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What's the point of forums? - Printable Version

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What's the point of forums? - Neweegee - 01-14-2019

So, I've been thinking...
I've been wanting to use the forums more, but it's kinda lost meaning to me...
Perhaps I'm not looking at it the right way, but posting -not just here, but on forums in general- just doesn't seem to be meaningful to me.

I've used IRC-type services like Discord almost exclusively since around 2017, and I've felt much more reason to talk there, as there I would most likely get a response when I said something on my mind, even when posting in larger servers. But on forums, I spend 20-60 minutes (I'm rather slow minded) writing up and polishing a message of the things I think, to just sort of... Put it out there. Mostly likely to have no sort of response to it. No way to tell if anyone even read it at all.

I wouldn't mind this if it were just a short message, but longer, more thought out posts are encouraged on forums, especially since services like Discord are already aimed toward short, disposable messages.

As I've stated earlier, I might have the wrong perspective, maybe I'm selfish in a sense. As an introverted extrovert, I've always leaned toward IRC and things like it, preferring to interact with people directly and getting a response out of them; feeling as though I've failed if no one responds to me. Writing on forums has only been exhausting, and outside of posting my own threads, I just don't really get any kind of response personally. I thought it was me, but I honestly I don't see others getting direct reactions on the regular either, and this is how it's been on every forum I've used, even during their own primes.
So I'm guessing it must be a certain mindset that's needed to truly enjoy a forum. Something I don't have, but wish I did...


But I can't come to a conclusion on my own since I assume I wouldn't know better than someone who uses a forum consistently, which is why I've come and asked you. Hopefully you can teach me something important and help me understand this better, and perhaps others as lost as I am can learn something too, should they stumble upon this thread in the future.

tl;dr: why ya'll talk on forums and how do I enjoy it too?


RE: What's the point of forums? - Daisy - 01-14-2019

Well, it's difficult to actually answer the question other than saying it's fun. Anything I could say as a reason is something completely possible on say Discord as well. I don't really care for badges or coins. I just use forum for fun but if you really want badges or coins, I guess the forum may be the reason for that. How you enjoy the forum is totally up to you. It's completely fine if you don't enjoy the forum though as using it is not a requirement.


RE: What's the point of forums? - Syaxamaphone - 01-14-2019

I like that forums provide a nice static page for information, like event rules, a game or a collection of assets. All you gotta do is update the post and link it.

I guess the slower pace of discussion also gives you more time to think than the ever-changing world of Discord. I think both methods have their benefits and drawbacks.

Still, I'm p sure forums are on their way out either way. I guess I'm enjoying them while I can?


RE: What's the point of forums? - The Dark Warrior - 01-14-2019

forums are going on a downward spiral so I have questioned em myself neweegee, for years. you aren't alone in that regard. The situations where I have to use the forums is to have a document my projects and submit my entries to any officially hosted site competitions.


RE: What's the point of forums? - Mors - 01-14-2019

Forums have different strengths than stuff like IRC and Discord so they can both coexist, but I think the problem is that here on MFGG they both seem to be trying to achieve a lot of the same things. Like why would I discuss a recent event here when I can do that on Discord much more conveniently, or why would I wait for feedback on a sprite here when Discord gives me that feedback instantly?
I feel like we really need to rethink how the forums should work and focus on its strengths. I'll probably bring this up in much more detail in the suggestions channel sometime later if I don't forget.


RE: What's the point of forums? - VinnyVideo - 01-14-2019

I still like forums. I'm posting on one, after all!

I like the asynchronous nature of forums - you can post on your own time and on your own terms. Even if a conversation happens while you're working or sleeping or away from working Internet, it's not unnatural to reply in a few days later. With a fast-paced chat group, if a fun conversation happens while you're away, it's weird to try to revive it after people have moved on to another topic.

Forums offer much better search capabilities than most chat groups or social media sites, which is nice when you're looking for useful resources. I also like that forum posts tend to be longer and better thought-out than Discord/IRC conversations, although I don't want forums to be overly formal either.

I also like that most forums run on free open-source software, since I understand exactly how they work and what information they're storing. Also, nonprofit communities like MFGG are more concerned about having fun than making a buck - I don't have a lot of faith in big commercial social networks like Facebook or Twitter to keep personal data secure or refrain from bombarding me with spammy e-mails every day.

Also, the hyperactive part of me is less likely to be distracted by checking a forum twice a day than I am if I'm checking a Discord group constantly.


RE: What's the point of forums? - Hungry San - 01-14-2019

My brain is quite slow and the low pace of forums let me voice my opinion and ask complicated questions. I feel shy and kind of left out on chats because i fail to keep up with them.

I try sometimes to access facebook but wow it's a graphical user interface disaster, i have a hard time navigating it, most forums like MFGG are much easier to navigate.

(01-14-2019, 06:24 PM)Neweegee Wrote: So I'm guessing it must be a certain mindset that's needed to truly enjoy a forum. Something I don't have, but wish I did...

Sometimes I think of something rare or complicated that nobody in my IRL can answer me about, then it feels great to have a forum to compose that on and wait for a reply without having to be present, but i don't like having to be "present" in a chat but that's just me.

Maybe forums aren't good to put more into than you get back, so i try to be more laidback and only post when my mind needs an outlet, yeah that happens sometimes!


RE: What's the point of forums? - Mario - 01-15-2019

the formats fine really, just most free forum software is from the stone age and can't really compete with how easy it is to get on and use Discord. Chatrooms didn't really displace forums when the options for those were IRC and Skype because they could easily co-exist without one being 'better' than the other.


