Reply To: OnTableTop needs a forum – A discussion thread

[blinky465 17028xp 2]

@jamescutts – if everyone recognises that forum activity has decreased as a direct result of introducing Discord, then “I dont think its taking anything away from the Forum” just doesn’t feel quite right. For whatever reason, users are saying they don’t use the forums *now that Discord is available* (and some saying they would simply go looking for their hobby fix elsewhere if they couldn’t use Discord – I forget who, but it’s back in this thread somewhere).

@totsuzenheni – its surely clear that there’s a split, in that people using Discord are not using the forums (in the way they once did) – otherwise the forum activity wouldn’t have declined?

I think this very thread is an excellent example of the benefit of forums posts. I saw this thread yesterday, checked in when I was having breakfast this morning (hey, I was late getting ready to go out this morning, don’t judge!). I could throw a bit in, then go out for (what was left of) the day . Re-read some posts this when I got home this evening (where the original meaning was either lost or mis-interpreted by posters following it), have a brew, chime in…. it didn’t require me to be constantly online, responding in real time. If this thread had gone up on Discord, I don’t think it would have had the full range of thoughtful contributions from all positions that it has here: by the “chatty nature” of Discord, it would have appeared like a flurry of “ping pong” points and anyone coming in late might have felt left out of the conversation.

I’ve used Discord but just don’t get on with it – in fact I just checked the CogitoLudos server now – I find trying to find the start of a conversation thread confusing (or maybe that’s just the cog-sanctuary?). I can’t imagine joining in a chat, going away for a few hours, coming back and being able to pick up the thread in quite the same way.