Are Message Boards Obsolete?

[stoopid]

Fwiw, I've been personally involved in several message boards over the years, and can tell you in absolute terms that their boom has long come and gone. One of them I'm still a member was huge in the 1999-2007 time frame, now struggles to keep he lights on and seems to be changing hands every couple years (the founders ran it for about a decade before caving/selling). Forums aren't easy or cheap to operate, especially when you consider the staff are usually volunteer and income nominal (ads, sponsors) compared to the cost of hosting and software licensing.

[laughedatbytime]

Message boards peaked several years ago and have been on a steady decline since say 2005. MySpace and now Facebook/Twitter, as well as comments sections below articles and youtube videos are the new normal. I'm thankful for the few internet friends I've made prior to this becoming a reality, most of them I met on various forums.

 

JohnRogers is 100% correct, on a long enough timeline this forum will no longer exist.

OK, John Maynard Keynes.

 

As far as JR is concerned, I wouldn't trust anything he says about the concept of death, since his taste buds have been dead for quite a while without him knowing it.

 

Then again, it's possible to figure his date of death having descended into the hell that is the shithole that is NYC (and shockingly enough, apparently voluntarily) a couple of years ago.

[Principled Man]

.....on a long enough timeline this forum will no longer exist.

 

Well, of course! 20, 50, 100 years from now, sure!

 

Private sites such as this one will last as long as the people make it last. If there is a genuine sense of community and friendship here, then The Rush Forum will last for a while. Where there is no sense of community and friendship, extinction is certain.

[OldRUSHfan]

Steve Hoffman's forum is the most active one I know of. Sometimes when I go there I can see a thousand people online. The music folder turns over 2 or 3 times every hour. You just can't post negative topics because the mods lock those types of threads. You need to read all the rules before you register there. It's a great resource for music and film.

 

Do you mean Ken Hoffman? He was big back when I still went there, but he was no longer the main Admin.

:banana:

[pjbear05]

Another thread about Counterparts?

 

I used to have an account there but I soon left after getting banned lmao.

I still have an account with them, which I started way before I heard about TRF. But from 2011 to 2013 they had at least 3 and maybe more server crashes, causing them to lose data. After recovering from a crash in early 2013, the number of members went down significantly. I re-registered, but then also registered here. I still get on the board there on occasion, but between the two I probably post 95% TRF 5% CP. I wouldn't be surprised to know there are a number of people posting here that migrated from CP.

[Principled Man]

I wouldn't be surprised to know there are a number of people posting here that migrated from CP.

 

Damned illegal aliens. BUILD A WALL!! ;) ;)

[pjbear05]

I wouldn't be surprised to know there are a number of people posting here that migrated from CP.

 

Damned illegal aliens. BUILD A WALL!! ;) ;)

It'll be YUUUUGE, and we'll make CP pay for it!

[OldRUSHfan]

Another thread about Counterparts?

 

I used to have an account there but I soon left after getting banned lmao.

I still have an account with them, which I started way before I heard about TRF. But from 2011 to 2013 they had at least 3 and maybe more server crashes, causing them to lose data. After recovering from a crash in early 2013, the number of members went down significantly. I re-registered, but then also registered here. I still get on the board there on occasion, but between the two I probably post 95% TRF 5% CP. I wouldn't be surprised to know there are a number of people posting here that migrated from CP.

 

I'm one! My first main MB was The Solar Federation, run by a guy called Resistor, and went to Counterparts after trying Trinet. Came here in 2005 but only posted sporadically. Transferred to TRF for good in 2015. Been IMMENSELY happy here! They [CP] always saw this place as a 'happy go lucky' 'love fest' of a 'too moderated' place. But I liked the structure here. Not allowing anyone to beat on a person too much, as was allowed there for some people. I don't care about that anymore, but I always want to be a NICE person to others...Most everyone here seems to feel the same!

:banana:

[stoopid]

I wouldn't be surprised to know there are a number of people posting here that migrated from CP.

 

Damned illegal aliens. BUILD A WALL!! ;) ;)

It'll be YUUUUGE, and we'll make CP pay for it!

 

Thankfully I already have my green card, unless they decide to arbitrarily change the rules. They can't do that, can they? :P

 

ORF, you were one of the bright spots at CP. Although I don't come across your posts much here, I always appreciate your positivity and enthusiasm.

[stoopid]

.....on a long enough timeline this forum will no longer exist.

 

Well, of course! 20, 50, 100 years from now, sure!

 

Private sites such as this one will last as long as the people make it last. If there is a genuine sense of community and friendship here, then The Rush Forum will last for a while. Where there is no sense of community and friendship, extinction is certain.

 

Agree that a strong community will keep a forum on life support for a while (the forum I was referencing a few posts back was recently bought by some staff members from a larger digital media company that had owned it for a number of years, they sold because it was not turning much of a profit anymore... go figure).

 

Eventually THIS forum will be a shell like CP, where the common thread that connects us vanishes as Rush becomes a historical footnote in rock music's timeline. This has already started to happen, and with all the competing distractions and the average age of the membership taken into consideration the math would indicate sooner than later. [sorry for being morbid, inevitability has a way of moving along with or without us... it's clearly going to be a factor in this forum's story line]

[Mike Check]

Yes, they're obsolete. That's why I never join them :outtahere:

[J2112YYZ]

Fwiw, I've been personally involved in several message boards over the years, and can tell you in absolute terms that their boom has long come and gone. One of them I'm still a member was huge in the 1999-2007 time frame, now struggles to keep he lights on and seems to be changing hands every couple years (the founders ran it for about a decade before caving/selling). Forums aren't easy or cheap to operate, especially when you consider the staff are usually volunteer and income nominal (ads, sponsors) compared to the cost of hosting and software licensing.

