Online communities have changed a lot over the years. Whereas the internet was once rife with forums, message boards, and other such niche areas for discussions surrounding particular hobbies, now it’s all Facebook, Twitter, and comments sections. For those just browsing the internet like nomads wandering the desert, it can be difficult to feel a sense of community around a particular site, channel, or hobby. However, there are strong online communities that definitely do exist, and that offer a welcoming place for those who populate them.
Personally, when I was a teenager I frequented a whole bunch of music forums, as that was my number one passion at the time. I mainly lurked the songwriting threads, penning embarrassing verses to be critiqued by a bunch of people with similarly sub-par writing skills. This was back when my only other form of online communication came through MSN Messenger, so logging onto these forums and seeing that someone had replied to my threads was exciting.
I get the same feeling now whenever I write an article I’m passionate about and post it to GameRevolution. In this career path you get used to people criticizing your work, but scrolling through the comments section every now and again and seeing a positive message makes me miss the old days, when the internet felt like a more optimistic place. Still, there’s no saying we can’t relive the glory days on our corner of the World Wide Web, so let’s discuss some of our favorite memories of old online communities along with the current communities we belong to.
Do you frequent a particular subreddit? Are you still an active forum user (and if so, remember to sign up to the GameRevolution forums)? Or do you routinely post in a Facebook group for a particular fandom you enjoy? Let us know in the comments section below!
