Forums still rule for discourse content for some subjects. Some of them are basically grand-fathered in because Google will surface them and their communities started before Reddit. Guitar gear is one of those. There are still half a dozen forums that provide way better discourse than Reddit. I imagine a big part of that is because the users are an older age group.
Everyone uses Reddit because everyone uses Reddit. Most people old enough to remember forums agree that forums were a dramatically better solution, but they're generally dead now (with some exceptions). Discourse is almost entirely Reddit or Facebook these days.
Interesting that you feel older demographics degrade a platform. For me, it’s the opposite: I am really starting to appreciate hobby forums that are dominated by people a couple of decades older than myself. This tends to happen to independent website forums when now the younger generation eschews them for walled gardens like Reddit.
The reason for that is that older people are less likely to be using mobile, and they are more likely to create long-form text content. You can actually have substantial discussions with them and share detailed tips and reports. Compare this to the relevant Reddit subreddits, where each day’s new posts have largely devolved to vacuous uploaded photos or memes, and the discussion thread is often a lot of vacuous one-sentence replies.
I still use forums a lot especially for subject related issues. It's a total different medium then a social network so I don't think it's fair to compare. I still think that forums are a huge part of the internet.
For my hobbies (vinyl, headphones, audio gear, android), the forums are still the superior way to interact with other hobbyists. Some of these forums have been around since early 2000s are still around and very active.
Are old school style forums social networks then? Reddit to me just fits into that mold, of just a forum site. The type that have existed as far back as I have been using the internet.
There are still some quality 90s-style automotive forums around, and many take donations. A steel guitar forum I'm on charges a nominal $5/year. Reddit may have breadth of scale, but these have depth and expertise that makes it worth keeping them going.
As a heavy forum user (since the late 90s), I find reddit supplanted them. Reddit is basically every forum I've ever been a part of, all on a single website. More importantly, it's every forum I didn't even know existed, on a single website. I found many niche hobbies and interests I wouldn't have otherwise found thanks to reddit.
I think that's why reddit grew so large, so quick. It does what forums do (provides similar discussions), except better.
Early 2000s forums were a special place. None I was part of were quite as close-knit as yours sounds, but the general quality of discourse of those I frequented back then was a good deal higher than what’s commonly seen on social media these days.
It’s too bad they’ve gone extinct. The few old style forums that are still hanging on do so by way of sheer momentum (huge numbers of posters) or by having become fringe echo chambers and are just as bad or worse than social media.
Forums were great. I miss them greatly. Not only were they better for debate, but they fostered a sense of community. They were welcome to discussion and collaboration and experimentation. People could learn from each other and form lasting bonds. Everything on sites like Reddit is too ephemeral and anonymous.
Don't assume forums are somehow freer of group-think because they are less accessible. Once they get established, the existing user base tends to push out anyone that doesn't agree with their views.
Some subreddits are awesome, and some are way less awesome. And much of the best, most informative and technical information out there lives on subreddits.
Many people pine for the days when only the most savvy users knew about the forums, but I don't think there is any way to bring that era back.
Forums can have amazing longevity. In the past 10 years I’ve seen communities on social media go completely extinct multiple times (rip Tumblr) and yet I’m still regularly using a forum I’ve posted on for 21 years.
They don’t have good growth but it’s the closest thing to an authentic “public square” in my opinion. Actual conversations, instead of people just yelling on their soapbox.
Forums are still one of the best sources for narrow topic specific discussion. I frequent several (advrider.com being the biggest) and the topic divisions keep off-topic discussion to a minimum.
I miss forums too, I really like reddit for finding interesting stuff, but the community aspect isn’t there so much.
Back in the late 90s early 00s I was a member of a forum for a chain of video game stores in the UK, it was an amazing community. The store went bust in ‘05 and one guy created his own forum software where most of the displaced members flocked to.
That forum is still going, although there’s probably only 10 or so regulars left - but we still talk on it every day. I’ve even met a few of them in the real world.
EDIT: I think you've hit the nail on the head, the thing that was so great about forums is, while the original point of the forum was to bring together people with a like minded interest (video game(s)/whatever) - the forum would also have separate boards to discuss cross over topics or something completely unrelated. This meant you were talking to people who you might recognise from other areas of the forum and share other common interests, so could build that sense of community.
Whereas reddit just feels more siloed, I wouldn't recongise anyone who visits subreddit X who also happens to be on Y etc
But surely these are just commercialized versions of forums, the latter being a far more versatile medium to have discussions on? Reddit has monopolized the entire forum industry and ruined online communities.
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