Internet forums becoming irrelevant?

fez said:
I don't think we are dismissing social networks as a place devoid of reasoned discussion but go on your facebook and see how much of it is filled by people being stupid and fishing for affirmation of their misguided views.
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While true, do you think it would be any different if fb was made mainstream 10 years ago?
 
Scougar said:
I would say that social networking sites have simply replaced chat rooms and to a similar extent instant messengers.
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Chatrooms and IM certainly have more parallels with social networking than forums. As mentioned, forums can be a very insular community too but most of them have seen the benefits of having general discussion as well as specialist topics.
 
fez said:
Chatrooms and IM certainly have more parallels with social networking than forums. As mentioned, forums can be a very insular community too but most of them have seen the benefits of having general discussion as well as specialist topics.
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Yeah totally agree.

I mean.. longer term, it might work out that social sites have sub-sections that actually are a reasonable enough replacement for forums... but at present I just can't see it.

The trouble with social sites, is they are now just seen as a place to advertise.

Also, I don't want my mates knowing every damn detail of my life, or every little thing I'm interested in, so I'm quite happy to have a seperate persona.
 
I've always been under the impression that social network sites such as FB are nothing more than a delusional paradox. I find it all quite hypocritical that you can befriend someone who you wouldn't say hello to in the street. FB offers nothing more than an extension to a phone book. This is just my opinion.. it doesn't matter if I'm right or wrong.. and this is where the forums come in.

Forums provide an open environment where by a group of people can discuss and debates topics anonymously. It doesn't matter if anyone disagrees or agrees with your opinion ... because that's what makes it diverse. We can have this debate for example, the debate won't be resolved but reading other peoples opinions sometimes puts more perspective on the subject.. It gives something back. I don't see social networking sites doing this..
 
desires said:
Do we really want the masses though?

Have you ever tried to read the discussions that appear on facebook? It's all illiterate ***** who seem to forget they are putting their opinions across without anonymity. We get our fair share of ***** but for the most part it's in a small enough dose that it's funny rather than nauseous.
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Yup, just read the comments on you tube to realise why discussing thing on social sites (ETC) is a silly idea.

Also, I don't like about facebook that I can't seem to have different networks (if I am please tell me). I don't want certain people knowing I'm spending money on certain things, or I spent the day build a PC rather than more important stuff. I also don't want mother seeing that I was in a picture of some womans breasts, or tea bagging a mate (no I've not that), that I might get away with on a forum.
 
I have found that forums have always been a place for specific information :confused:

Of course they had a "General chat area" and a few other sub forums but mainly based on the topic at hand, if anything I think they have become more open to chat.

In the days, if you wanted to chat, you would go to a chat room.

I think there is a kind of user who will use and stick to forums and those that will stick to social networking, however social networking will not give you the information you require.

The people that just stick to social networking sites are generally the ones that ask for help from someone else on finding answers.

Forums will always be a useful discussion resource, I can't see it fading
 
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Is facebook/myspace/whatever gonna provide me with specific details how to flash a particular model of phone, or how to unlock it using a particular set of instructions/software? I highly doubt it.

Is facebook/myspace/whatever a place for mum's to discuss that the nipples are cracking, or why they've got varicous veins? I highly doubt it also.

Social networking is like the 'general' section here with the added bonus that certain aspects of your life that you discuss/reveal there.. you won't discuss on a forum. (If you bother to use SN at all).
 
Really I would say the number of people I know IRL is just not enough to have any amount of useful knowledge. Forums are fantastic, if I went up to one of my mates and asked what wire to use for a cloverleaf 5.8 Ghz antenna they would just laugh in my face.
 
Admiral Huddy said:
I've always been under the impression that social network sites such as FB are nothing more than a delusional paradox. I find it all quite hypocritical that you can befriend someone who you wouldn't say hello to in the street. FB offers nothing more than an extension to a phone book. This is just my opinion.. it doesn't matter if I'm right or or wrong.. and this is where the forums come in.

Forums provide an open environment where by a group of people can discuss and debates topics anonymously. It doesn't matter if anyone disagrees or agrees with your opinion ... because that's what makes it diverse. We can have this debate for example, the debate won't be resolved but reading other peoples opinions sometimes puts more perspective on the subject.. It gives something back. I don't see social networking sites doing this..
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I love this post.
 
no, because to put every subject of discussion we have on ocuk + it's groupings on facebook would be a hideously complex mess to navigate.

forums are clean simple ways of arranging large numbers of discussions and topics.

plus i know none of you people why in gods name would i have you on facebook?
 
I think there's also the way the communities of the two types of enviroment grew. Most forums i know about start out as a specialised subject and then comes those same people using the general discussion. So these people who get along with their similar interests then share their opinions on broader subject matter. Similarly IRC is still very active, with groups of people joined as a group for a purpose using it for casual chat. Then steam groups (for example) can take it in the other direction where it's a far more specialised about only one video game for example.

Social networking on the other hand is just nabbing at people's desires for friends and attention, i don't know how to expand the point i want to make on this because i don't use facebook for more than event organisation. But i just can't comprehend how people end up telling 300~ people, most who they don't know, about jam and pickle sandwich they had earlier. Then there are apps which tell people which stories i've read, or what music people have listened to, and 'like' {current contraversial topic article} to seem like an intellectual when in reality they're doing just for more attention and self gratification.

I rambled a bit, but in short, facebook is useful for centralisation of friends/family and personal digital effects but it's some horrible blob now. And i hope forums and the ilk are here to stay in one form or another forever.
 
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