Bring back crappy forums
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Web forums fostered better communities than modern social media, argues the author.
The article traces the history of web forums from Usenet (1970s) through early software like WWWBoard and phpBB, arguing that forums' limitations (BBCode, chronological threads, autocratic moderation) created stronger, more meaningful communities than today's social platforms. It notes 110,000 newsgroups remain on Usenet providers. The author cites Visual Editors forum and The Well as successful examples. Forum software like Slashcode influenced Digg, Reddit, and Hacker News.
What commenters are saying
Commenters broadly agree that old forums felt better, citing chronological discussions without up/downvoting (called "a cancer"), autocratic moderation that quickly dealt with trolling, and higher barriers to entry that fostered community. One notes kill files from Usenet days allowed personal filtering. Another argues nostalgia is misplaced: forums still exist but require investment in community lore. A split emerges over whether Discord or Reddit adequately replaces forums, with several noting Discord's ephemeral nature kills long-term engagement. Some miss inline quoting and real names as social norms.