 

There's a site called pro boards that allows you to create your own free forum. They may have been expensive to run at one time but from what I've heard there really is no cost for someone to run a message board through that site.

 

Now, that doesn't mean I think message boards will make a comeback because they probably won't. If they do it won't be until years from now when a bunch of people get nostalgic about them and try to bring them back.

[ytserush]

Steve Hoffman's forum is the most active one I know of. Sometimes when I go there I can see a thousand people online. The music folder turns over 2 or 3 times every hour. You just can't post negative topics because the mods lock those types of threads. You need to read all the rules before you register there. It's a great resource for music and film.

 

I love that place. A lot of great discussions there.

[ytserush]

Steve Hoffman's forum is the most active one I know of. Sometimes when I go there I can see a thousand people online. The music folder turns over 2 or 3 times every hour. You just can't post negative topics because the mods lock those types of threads. You need to read all the rules before you register there. It's a great resource for music and film.

It's interesting there, I have read a bunch about different Rush vinyl pressings there.

 

There's a lot of really great Rush discussions there. It's awesome..

[stoopid]

Fwiw, I've been personally involved in several message boards over the years, and can tell you in absolute terms that their boom has long come and gone. One of them I'm still a member was huge in the 1999-2007 time frame, now struggles to keep he lights on and seems to be changing hands every couple years (the founders ran it for about a decade before caving/selling). Forums aren't easy or cheap to operate, especially when you consider the staff are usually volunteer and income nominal (ads, sponsors) compared to the cost of hosting and software licensing.

 

There's a site called pro boards that allows you to create your own free forum. They may have been expensive to run at one time but from what I've heard there really is no cost for someone to run a message board through that site.

 

Now, that doesn't mean I think message boards will make a comeback because they probably won't. If they do it won't be until years from now when a bunch of people get nostalgic about them and try to bring them back.

 

There's been several free forum software for a number of years, they're all swiss cheese from a security standpoint and are constantly hacked/vulnerable. As long as you're confident in your backups and willing to restore (and likely lose hours/days of posts) then yes they're an option. For anything lasting, you have to pay *something* for the backend support, which includes patching for those vulnerabilities promptly after they're discovered.

[Syrinx]

Message boards are my only social media. Can't bother joining Facebook etc - never had any interest. I guess when message boards die I will have to become a recluse! Edited August 20, 2018 by Syrinx

[Syrinx]

How's that for my 2000th post in 14 years LOL Edited August 20, 2018 by Syrinx

[KenJennings]

I feel like Reddit has really replaced most message boards. This is really the only message board I still frequent.

[Principled Man]

I guess when message boards die I will have to become a normal, socially adept person!

 

Fixed! ;) ;)

[Tick]

With stupid topics, any messageboard can become obsolete...

Your dead to me. (tears shirt, leaves the room)

[OldRUSHfan]

Reddit and all the other crap can CRAM IT!!! Message boards, especially THIS ONE better NOT Die, or I may have to get my weapons out!

"Peanut Butter Jelly with a BASEBALL BAT!!!"

Edited August 23, 2018 by OldRUSHfan

[stoopid]

Reddit and all the other crap can CRAM IT!!! Message boards, especially THIS ONE better NOT Die, or I may have to get my weapons out!

"Peanut Butter Jelly with a BASEBALL BAT!!!"

 

Calm down gramps, you're liable to break a finger clenching your fist.

[OldRUSHfan]

Reddit and all the other crap can CRAM IT!!! Message boards, especially THIS ONE better NOT Die, or I may have to get my weapons out!

"Peanut Butter Jelly with a BASEBALL BAT!!!"

 

Calm down gramps, you're liable to break a finger clenching your fist.

 

AAAAAAAH SHADAPP! You youngens think you're sooooo smart. Well, in this case you're NOT. My bones are in Perfect shape! No Breakin' in THIS hardbody!

[Permanent-Rush]

Reddit and all the other crap can CRAM IT!!! Message boards, especially THIS ONE better NOT Die, or I may have to get my weapons out!

"Peanut Butter Jelly with a BASEBALL BAT!!!"

 

Calm down gramps, you're liable to break a finger clenching your fist.

 

AAAAAAAH SHADAPP! You youngens think you're sooooo smart. Well, in this case you're NOT. My bones are in Perfect shape! No Breakin' in THIS hardbody!

 

but what if I throw a hard piece of metal at em?

[OldRUSHfan]

Reddit and all the other crap can CRAM IT!!! Message boards, especially THIS ONE better NOT Die, or I may have to get my weapons out!

"Peanut Butter Jelly with a BASEBALL BAT!!!"

 

Calm down gramps, you're liable to break a finger clenching your fist.

 

AAAAAAAH SHADAPP! You youngens think you're sooooo smart. Well, in this case you're NOT. My bones are in Perfect shape! No Breakin' in THIS hardbody!

 

but what if I throw a hard piece of metal at em?

 

Starfleet defensive training has that probability covered.