Anyone else ever Google for answers, find forums instead of Reddit, then forget what those forums are?
Posted by IMDXLNC@reddit | RedditAlternatives | View on Reddit | 12 comments
I feel like I've come across plenty of forums before that are actually active, have quite a few categories rather than being focused solely on tech or games for example, and best of all have users that actually communicate like real humans and actually discuss things in a way that's informative but also with normal humour, not Reddit style humour.
Yet I never make an effort to bookmark them because I'm too focused on finding answers about stuff. Some have very vague names, others are your big ones like IGN which, despite being known for games, actually does have a diverse variety of sections.
I'm still searching for some but results seem to be very "specialised".
creamyhorror@reddit
SomethingAwful is the original edgy American everything-forums, it's even where 4chan came from.
IMDXLNC@reddit (OP)
That and it costs for entry. Which I understand for quality purposes but it's definitely not my kind of thing to pay from the get-go.
creamyhorror@reddit
Yeah of course. Back in the day, I lurked it for many months before I eventually paid, and it was worth it.
IMDXLNC@reddit (OP)
So is browsing free for everybody, but posting requires payment?
creamyhorror@reddit
Yes, that's generally how it was. Made sense since posting is where you need some accountability and quality. But nowadays, I think free browsing is just giving away data, welp. And I think paying to post is a concept that only works in a community that already has a high viewership.
IMDXLNC@reddit (OP)
Everything has commercial undertones and intentions even if it means ruining the user experience. Letting everyone read but restricting posting sounds like the sweet spot.
Definitely that. I can see it working in a community that has some healthy activity and some new people flowing in, but only added when mods have to put out fires relating to spam, bots and the like. Something Awful charges $10USD but if it inspired anything else, another forum even charging $1 could deter a lot of issues.
RobHadEnuf@reddit
nah man. i dont see anything but reddit reddit reddit. they just need IA to weed out the bad apples.
TFielding38@reddit
Bob is the Oil Guy is mostly focused on auto maintenence and tribology, but has a pretty active off topic section
IMDXLNC@reddit (OP)
I just checked this site out and went right down to General and other sections.
Maybe I don't Google enough but it's crazy to think that pockets of the internet like this exist, with an active community, yet they've never come into my searches at all and this is the first time I've learned of this forum's existence.
In a way it's good because you get real genuine people on there and there's far less incentive to spam the site with bots or farm clicks.
And the bad is obviously that people who might want something like it, may never find it.
It's bittersweet in a way.
gyrateguy@reddit
Sounds like a personal problem.
IMDXLNC@reddit (OP)
Other fairly expansive forums I've come across in the past:
Digital Spy: Fairly well known but it seems to be very UK-based rather than worldwide.
Lipstick Alley: Covers a lot of topics, but does market itself as "The Internet's largest African American Forum" so not really worldwide.
bodybuilding.com: Despite the name, it had a huge variety of topics, it seems that it shut down in 2024.
WanderingInAVan@reddit
Welcome to the OLD WAYS!