RE: What's the point of forums? - GothGirlGangBlasterMaster - 01-15-2019

forum posts are a public art piece. graffiti artists don't need to stand next to their piece and check if anyone's seen it, they just put it out there and move on.

chat rooms are pretty terrible. every message is near valueless; they appear whether you want them to or not and they're likely to disappear in minutes. there's no point in putting thought or effort into anything you type on a discord. they're great for saying things impulsively and forgetting about them, but announcements, discoveries, planning, etc just doesn't work. it's honestly frustrating seeing the move away from forums because the forum medium is great for organization and preservation of knowledge - if the administrators do it right.

if you're just interested in chatting about your day or whatever, short form chat rooms and twitter are going to appeal to you more than a forum, but both have their place.


RE: What's the point of forums? - HylianDev - 01-15-2019

Mario's got a point, the medium has absolutely ten-hundred percent stagnated.

The only free forum software I'm aware of that's mobile-friendly out of the box is Discourse.

That's it. It's the only damn one. Which is a shame.

I remember in 2016 trying to find a mobile-friendly MyBB theme to base NCFC's new site (that I never finished oops) off of. There was a free one, and a paid one. The free one sucked, the paid one looked marginally better. I used the free one.

And making a new forum theme is the eleventh circle of hell! Most are reskins; it's simple enough to change colors and images, which is why MFGG has always had so many. But I tried once to create a from-scratch, mobile-friendly phpBB theme. Remember that? MFGG3 theme on http://phpbb.mfgg.net/ ? It was awful, because I had to create over 100 files and by the end of it I was long past "wow this sucks and is boring".

Jaxboards did a great leap towards updating forum software. I remember seeing it back in ~2011 and thinking "wow, I'm watching exciting new innovation right before my very eyes!" But it remains much the same as it did in 2011, which was great for the time but is long-outdated by now. Yet it's still the best forum software, second to Discourse.

About Discourse, it's not good. Not because it isn't a decently well-designed forum software, but rather because it changes the way forums work too much. I think it does away with formal categories and etc, from what I can tell anyway, and it's just made to feel like a single-page app rather than like a whole site in itself. Maybe that's not such a big change ultimately, but it just feels wrong to me, and I think most people here tend to agree.


RE: What's the point of forums? - СМБХфан - 01-15-2019

I agree with what Vinny said and I think that people usually come to forum for fun.

The fun factor, especially with places like the PPP(?) and the General Chat, drives me to visit. Although I don't really use any other facet of MFGG, I come here to the forums to continue the sense of camaraderie we have.

Sometimes it feels better to go on the computer and type up a post with thought, rather than go into a group chat or Discord and succumb to the pressures of the fast shift in conversation.


RE: What's the point of forums? - Damarioman - 01-15-2019

I've been on a few forums and a couple of discords in my time and I have to say, the pace of things is more comfortable of forums.

On forums, the conversations, discussions, and games are sort of pick-up and play. People join in when they have the time.

On discords, in my experiences at least, if you missed the conversation, that's it. (To clarify: I'm not on the MFGG discord)

But that is just my opinion.


RE: What's the point of forums? - Neweegee - 01-15-2019

I'm surprised how many different perspectives there are on this, even so, they all seem to come to the same conclusion: expressing yourself at your own pace for your own enjoyment.

I'd go over every post individually, but that would take a reeeeally time, wouldn't it? But you should know that I highly appreciate all your comments(even your relatively off-topic but informal post, Hylian! :P)

Perhaps I was thinking too hard. I feel a lot better about posting now. I mean, I've always enjoyed this forum a lot, however I wasn't sure about whether there was a point to me participating. But I think now I could focus more on just fun rather simply hoping for a response or wondering how people reacted to my message.

But it's not all about me, of course. Again, I don't want to sound selfish. I just want you to know that I've learned a lot for this, so thanks again.

An important thing I just realized about forums compared to IRC-style services, is that a thread really can become a sort-of time capsule, one that we may some day read again, and see exactly how our thoughts and feelings were then. I know I feel I've truly stepped in the past when I come across old, late 2000s threads(not from MFGG in particular, unfortunately) during a Google search. Man, things were so different back then and I'm probably babbling about this too long I need to sleep now


RE: What's the point of forums? - HylianDev - 01-16-2019

Lol reading it again, it does come off as pretty off-topic.

Well what I was trying to express was: the medium needs to be updated to match how people use the internet now, and while Discourse did that I don't like how they do it, but it has no competition.

LumaSMS will probably try to make forums easier or more interesting to post on. Honestly, Minus World's metagame thing seems more appealing every day.


RE: What's the point of forums? - GothGirlGangBlasterMaster - 01-16-2019

(01-15-2019, 11:28 PM)Neweegee Wrote: I feel a lot better about posting now.

we've accomplished something great here


RE: What's the point of forums? - jas - 01-19-2019

What's the point of life?


RE: What's the point of forums? - Daisy - 01-20-2019

(01-19-2019, 09:15 AM)jas Wrote: What's the point of life?

Nothing when you look at it but I think it's to remain on topic but I am not a mod so I shouldn't really be one to talk on that.


RE: What's the point of forums? - CuteYoshiGirl - 02-07-2019

I use discord

Forums are a bit slow and not very active


RE: What's the point of forums? - Funky - 02-07-2019

I'm here for the nostalgia (oldschool 2007 MFGG & Minus World) and to start working on some collaborative games again.


RE: What's the point of forums? - Retriever II - 02-13-2019

(02-07-2019, 02:56 AM)CuteYoshiGirl Wrote: I use discord

Forums are a bit slow and not very active

I had to browse through the forum archive last weekend.  This place used to be on fire.


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