Let's make bitcointalk great again.

[dzungmobile]

When it comes to getting help and assistance in solving specific problems, the knowledge roaming around on Bitcointalk and among its members isn't something you will find on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. Bitcointalk was and remains #1 in that aspect. I think Bitcoin StackExchange takes the second spot in terms of quality posts.

Bitcointalk will remain as main sources for influencers on Facebook, Twitter especially Twitter when they need to find something about Bitcoin history, the founder, milestones in Bitcoin adoption and developments. I have seen many times influencers, centralized exchanges dig into the forum and find such information.

Help and get help educationally in Bitcointalk forum is classic, it's hard to find it in other online platforms, I agree with you Pmalek.

It's sad that the forum already lost o_e_l_e_o months ago. I hope o_e_l_e_o is still fine and enjoys happy life with his family.

Far in the past, the forum lost Andreas Antonopoulos and Jameson Lopp. The second person still logged in the forum to announce his fix on Bitcoin Confirmation Risk Calculator tool.

[Alone055]

I don't think we should compare forums with social media platforms or instant messaging apps because they have different purposes altogether, and besides, those who were into forums from the beginning would never turn their backs on them only because there are instant messaging apps available now, similarly, those who were always into those things where there is more user-friendliness and convenience for using the platforms such as easy exchange of information, sending and receiving pictures and videos would barely be interested in forums in the first place because they never were into such things.

I have always been fond of forums, be it this one or any other, because I have always known and believed that forums are the epitome of knowledge. The knowledge that you might not find anywhere in the world wide web might be found in a forum somewhere because people share their experiences in such places and there is nothing more valuable than an experience shared, it gives you a clear idea of what you are looking for.

So, the popularity of this forum or others haven't dropped because of the advent in the social messaging platforms but it's just that most people aren't completely aware of what we have in here. It could be a lack of marketing, maybe.

[Sandra_hakeem]

I've been on this forum for quite a long time and I have no plans to leave. We have all witnessed a rather sad phenomenon: the decline in the popularity of forums and the rise in popularity of instant messengers. Indeed, messengers are convenient in many ways: you exchange instant messages, you have very few restrictions on publications, you can actively use memes and pictures, as well as videos. You can post many messages in one chat or channel and the moderator will not correct you. However, pay attention to the positive aspects of forums: here the information is well structured and systematized.

Have you ever thought of how impossible it'd be to moderate spam and unwanted post if the forum was as free as what social medias look like? Lemme make a little specificity on it; Facebook has a very effective word filter for a lot of derogatory words. If you ever go against their community standards, a ban is issued out immediately.. in some cases, people could maneuver with their words, adding signs and full stops just to convey their exact thoughts... If that happens in Bitcointalk, with time, it'd become one of the most terrible places to visit.

2017 was a spamfest but people made lots of and lots of money during that time. It was awesome. I don’t think we’ll experience something like that ever again in the future

It's the least thing on my expectation list... As long as the value of Bitcoin increases, it'll always commensurate their desired pay rate... Everything can be recycled, maybe that's just what we gotta realize soon enough.

[hugeblack]

I would like to ask a question: what do you think needs to happen for our forum to become popular again?

Unfortunately, signature campaigns lead the forum's trends, so if you think that the forum has become a thing, this means that campaign managers need more effort.
The worst thing is the scarcity of non-gambling campaigns, but nevertheless, spending time without paid posts is fun.

[examplens]

I would like to ask a question: what do you think needs to happen for our forum to become popular again?

Unfortunately, signature campaigns lead the forum's trends, so if you think that the forum has become a thing, this means that campaign managers need more effort.
The worst thing is the scarcity of non-gambling campaigns, but nevertheless, spending time without paid posts is fun.

The decline in popularity does not apply only to this forum (like all other forums), but it is a trend for the website industry in general. There are more and more projects, businesses... that have a website only for information and basically rely on hosted services beyond that.
Various social media, YouTube, GitHub etc...are taking over the dominance, also most services without a mobile app seem to not exist.

[stadus]

what do you think needs to happen for our forum to become popular again?

Personally I do not think that the popularity of this forum has diminished so much, what I see is just a reduction in the number of companies coming to do marketing in the forum following the ban of mixers. Even though I still believe that mixers were in line with the vision of Satoshi, it is unfortunate that the powers that be consider it a threat to their control of global finance. It is expected that the ban of mixers will definitely affect the forum but I have the confidence that in coming years, the forum would have evolved and completely return to the high traffic platform it used to be.

In summary, I don't think there's nothing anybody can do to change the natural process the forum is passing through. In due time, more companies will see the importance of the forum and will surely consider the forum for their marketing, this will in turn bring more participants here.

This forum is still very popular, and ranking very high in any Google search.

Just search for technical questions and topics, bitcointalk is always among the first results

What OP wants is just more money from signature campaigns.. which are a privilege,  not a metric of the success of the forum.

No need to change about the forum, but it’s most likely the forum members should improve theirselves so that the forum will remain its significance on educating and spreading the right information and insights. If other people will see this, they will no longer resort into finding other forums but stick to bitcointalk.

