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

[Chicchicchicchiclana]

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!

@TheySeeHerRowling

I too was an avid poster on the c4 Big Brother forum up to about season 6 - then a group of posters formed a breakaway forum that I spent about a year or so on, then the dc were born and I drifted away. Pretty sure it doesn't exist any more but maybe it does...

There were quite a few breakaway forums - i joined a couple (NFs place and purple stick) and lurked on a few more.

There were so many rows between some of the different forums it was like a daily soap opera reading up on the days drama 😆

My first was UKParents about 20 years ago. I was gutted when it shut down. It was always helpful, friendly and sometimes explosively entertaining when a troll was unearthed. It was a bit like the Nasty Nick scandal. No one world bat an eyelid now, but then people would keep spreadsheets and tally fake facts.

When it closed I found Hunnybeez. That closed down. Damselz (sp?) was paid for and I didn’t think it worth it.

Hitched/DW here - there was a thread here about someone's MIL squashing stuff in the supermarket and I was dying to post something about her being a Magnum Smasher but I thought it was a bit niche...

@GravityFalls

Hitched/DW here - there was a thread here about someone's MIL squashing stuff in the supermarket and I was dying to post something about her being a Magnum Smasher but I thought it was a bit niche...

Ha, I remember Hitched with fondness. The brides on there were a bit... unhinged at times but it was amusing to read. My guilty pleasure was reading the high budget wedding boards where you’d find couples spending over 100k on usually cheesy WAG type weddings. There was a thread about renting thrones a la Posh and Becks that was hilarious. Also the emotional support threads posted about every perceived slight against them.

@GravityFalls

Hitched/DW here - there was a thread here about someone's MIL squashing stuff in the supermarket and I was dying to post something about her being a Magnum Smasher but I thought it was a bit niche...

I haven’t heard that phrase in ages. I still make Satan’s cake every Christmas.

I used to love the ER forum on Television Without Pity, it’s still there but seems a shadow of its former self. It used to make me howl with laughter.

My first parenting forum was Baby Greenhouse. I was sad when that closed.

Bad Mothers Club :)

@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.

They pulled the plug at around 6pm on a Friday evening without any warning. It was snuffed out, just like that.

@kittykarateand @BettyFilous - yes, I'd forgotten exactly what happened and that it was even called Guardian Unlimited now. But it did just suddenly disappear. I was more of a lurker - found it quite scary .

Oh, I'd forgotten about Thorntree and RecoverYourLife . The BBC Ouch disability forum was great at one time too.