Two years ago, I answered a question on Quora, “Is the time for forums over?” I’m sure I answered “are forums dead?” type questions like that before.
Here we are, two years later, and what I said then is exactly as true now. I’ve been asked this type of question many, many times and I always give a similar answer. Two years from now, I expect my answer will still be as true as it is now.
I’ve tackled this topic seriously numerous times here at ManagingCommunities.com, talking about how forums evolve and why this question isn’t helpful to your efforts. I’ve talked about platform death and said that there isn’t enough time in the day for me to tell you that forums are not dead.
I’ve also had fun with it, posting an obituary for forums on April Fools’ Day and launching areforumsdead.com. That last link, though certainly facetious, is also helpful. Keep refreshing. You never know. If forums do die, the page will say yes.
Along those same lines, I was pondering this question and some meme ideas came to mind. I thought it might be fun to tackle this question in meme form and so, that is what we’re going to do in this post.
There is the thought that forums don’t evolve.
Of course, what this often amounts to is that forums aren’t enough like Facebook or Twitter.
Despite the fact that an active forum for virtually any topic is a Google search away, who really uses forums, anyway?
And, of course, condescending Wonka has to have his say.
But, when I’m asked, sometimes I feel a little like Grumpy Cat.
