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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by razibal@community.nodebb.org to c/general-discussion@community.nodebb.org

I've been a fan of forums for years (decades, even...) going all the way back to BBSes and newsgroups. However, in recent years, I've noticed that more and more discussions have been moving to Reddit and Discord. While I understand the appeal of subreddits covering nearly every conceivable topic, I struggle to see why Reddit, in particular, has become so dominant. It lacks many features that decent forums take for granted, yet it seems to be steadily wiping out independently hosted forums. Am I missing something obvious that explains its popularity?

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[-] Zero22xx 1 points 1 week ago

It has everything in one place. You can find communities for everything from skincare advice to discussion of that obscure '90s TV show that you watched as a kid that no one ever talks about elsewhere or even knows about. And I'm not sure I can think of what features from old forum sites Reddit is missing. From my memory, before social media, forums were just posts one after the other in a straight line.

And if you responded to something relevant to you but old (based on a timeline that only the forum moderators know), some moderator would come along and go "Necroposting. Thread locked and removed." So you were still limited to only interacting with the latest hot topics. In fact I'm pretty sure forums still operate like that. Meanwhile, Reddit stopped putting old posts into read only mode long ago and you can in fact respond to ancient things if you like.

I also used to use forum sites before Facebook and shit. And from my perspective as a user, Reddit style platforms are superior in every way.

[-] eeeee@community.nodebb.org 0 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

^^ everyones missing the big draw to Reddit .. If you google anything, Reddit discussions on the topic come up top. Its like a sponsored link, same as Quora that comes up high (but most people dont like!)

Reddit autogenerates you an Id name, so when you click on that topic you are set up to respond. Ease of use!

[-] razibal@community.nodebb.org 0 points 1 week ago

@eeeee But, that’s also its biggest flaw as a discussion platform. It has now become a place to find answers to questions (almost like an extension of Google search) or a pseudo-news feed for sharing one's latest purchases and real-life/online experiences (much like people used to do on Twitter). It is woefully inadequate for detailed, long-running discussions, as posts rarely receive engagement beyond a day or two. Plus, Reddit’s discovery algorithm does not encourage discussion. It seems to emphasize likes over replies or the longevity of posts.

[-] julian@community.nodebb.org 1 points 1 week ago

@razibal I think that is always going to happen when your algorithm prioritizes engagement of single posts over the health of a larger conversation.

this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2025
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