When I was a kid, around the early internet era I'm assuming everyone had similar experiences of the social internet. Specifically forums, built around a particular topic, or just literally chat forums where you'd create an account and interact with the same people regularly. (Bonus points if you could create a cool looking "sig") those people were always popular.
Facebook obviously killed forums off, but I'm spending a lot more time on the same forums, and interacting with the same people over and over again. Which I've come to the conclusion is actually a fairly good defense against Bots as you have a general idea of someone's normal behaviour.
Heck even Facebook, what originally killed off forums, just doesn't seem to have much use anymore. Most posting is in groups, which are essentially just forums.
Are we finally seeing the overdue devolution of the internet back into specific communities? This is great IMO by the way as places like X will always be common areas but places like this are great refuges. As long as intro threads don't make a comeback. Those things were always terrible.
How much time do people spend on single interest forums these days?
Of course forums are making a comeback. When Dom or Antonio chastise me here it is for good reason and I listen to the reasons why and am able to question if I find there to be reason to. On Reddit or other social media I'm being blanket banned from areas I wouldn't go to by people who won't justify their actions.
I'm not the worst Internet user and am seasoned enough to not foul up by accident but there are plenty of people still exploring who their online personas are and they need to experience embarrassment and humiliation in order to be the best them.
Forums, and good moderators, are a tried and tested method of allowing that to happen and you can joke without it seeming like you've committed a unforgivable crime.
Interesting idea I never considered. The moderated board structure forces you to adapt and grow into group of users. Maybe there's another forum you'll fit in with better, but being a lone wolf doesn't work unless you only want to lurk.
Social media must be the opposite extreme. Everyone can be their most badass narcissist self and eventually get praised and "affirmed" by someone somewhere in the world for it.