, I wonder?

 

[Tiffany]

I have your articles open for reading tonight, thank you! I do agree, forums per se, create the total community/connected effect. Fakebook and Twitter can't do that.

And, no I wouldn't pay for a membership to a forum, just saying. I have donated before, because I was thankful the forum was there, but not a monthly subscription fee....nah!

 

[Retro]

I certainly wouldn't want to get into video production, least of all present it. The shear time, effort and expense of it all would preclude it. I'm not too fond of being in front of the camera, either.

 

[Arantor]

I'm getting pretty counterculture now, I've spent the day browsing Reddit and seeing if I can promote a forum on it

 

[Retro]

Legend.

Thankyou.

 

[Arantor]

Don't thank me just yet, I haven't found anywhere where NZ wouldn't get drowned out in under an hour - yet. But I think there's potential for other venues of cross-promotion that aren't normally mined.

 

[Tiffany]

I'm going to thank you anyway! We appreciate the time you are taking into looking at options.

 

[Arantor]

I'm clearly not alone in observing some of the social media trends. This Twitter thread does a pretty good job of explaining exactly what the social media networks do and why they produce the snowball effects that, well, forums don't.

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The side effect is that that level of engagement doesn't realistically *happen* on forums, and everyone seems to be convinced that's a bad thing. I don't know why; it's not a healthy cycle to encourage and ultimately produces many instances of me-as-well content that just repeats ad nauseum.

 

[Tiffany]

Bec Hill put social media in good context. I'll add an extra word that sums it up another way: dopamine.

 

[Arantor]

The addiction is real.

 

[Tiffany]

It is indeed! Social media can make monsters out of people. I have friends that have totally changed because of it.

Found this interesting article this morning; Tiktok and the fall of the social media giants. For the record I don't Tiktok nor will I ever Tiktok.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/tiktok-and-the-fall-of-the-social-media-giants

 

[Retro]

For the record I don't Tiktok nor will I ever Tiktok.

That makes two of us.

 

[Arantor]

We can TikTok if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't TikTok
And if they don't TikTok
Well, they're no friends of mine

Say, we can go where we want to
A place where they will never find
And we can act like we come
From out of this world
Leave the real one far behind

And we can dance
Or sing

We can go when we want to
Night is young and so am I
And we can dress real neat
From our hats to our feet
And surprise 'em with the victory cry

...you get the idea.

 

[Retro]

I could totally hear Staying Alive reading that one!

 

[Arantor]

I could totally hear Staying Alive reading that one!

Unfortunately that really wasn't what I was going for.

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[Retro]

Ah right. This song is brilliant though.

 

[Arantor]

It just feels so on point for the TikTok generation.

 

[Crims]

I personally would love a tribal network of bloggers.
Anon

 

[Retro]

I personally would love a tribal network of bloggers.
Anon

Interesting, but I don't quite understand what that means.

Welcome to NerdZone.

 

[Crims]

Interesting, but I don't quite understand what that means.

Welcome to NerdZone.

Thanks. Its good to finally be on a forum again after a load of time.
I was designing a forum network, doubt itd take off tho

 

[Retro]

Thankyou, very happy to have you.

I'm intrigued about this forum network and would like to hear more about it.

I've taken you off the premoderation queue now, so you can post at will.

 

[Crims]

Thankyou, very happy to have you.

I'm intrigued about this forum network and would like to hear more about it.

Thanks! It's a system of forums for a few networks of creatives. CreativeSkillset used to exist for that purpose.

I'm interested vaguely enough that i ended up spouting my mouth anonymously on that post lol

 

[Retro]

Sounds interesting, be good to know more about it. Feel free to start a thread about it on here if you like, perhaps to help develop it, but remember it's all public, so please don't reveal anything that's confidential.

Also, feel free to promote it on NZ if it's non profit. Full details here:

Promoting your hobby forum / site on NerdZone is encouraged

NerdZone is a hobby forum without ads for enthusiasts of anything nerdy to come together and share interesting stuff to talk about. I similarly extend this invitation to anyone who runs a hobby forum or other type of hobby site to promote it on...

nerdzone.uk

 

[Tiffany]

@Crims Welcome, glad you found NZ!! We would all be interested in learning about your website projects, whenever you feel up to sharing.