Bitcointalk is still definitely the most popular when google, as much as it can be the highly significant one when moderators don’t tolerate spams and fake information all throughout the forum.

[AVE5]

I've been on this forum for quite a long time and I have no plans to leave. We have all witnessed a rather sad phenomenon: the decline in the popularity of forums and the rise in popularity of instant messengers. Indeed, messengers are convenient in many ways: you exchange instant messages, you have very few restrictions on publications, you can actively use memes and pictures, as well as videos. You can post many messages in one chat or channel and the moderator will not correct you. However, pay attention to the positive aspects of forums: here the information is well structured and systematized. There is a concept of a constructive post here, which is not found in instant messengers. In messengers, all messages fly into an endless feed, from where it is very difficult to pull them out.
 I believe that crypto forums are ideal for running an anonymous, or more precisely, pseudonymous business. You open the door to your personal life exactly as much as you want. This is unthinkable in the ordinary world. Thus, crypto forums in general and the bitcointalk forum in particular are of significant value. In this regard, I would like to ask a question: what do you think needs to happen for our forum to become popular again?

Let me assume on the fact that I recently came into the bitcointalk forum and probably may have missed out previous happenings which may have been assumed that the the forum was little declined from gaining more or maintaining its popularity as though said Op.
But up to the era I became familiar with the forum, I learnt that it's has been one of an ancient existing platform which I've come across on the internet but unknowingly to me that I never knew the valuable potential not until I was recommended due to the fact that I had interest on Investing on bitcoin and exploit in the crypto sphere.
To me the forum is best regarded and commendable by the way it's today, let it remain on the low without being architects to hyping or turning into one of the social medias where people wouldn't be guided of morales and the highily terms and conditions of the forum wellbeing.
Maybe such designated submissive should be of the AltCoins and the MemeCoins that're based on hyping and the childish speculations just to attract investors. Behold, this is primarily bitcointalk platform while others are attached. The public related orientation of bitcoin enthusiaste relating to the public is that you shouldn't convince anyone to invest on bitcoin but let them decide for themselves. Definitely the forum stands as equivalent to such regards of bitcoin reputability.
My thought though.

[lovesmayfamilis]

The title topic sounds like Trump's slogan about America.

Now is the time for messengers and short messages. What I noticed was that people stopped reading and communicating with each other. Instead, in instant messengers, speech is reduced and words are replaced by emoticons. People have forgotten how to write and read anything longer than two lines. Of course, this is sad to see, but all we can do for the forum is tell our loved ones about it, or maybe it will be possible to captivate them with questions about Bitcoin.
 And while the number of companies is minimal, only those interested in them will probably remain. It's amazing how many nicknames are memorable, and you always see the same people. Any new name is surprising.

[Smartvirus]

Now is the time for messengers and short messages. What I noticed was that people stopped reading and communicating with each other. Instead, in instant messengers, speech is reduced and words are replaced by emoticons. People have forgotten how to write and read anything longer than two lines. Of course, this is sad to see, but all we can do for the forum is tell our loved ones about it, or maybe it will be possible to captivate them with questions about Bitcoin.
 And while the number of companies is minimal, only those interested in them will probably remain. It's amazing how many nicknames are memorable, and you always see the same people. Any new name is surprising.

I still fined the forum to have improved over the years given that, come the population as we’ve got now, it’s sure to have its dose of troubles too. Though, it doesn’t mean the forum isn’t great anymore, it still is. We have users confined in a niche that, you need to be well grounded to participate ot willing to learn else, you just wouldn’t fit in. I say this with particular reference to the technical discussion board.

While the early adopters was curious, interested about the technology, discussed it with each other and hoped to see it transformed to something great, they still do exists on the forum and a few new users still number in this capacity while, a lot of others just want to make turn overs after turn overs, milking the technology and giving nothing back. Not even some literal piece to improve on what’s available.
Instead, you find users looking out for the next AI to help their course!
Good thing we’ve got users dedicated to tracking these, report and neg tag as it applies. It’s been effective and the fight continues but, this is what happens when you have increased participation and a rapid development in technology.

All that doesn’t mean the forum isn’t great. Rules are still very effective and it’s toxic to law breakers still.

[LoyceV]

the decline in the popularity of forums and the rise in popularity of instant messengers.

Don't you mean social media instead of instant messengers?

Indeed, messengers are convenient in many ways: you exchange instant messages, you have very few restrictions on publications, you can actively use memes and pictures, as well as videos.

I don't want people to have instant access to my attention, I don't want memes, and I don't want videos. Bitcointalk is fine the way it is.

what do you think needs to happen for our forum to become popular again?

I'm confused: your title wants to make the forum "great", your post wants to make it "popular". Considering the level of social media, I don't think those two words go together.

[NotATether]

The decline in popularity does not apply only to this forum (like all other forums), but it is a trend for the website industry in general. There are more and more projects, businesses... that have a website only for information and basically rely on hosted services beyond that.
Various social media, YouTube, GitHub etc...are taking over the dominance, also most services without a mobile app seem to not exist.

