From the first moment I first went online in 1996, forums were the main place to hang out. In fact the very first thing I did was join an online forum run by the Greek magazine "PC Master" so I could directly to my favourite game reviewers (for me it was Tsourinakis, for those old [...]
  • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    01·
    5 months ago

    If there was a Reddit/Lemmy style website (where people create communities for various subjects but it’s all available from the same website using the same credentials) with forum style discussions I would be outta here in a moment.

    Ongoing discussions with bumps are so much better for knowledge accumulation (that’s the reason why they’re still used by specialized communities), the major issue with forums, as pointed out, is the hassle of having to go from one website to another to talk about various subjects and needing to sign up to each one of them.

    As for solving the “little Kings” issue, dumb backend, smart frontend. Remove admins from the equation, those hosting are only there to host. People moderate communities but communities can easily be replaced. People create a frontend to access the backend but from a user point of view it doesn’t make a difference what frontend they use, they will get access to the same content.

    The fact that I’ve written this comment a dozen times since last year proves a point, Reddit/Lemmy style websites just lead to content being repeated again and again. This comment will get lost to time just like all the other times I shared my opinion on the subject. On a forum it would be part of the ongoing discussion and anyone who wanted to go through the whole thread where all discussions on that subject to place would read it, no matter how long it had been since I posted.

    • db0@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      It seems to me the only thing you’re missing from the functionality you want on lemmy is a sorting system which just bumps any threads with new comments to the top. I don’t like that approach myself, but if that’s what you want I don’t see a reason not to have it. Why don’t you suggest it to the lemmy devs? It doesn’t seem like it would be difficult to add it.

      EDIT: Actually, nevermind, this already exists with the “New Comments” feature. Why don’t you just use that? https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/?dataType=Post&listingType=Subscribed&sort=NewComments

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        5 months ago

        Only works if everyone’s experience is the same and discussions are centralized in threads. I added to my comment but on a forum that discussion would be part of a thread where all similar articles/discussions would be centralized instead of having a new thread being opened on the same subject every few weeks and people having to rewrite the same opinion every time (or just not sharing their opinion anymore because they’re tired of repeating themselves every time someone wants to talk about that subject).

        There’s no knowledge accumulation with the way things work on Reddit/Lemmy, just repetition and things being forgotten.

        • db0@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
          1·
          5 months ago

          I can’t disagree enough. There was little knowledge accumulation in oldschool forums either. There were constant arguments about thread necromancy and people not searching before asking. It sounds like you’re describing a parallel idyllic universe.

          This kind of knowledge repository is why were have megathreads and/or attached wikis.

          Regardless of that, if you really wanted to run a lemmy instance like that, you can do that right now. You can set up a lemmy instance where you default to sorting everything by “New Comments” and discussions as “Chat” and you get an identical model to old school forums. Hell, as long as you find a good amount of like-minded folks and you all agree to sort the same way, you can build up your “knowledge accumulation” inside the existing lemmy instances and communities.

    • MusketeerX@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      I don’t disagree.

      There is one forum I still participate in:

      https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/

      It’s mostly tech-focussed and Australia-centric, but it does have other topics like sport, TV etc…

      I wish there were more like this.

      I hate that the bulk of online discussion is now owned/monopolised by a couple of huge corporations.

      • PrimeMinisterKeyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        5 months ago

        There are many forums like that, especially if you’re not limited to one language. Most of the ones I frequent have been around for 10 or 20 years or more, but kind of fly under the radar. ilxor being a very good example. AFAIK, the latter also adds only one new user per day. I’d say that’s a good thing, even though I had to apply several times.

        • spookex@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          5 months ago

          Specific forums for certain things are still the best.

          I have an Aprilia motorcycle from 1999, and the Aprilia forum has 20 years of info, discussion, and advice on that specific motorcycle.

          It is also a bit surreal seeing someone reply to my question and see that they joined the forum itself back when I was less that 1 years old.

    • SorteKanin@feddit.dkEnglish
      0·
      5 months ago

      If there was a Reddit/Lemmy style website (where people create communities for various subjects but it’s all available from the same website using the same credentials) with forum style discussions

      Isn’t this just Discourse?

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        5 months ago

        I’ll go take a look, but isn’t it just the software behind the various forums and you need separate credentials for each one?

    • Flax@feddit.ukEnglish
      0·
      5 months ago

      If there was a Reddit/Lemmy style website (where people create communities for various subjects but it’s all available from the same website using the same credentials) with forum style discussions I would be outta here in a moment.

      My brother, this is that website

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        5 months ago

        No, it’s not. Unless they only allow the sorting of threads based on which discussions has the newest comment (bumping) and remove comment nesting (so discussions are ongoing instead of branching off which makes it difficult to keep up with what’s new in the different threads), it’s not that website.

          • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            0·
            5 months ago

            Again, unless it works the same way for everyone then people are just replying to old discussions and no one knows about it except for the person they’re replying to.

              • Kecessa@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                0·
                5 months ago

                Look at this conversation, it’s old enough that it doesn’t show in my feed anymore (sorted by top 6h), if I wasn’t taking part in it no matter how many people replied to it I would never know it took place.

                That’s what I’m talking about, if sorting is up to the user then most people only see “fresh” content, not ongoing conversations that they might want to take part in if they realized they’re happening. Same for the comments sections, threaded makes it harder to check what’s new (have to go down each branch to get the context).