I see a lot of people saying online that “forums are dying off because of discord and reddit”
yet other people reply: “Well, I’m still using my forum/IRC.”
So I have to ask, what forums that are decently big still exist? Only one I can think of is Nomutantsallowed for fallout related content.
Retrogametalk and segaxtreme
cs rin.ru and ltt foums
- https://budgetlightforum.com/ flashlights et cetera
- so many automotive forums
- https://eevblog.com/forum electronics engineering
- https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/ audio, lots of diy
- https://www.finishing.com/ - metal anodising/plating/finishing. This incredible forum has been running since before the internet, originally a BBS.
- https://www.automaticwasher.org/ washing machines and dishwashers
- https://elektrotanya.com/ electronics repair
All the forums I used to go to on any regular basis are dying out or dead - NotebookReview, DSLReports, etc.
I still stop by Linus Tech Tips forum and GBATemp and Overclock.net and ServeTheHome on rare occasions.
Isn’t Reddit or Lemmy pretty much just a structured forum?
(early) reddit was the answer to the question “what if anyone could have their own phpbb instance without having to host it?” Then along came Lemmy asking “what if anyone could have their own reddit instance and have to host it?”
Gbatemp is one.
Car forums are still somewhat active. There’s usually one per car make or chassis. For example I use zilvia.net for S chassis stuff and miata.net for Miata stuff which are both active.
Special interest forums still hold.
For me, the Royal Enfield motorbike forums are exceptionally good, and that’s largely down to the admin. There’s also a Series 2 Land Rover forum that has a unique collection of people with a phenomenal combined knowledge about that car.
I’ve hosted a few in my time - since the early 90s and Fidonet when BBSs were the thing. But things change. Facebook killed of a whole bunch way before Reddit and Lemmy just because that’s where people were already, and it was easier for them to feel involved. Facebook is impossible to search, though, so the post history of a forum that was so useful has gone entirely.
It’s sad, but things change. What’s constant is people’s desire to socialise and discuss topics they are interested in. I’m kind of curious what that will be next.
https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/
Excellent forums. I have been a member for five years and it has been fantastic.
I go to mentalhealthforum.net
Gallifrey Base, sometimes 😌🤓
There are so many niche forums.
Here’s one I found a while ago when I was looking at repairing an old electric fan I found: Antique Fan Collector’s Forum.
In the way that people would always add “reddit” to their searches, try just adding “forum”.
https://tildes.net/ is still quite active and while the interface is similar to old reddit the focus is more on discussions than sharing links.
I used to use RPG.net a lot. They have pretty strict moderation, which keeps the place from turning into some kinds of shit holes. But you also can’t tell someone they’re a fool, or all Republicans are traitors. Takes some getting used to, but is probably worth it.
