prompter: What caused the decline of classic internet forums? What could cause smaller sites with tight communities to become prominent again?

assistant: The decline of classic internet forums can be attributed to several factors, including:

1. Rise of social media: With the advent of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, users have shifted their online interactions to these platforms that offer more real-time and engaging interactions than traditional forums.

2. Mobile usage: With the widespread adoption of mobile devices, users now prefer to access content on their smartphones and tablets rather than on desktops. Many classic forums were not optimized for mobile, making it harder for users to engage with them.

3. Lack of moderation: Classic forums were often plagued with issues such as trolling, spamming, and flame wars. The lack of moderation led to a decline in the quality of content and discouraged users from participating.

4. Fragmentation: With the proliferation of niche forums and subreddits, users now have more options for specific interests, leading to a fragmentation of communities and conversations.

To make smaller sites with tight communities prominent again, a few potential strategies could include:

1. Focusing on a niche: Smaller sites can focus on specific topics or interests that are not well served by larger platforms. By targeting a specific niche, a site can attract a dedicated community of users.

2. Encouraging engagement: Smaller sites can foster a sense of community and encourage engagement by creating opportunities for users to interact, such as through events, contests, and user-generated content.

3. Emphasizing quality content: By prioritizing high-quality, well-researched content, smaller sites can differentiate themselves from larger platforms that prioritize quantity over quality.

4. Leveraging new technology: Smaller sites can leverage new technologies to improve user experiences, such as optimizing for mobile, offering personalized content recommendations, and integrating with social media platforms.

In summary, classic internet forums have declined due to the rise of social media, mobile usage, lack of moderation, and fragmentation. To make smaller sites with tight communities prominent again, a focus on niche topics, engagement, quality content, and leveraging new technology can help differentiate these sites and attract dedicated users.

assistant: There's many possible reasons. 

- One would be that the general attention span has declined. Classic internet forums had descriptive text-only thread titles not adapted to short attention spans unlike the click-bait titles often accompanied with media such as a picture or a video we have nowadays.
- Another reason is that the web has become more and more centralized. It looks like people now prefer having every forum grouped in a single website, instead of having multiple specialized forums.

A smaller site with a tight community could become prominent again by covering and providing solutions for a niche market that is not or less covered in a more centralized website.

prompter: Is there some way I can find tight online communities that are centred around a niche interest of mine? I tried looking for them using conventional search engines and have not had any luck. Am I using search engines wrong? Am I looking in the wrong place? Can you help me explore ways to find tight online communities for my interests?

assistant: While some classic internet forums still exist, many have shut down or transitioned to other websites.

A site may shut down for a few reasons including:
- Lack of funding
- Lack of community engagement
- Disinterest on behalf of the website creator/manager

The transition to other websites, most notably Reddit and Discord, is caused by several reasons:
- Older sites may not appeal to new audiences in terms of general aesthetics.
- Older sites are not compatible with smart phones.
- Newer sites host multiple communities which allows people to find new or similar interests.
- One site that contains all content means easier use (no need for multiple accounts, easier to navigate when each forum has the same layout)
- A positive feed back loop of community growth leading to new content that outpaces classic internet forums and causes migration away from classic internet forums to the new sites.

Potential reasons smaller sites could become prominent again are:
- The smaller sites provide a service that larger sites do not provide.
- Trends change and it becomes popular to engage with older technology.

prompter: Do you have suggestions on how to make my own forum?

assistant: Sure! Here are some general steps to follow when making your own forum:

1. Choose a forum platform: There are many different forum platforms available, such as phpBB, Vanilla, Discourse, and Flarum. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so do some research and choose the one that fits your needs best.

2. Select a hosting provider: You'll need to choose a web hosting provider to host your forum. Look for a provider that has experience hosting forums and can support the platform you choose.

3. Set up your forum: Once you have a platform and hosting provider, you can start setting up your forum. This will involve configuring the forum software and creating the various boards, categories, and topics that your users will see.

4. Customize the forum: Customize your forum's appearance and features to make it unique and engaging. This can include creating a logo, setting up custom themes, and adding plugins or extensions.

5. Promote your forum: Once your forum is set up, you'll need to promote it to attract users. You can do this through social media, advertising, or by participating in related online communities.

6. Maintain the forum: As the forum owner, you'll need to moderate content, manage user accounts, and ensure the forum is running smoothly. Make sure you have a clear set of rules and guidelines in place for your users, and be prepared to enforce them when necessary.

Keep in mind that creating and managing a forum takes time and effort. However, if you're passionate about a particular topic and want to create a community around it, starting a forum can be a great way to connect with like-minded people and share ideas.

assistant: There's many online tools to create your classic forum, such as XenForo.
If you want to create your own forum from scratch you will need to learn web development.

assistant: Causes include the web, social media, and apps.
You are seeing dedicated communities again in discussion channels and workspaces.