Future of Forums

[FireStorM]

What do you think about the future of forums ? Like for example for people between 16 to 35 , do you think there is a bright future or is it that social network site is only the main priority for this age group?

[Joe Ward]

In regards to information value, I believe forums will always be superior to social networks in their current form.

I would expect that social networks will eventually evolve into a hybrid that includes a forum like element in order to capture this valuable content.

[eJM]

There are an increasing number of Internet users my age (I hesitate to use the term "baby-boomers", but I guess we are) and the current Social Networking models hold very little attraction for us (not that I am a spokesman). There is a great value for many of us in the information and camaraderie we can share in the forum environment. I would like to see forums evolve to include some of the features of social networking, but in a bit more orderly fashion. I will continue to develop my own forums toward that ideal.

R'gards,

Jim

[Pierce]

us.cyworld.com seems to have got it right. You have your own personal forums and proper information sharing, rather than heres my bucket, heres yours.

But im not sure. I think social network sites will pass like a fad. People will get tired of them and move on, just like people move from one forum to the next. Its the natural progression of life.

Pierce

[briansol]

remember hotornot.com ? one of the biggest sites back when i was in college.... now, no one talks about it.

its all a fad.

everything on the internet is a fad.
which is why we need to keep with the times

[Pierce]

yeah, all the spin offs was like eating dried chicken.

Pierce

[Joe Ward]

While hotornot.com was more geared towards *general entertainment*, social networking involves communication. It's already attracted a huge user base, and it fulfills our need for communication and interaction with others. The question is really "how will it evolve" to fulfill these needs as good or better than they do now, with an improved interface. One thing to note is that the apparent "messiness" of myspace pages (for instance), is actually a fun and creative outlet that appeals to younger users... but not necessary to others in my age category (the "nouveau olde"), or older.

[Pierce]

I was a teenager (OMG I CANT BELIEVE IT!), and i remember the ammount of fads that went through school.

The problem is that communication is not unique enough on myspace or any social networking site. Everybody tries to be in a group, gangsta, goth, poor me, etc etc.

There are a few originals, and when a good one comes out, people replicate it. When ones over, it becomes OLD SCHOOL!

As long as it doesnt "repeat" its self, then it should be okay. But even in pure randomness, randomness itsself has a pattern!

Pierce

[Joe Ward]

As long as it doesnt "repeat" its self, then it should be okay. But even in pure randomness, randomness itsself has a pattern!Pierce

Now you're starting to get really philosophical. Kidding.

[Pierce]

Chaos theory

Pierce

[Joe Ward]

Chaos theory

I'm not well verse in the Chaos theory. Can you apply it to electronic KENO?

[GNA]

Forums will be around for holding specific information. The forum I run pertains to a hobby where people do a lot of modifiction, building tools, and processes from scratch. It doesn't transfer to social networking and many people in my hobby even have personal websites they use to post info, but it is the forums that attract the attention.

I'm 37 and on the cusp of soical networking. What I see on social networking is the "Hey look at me!" of younger people and people I wouldn't want to hang around with like one site I was on where a 33 year old woman was bemoaning her unablilty to stop going out everynight to get plastered.

There is nothing wrong with being 16-25 and partying it up every night. I did it and I did the attention whore stuff in my day. I have a famliy and a dialed in hobby that I spend time on and the forum platform seems to suit a mature audience.

Just my .02

[Pierce]

I'm not well verse in the Chaos theory. Can you apply it to electronic KENO?

Im not well versed either, it was a small paragraph, thought it was an interesting concept that no matter how random, random its self is a pattern.

Pierce

[Code Monkey]

There are an increasing number of Internet users my age (I hesitate to use the term "baby-boomers", but I guess we are) and the current Social Networking models hold very little attraction for us (not that I am a spokesman). There is a great value for many of us in the information and camaraderie we can share in the forum environment. I would like to see forums evolve to include some of the features of social networking, but in a bit more orderly fashion. I will continue to develop my own forums toward that ideal.

R'gards,

Jim

As a trailing edge boomer I would have to agree.