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Original poster

To wonder why some forums sort of ... grind to a halt?

214 replies

mytartanscarf · 30/12/2014 20:47

I used to be a member of a very busy forum. It was pretty nice as although it was busy there was a sense of community as well.

It isn't dead Grin but dying.

Then about 10 years ago when I did a PGCE I was a member of the TES forums and they used to be so busy; I've had a look for the first time in ages and ages and it's really quiet.

Will Mumsnet ever die? And what causes a forum death?

OP posts:
blacktreaclecat · 31/12/2014 06:38

Another one who posts here and dw, it's a shame it's so quiet over there now.

PseudoBadger · 31/12/2014 07:22

I used to post on a couple of dog rescue forums. One was only usable if you were oblivious to the fact that it was run by a megalomaniac. Once you became aware of this you generally left.

flumpysocks · 31/12/2014 07:25

Yep, former DW-er here!

hesterton · 31/12/2014 07:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hesterton · 31/12/2014 07:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

echt · 31/12/2014 07:34

God's testicles, I'd forgotten the fucking swear filters. :o

LoxleyBarrett · 31/12/2014 07:36

Another one here feeling nostalgic for the days of iVillage. As well as the format changes there were a few huge rows with new 'secret' groups set up. It was all a bit pathetic when you think about it!

sebsmummy1 · 31/12/2014 07:44

Another ex-handbagger here. Was such a fab place for years and then heavy-handed moderating and lots of banning killed it off. Along with reformatting the family boards and causing an exodus of core posters.

Was an avid member of a splinter group after that - Damsels. But came over here after one of the members (ex Priory I think) just started rounding on me constantly whenever I posted and I got huffy and flounced Grin

I'm actually pretty glad though as I've made lots of lovely friends on this board and the regular flamings also keep me sharp Wink

CherryLips1980 · 31/12/2014 07:56

Another who was on a horse forum that used to be really busy - then there was a huge exodus of members who left due to the owners refusal to accept that she had offended a massive group of 'her' forumites. We're on FB now. From what I've heard, the forum is still going but sloooooooowwwwwwww. I miss the BHS forums....

MN is the only place I check every day, despite not being a massive poster.

FrancesHB · 31/12/2014 07:59

Did anyone use to go on that forum set up by Annelisa Barbieri from the guardian? I loved that one too.

BeakyMinder · 31/12/2014 08:17

Was that I want my mum, Frances?
I think it was killed off by decision to charge fees?

CrumpleHornedSnorkack · 31/12/2014 08:17

Another former Tesser here, back in the good old days of Bauble's Bar and Chris2005 with his chihuahua.

MrsMook · 31/12/2014 08:19

I've used a couple connected with magazines that have dwindled away. One can be attributed to a dire upgrade with significant loss of function, followed by trolling and in fighting, then the rise of FB.

The other was more connected to lifestyle and became dominated by oldies as FB made the number of newbies dwindle.

I use another connected with a sport which has enough life to be worth checking a couple of times a week, I can't vouch for its history though.

I don't like the shift to FB as it's too public. I much prefer an annoymised nick name. Oddly I find people easier to recognise through their nicknames than real names. A well organised forum is also easier to use.

MadHairChristmasEveryone · 31/12/2014 08:22

I Was on baby centre from 2000-2005 ish when it was still reasonably sensible and ticker free. They then changed the whole format until it hurt ones eyes badly, moderating got heavier (I was a mod and got told off for not moderating right) Grin and they got deeply uninterested in upholding the 'older' birth month clubs on site. So my club emigrated en masse to another board then finally to fb where we are still thiving now 12 years on - fingers up to bc Xmas Grin

Also on another one which is dying every day. It's sad because it's a support group for people with a certain chronic disease and the admin won't change the format because the original admin still posts and will be offended. Because of this the site runs so slowly it won't even load on my phone and every page takes an age in laptop. They won't go to fb because not everyone is on it. I've offerer ed to help revamp bit been refused. Such a shame.

FoxSticks · 31/12/2014 08:29

MrsDiesel I was on aweddingforum too! It was lovely because we all felt like we knew each other. Although the anonymity here is great too. There are a few posters who I really miss from there. There is a tube driver who I recognise from there who is here too, I met her on meet up but I've never said hello to her on here though, I'm not sure why, fear of rejection probably Grin

CoolCadbury · 31/12/2014 08:31

I was on AOL chat. Used to spend all my time on it. BooksChat anyone?

Sausages123 · 31/12/2014 08:40

Am also a DWer dipping into here as it is so quiet there and am so sad the community has been fab over the years and I have made some great friends

Paddingtonthebear · 31/12/2014 08:47

Anyone remember a quirky forum called p45.net?

LittleMachine · 31/12/2014 08:55

I was really active on TES until I discovered mumsnet. I've been back on recently, as I have a new job and needed help, but once I posted I couldn't find my post again for about 3 weeks. The new format is shit.

JennyBlueWren · 31/12/2014 09:02

TES died when they changed the layout. I can find Scotland and I can find Primary but I can't find a Scottish Primary one!! No point in me joining in discussions about the new English Curriculum or other English specific things and the Scotland one ends up very general or taken over with discussions of Nat4s or whatever!

OttoTheOnly · 31/12/2014 09:05

Another DW user here. It's so quiet there now, so I come here far more often than I go there.

LizaTarbucksAuntie · 31/12/2014 09:06

I was on Village, I also remember when it was all fields round here

My MumsClub friends remain some of my closest friends now and I'm not just saying that because some of them know my username :)

Anyway if anyone was on MCA April 06 on this thread and isn't on the FB group now shout up, we lost a few of you and it would be great to be back in touch in time for the 10 year anniversary this summer...

JellyDiamond · 31/12/2014 09:22

I used to be a member of Dotmusic. Remember that one? Very, very busy music based forums, but there was a lot of non music related chat as well. Then one day, completely out the blue it was announced that the forums would be closed down the next day, and that was that. This was around 2002/2003 time. Didn't make sense really as it was still a busy forum, but there you go.

I know Digital Spy is still going, so are the Student Room and MoneySavingExpert. DS was a lot quieter the last time I visited it, which is a shame really because it used to be so busy.

soverylucky · 31/12/2014 09:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Welshmaenad · 31/12/2014 09:31

Aweddingforum'ers are all on Facebook now. Which is good in a way, because you can block the twats. Like Bamba.

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