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Have you been part of an online group or forum that just died?

210 replies

Chicchicchicchiclana · 04/01/2021 19:42

I was just looking at my neighbourhood forum this evening (not on FB) and it used to be really lively, lots of posts, sometimes quite amusing. It was started in something like 2007 so quite early in the timeline of these things.

Sadly now I think it's about to go to that great Forum in the sky. I can't put my finger on why it has become so deathly dull. Combination of some people posting too much (so it makes you roll your eyes that old so and so is dominating every thread), and I guess WhatsApp and FB groups for those who prefer them. Also a marked lack of interest from the Admin, who I think is a one man band, to doing anything other than the bare minimum with the Forum.

I remember Friends Reuinited and how popular it was and then ... pffft!

OP posts:
HarrietOh · 05/01/2021 20:22

@OohImBlindedByTheLights

Girland! My first ever experience of a forum lol! Was on it in my teens until it just disappeared overnight
Another Ex-GirLander here! Was obsessed with those forums in my teens.
FestiveFruitloop · 05/01/2021 20:23

I was part of an email group (Yahoogroup) once, related to reality TV, which spun off into a general chat Yahoogroup among a few of us who became good friends. We used to share all sorts of aspects of our lives. Although we're all friends on Facebook now instead, we don't talk nearly as much any more, and I do miss how we used to talk (although I also wonder how the heck we made the time! Grin ) I don't think Yahoogroups even exist any more, sadly. The ones I belonged to were good fun.

That said, I was once in a group that sort of imploded after I was unfairly accused of something and stood up for myself (not by blowing up, just by rebutting the accusations that had been made and saying I felt hurt that they'd been made). The group didn't immediately self-destruct, it just never was the same again and fizzled out shortly after. I was left with the guilt of that (as it had been a mental health support group) simply for rebutting the accusations directed at me, and that did leave a nasty taste. Maybe these types of environment aren't ideal for mental health support.

Lastly one I visit less frequently nowadays - a forum for bi and bicurious women (I'm bi) - I'm way less frequent on there now because I'm settled with DH, but as far as I can see it's still thriving and I made some great friends there, as well as a couple of relationships pre-DH.)

DeepestBlues · 05/01/2021 20:23

@Soutiner No, that's not his name but I possibly know who you mean. So sorry you had a horrible time Flowers

scentedgeranium · 05/01/2021 20:28

I was on an Archers messageboard called Mustardland. I can remember my username and everything.
I recall a lot of horrid arguments between parents and non parents. I still post on the official Archers page on FB

Dogissue · 05/01/2021 20:29

The vegan forum. Still miss it.
Javajane/Grabbassgirls/TLC
Was anyone else?

TheSilentStars · 05/01/2021 20:37

I was on FriendsReunited. I went to our local library because we had no internet at home and paid £1.25 for 30 minutes. I joined FR to stalk the boy I lurved when I was 15. Obviously.

Then I joined Babycentre when DD was about 1. I joined MN at the same time but posted more on BC for a good few years. I "met" at least one poster on this thread there, and was in a debate group with the legend who was to become Posie P. I was a moderator on BC for a while. About 20 of us from a different group formed a FB group when one of us was briefly banned from BC and we are still together on there. My Secret Santa from that group arrived just the other day.

Similarly I've been part of a group elsewhere in cyberspace that was an offshoot from here and possibly someone else from this thread Grin I think that one died a death but I still have most of its members on FB.

Someone from BC tried to lure us away to I Want My Mum but that was a bit too slings and attachment for me. We all met up once in a soft play near Nuneaton which was a strange if pleasant morning.

OnlyTheLangoftheTitBerg · 05/01/2021 20:37

Scentedgeranium I was a Mustardlander too Grin

I used to enjoy FameTracker even though I didn’t know who half of the US celebs were, and then it’s successor TWOP. Some of the same people were behind both sites and they tended to disappear in a flurry of internecine online warfare.

swampytiggaa · 05/01/2021 20:42

Another ex-hitcher & dw here 🙂

redkiteflying · 05/01/2021 20:52

Think I've only seen one mention of thorn tree, the lonely planet forum. Absolutely loved it and so useful. Was really sad when it was sold and totally died overnight.
Also found the cosmopolitan forums useful when I was first dating Blush

Teenytinyratsass · 05/01/2021 20:58

Babycentre and another former Musher here! That forum was laugh out loud funny and got me through some tough times. It changed my life in so many ways, I still miss it. Found the old DS thread last night, good times!

Echobelly · 05/01/2021 21:03

I am on a biggish forum which I've been on for 20 years Shock and it is still involving and fun, but it definitely peaked 10+ years ago when there was loads of socialising and any suggestion to meet up would attract plenty of people.

Then as social media took over that side kind of slipped and people do still get together (when they are allowed to!) but there's barely a trickle of anyone new for years - the average age is definitely going up!

Serg · 05/01/2021 21:03

Yet another ex-Hitcher/DWer!

Branleuse · 05/01/2021 23:14

Its mad seeing names of groups i was on for a bit and completely forgot about such as grab ass girls and bad mothers club. I used to love the mothercare forum, that was quite busy, around 2000. I also loved UKparents, babyworld, thesite, then a splinter group from the debate board on babyworld all splintered into our own group after babyworld did something to the rules or format icr, but there were big meet ups and everything. A lot of us still talk on facebook now and are genuine friends

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 05/01/2021 23:25

Yes for a game. It was technically a children's game but very addictive and the forum and irc room were mostly used by the adults. I still remember many of the usernames of my friends from there. Was gutted when the game got zapped for copyright reasons and the replacement game just wasn't as good. I often think of them and wonder how they are.

6demandingchildren · 06/01/2021 10:39

@Soutiner
Are you on about cath (her user name had something to do with rats irrc) she did indeed pass away.
The the nags was so batshitcrazy you took everything with a pinch of salt.
I'm still friends with floozy, zip, drewpeacock, calcalcal, and a few others that I can't remember their user names.

Branleuse · 06/01/2021 11:15

Msn chats were brilliant too

kwiksavenofrillsusername · 06/01/2021 11:28

@Janaih

Used to love channel4 forums particularly the big brother one in the early 2000s. It was quite witty and vicious, rather like mn i feel Grin
Yes, I was going to say the Channel 4 forums too. They used to have loads of them for different shows. I hung around the Adam and Joe board most of the time as I liked the surreal humour.

I seem to remember in the earliest seasons of BB, you could watch round the clock footage online if you paid for a subscription. This was in the days before they showed the feed all day on E4. It was before webcams and stuff were popular so it was really exciting to sit and watch people going about their lives.

Katinski · 06/01/2021 11:37

I was on a US board, can't remember its name now.Met Tom (RIP) whose friend lived in Singapore. My family had just relocated there and I was going to visit, so Tom passed on his friend's details. Friend and I spent a boozy night at The American Club, he gave me a present of chocs and a glass. Still drink water from that glass, chocs long eatenGrin
The BBC Gardening Forum. Auntie Beeb didn't allow fraternization - but there were ways! And so I met 3 others and the 4 of us met up for a hilarious(and boozy) weekend. Spot the theme? One of these became my RL best friend and drove from her city to mine to help me move properties.
Someone mentioned Mustardland? I don't contribute but read the Forums...

Nonamesavail · 06/01/2021 11:40

Used to love forums and msn groups

Lweji · 06/01/2021 11:42

BBC parenting, although it hasn't quite died. Only on the BBC site. Wink

I think I still have a NM account. Is that still going? Grin

kittykarate · 06/01/2021 11:47

@SwedishEdith

The Guardian used to have forums that were really funny and/or clever and interesting. More like Reddit, I suppose. I know they still allow comments on some articles but these were not article-related. And then they pulled it.
I used to be on Guardian Unlimited too! It was just mad, they shut it with no warning and people were like WTF??.

There are still bands of GUers around on other boards.

Lweji · 06/01/2021 11:48

Which is the banned site? Reddit?
(testing)

MrFMercury · 06/01/2021 13:14

I joined babyworld with my first and a few trolls aside the group worked. There’s still about 20 of us in a group on fb and WhatsApp. When BW closed one of the women printed off my birth announcement threads so I didn’t lose them at least. I loved the DDD board there too, was on a few of the splinter groups that formed from there. Huge dramas more than once. I still have some of the women I met there on my Facebook and so I’m glad for that too.

Oldraver · 06/01/2021 13:21

A lot of my clubbing forums have gone probably due to us all getting older and more sensible

MrsDoctorDear · 06/01/2021 13:26

@MrsPinkCock

Yep, ivillage. Used to be great. Then it just kind of shrivelled up.
I remember iVillage. Blast from the past!