Social media like Reddit, Twitter and Nostr have absorbed most of the bitcoin-related discussion, and that of other crypto in general, but that doesn't mean that Bitcointalk is useless. In my opinion it is a hybrid between a mailing list and typical social media postings, where you can still have in-depth discussions about things, but you are not going to see a whole lot of memes and trolling until you go somewhere like that Wall Observer thread.

[Zlantann]

The title topic sounds like Trump's slogan about America.

Now is the time for messengers and short messages. What I noticed was that people stopped reading and communicating with each other. Instead, in instant messengers, speech is reduced and words are replaced by emoticons. People have forgotten how to write and read anything longer than two lines. Of course, this is sad to see, but all we can do for the forum is tell our loved ones about it, or maybe it will be possible to captivate them with questions about Bitcoin.
 And while the number of companies is minimal, only those interested in them will probably remain. It's amazing how many nicknames are memorable, and you always see the same people. Any new name is surprising.

Your points are valid because you see people complaining in this forum about long posts. Once you put up a long post it is common to see members advising you to summarise your post to enable fast and easy reading. I don't also blame people sometimes for preferring short posts. People don't have much time because they are overworking themselves to survive. These days, if you don't work hard, you might not be able to survive, so people want to learn faster with smart reading. That's why I am trying my best to be financially stable to enable me to exit the rat race. My desire is to retire early and put more time into things that give me satisfaction, not just money.

[m2017]

I would like to ask a question: what do you think needs to happen for our forum to become popular again?

Nothing.

Nothing will change the current structure of the world Internet.

Forums, as one of the stages in the formation of the Internet, have survived only as a vestige of that old era. The world (technology) does not stand still and therefore messengers now dominate. Of course, some of the forums still exist, but forums will never become as popular as before.

I’m not saying that (advantages and disadvantages) forums are good or bad, it just so happens that now this is not the most widespread type of platform and it will no longer be possible to redirect users from instant messengers. People got used to the new type (shell) of products and adapted to the changes. There is no way back.

You propose the same thing, so that everyone switches from cars to horses. It doesn't work that way.

If you want to make the bitcointalk great again, but you need to change the format to a completely different, updated one, but it will no longer be the same forum that we are all used to.

[Rikafip]

All social media don't even need to disappear first before Bitcointalk can regain its glory; both are there to serve different purposes, and aside from that, social media can't replace Bitcointalk; at least the ones that I'm seeing now can't replace Bitcointalk based on how this forum operates.

Of course they are different and bitcointalk is much better for a serious and quality conversations, but how else you think bitcointalk could regain its popularity?

I've been on forums for more than 20 yrars (iirc it was 2001) and situation has never been worse, which of course coincides with people having more options now than for example ~15 years ago which was imho golden forum era.

[TheUltraElite]

Messengers being the downfall of forums is not something I dont completely agree with.

The people who want to learn about bitcoin, talk and discuss about it with like-minded people will find a second home here, is what I believe in. However the forum could do some polishing on its UI to be able to engage the next generation, even though the status quo might be preferred by most of the people visiting at present, like 2FA was a welcome addition.

Like I said in another thread, if you call something is becoming bad, it will. It is your responsibility to make it good again. Get your local community strengthened and engage in its discussions to actually some newbie who is wondering in the world of crypto scams into the right path.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Social media like Reddit, Twitter and Nostr have absorbed most of the bitcoin-related discussion, and that of other crypto in general, but that doesn't mean that Bitcointalk is useless.

That's not true, IMO. All these social media are one big "Bitcoin Discussion" board. Reddit and Twitter are filled with bareless speculation, and maybe like 10% "good quality". Nostr is pretty dead last time I visited.

A very cool place for Bitcoin-related discussions is stacker.news. It's like Bitcointalk before it introduced signature campaigns. Everyone's without signatures, or avatars. Just talk and have fun. 

[Cryptoprincess101]

I don't believe that the forum is experiencing a decline in activity at all because even if some users are leaving the forum maybe as a result that there are few signatures campaign that are reputable, productive discussions are still going on in the forum and newbies are also registering almost on daily basis so if there is nothing important going on in the forum that means there would have been a decline in newbies registering but instead it is still on the increase. If we look beyond just signatures campaign and become more productive in the forum, signature campaign payments will just be like a bonus for us when we are making quality discussions in the forum.

This forum is well moderated unlike social media platforms that everyone has the freedom to do and post whatever content they like so people of great intellectuals are more interested in platforms that are moderated and this forum have been one of the best platforms for crypto and other socio-economic discussions.

[mindrust]

The decline in popularity does not apply only to this forum (like all other forums), but it is a trend for the website industry in general. There are more and more projects, businesses... that have a website only for information and basically rely on hosted services beyond that.
Various social media, YouTube, GitHub etc...are taking over the dominance, also most services without a mobile app seem to not exist.

Social media like Reddit, Twitter and Nostr have absorbed most of the bitcoin-related discussion, and that of other crypto in general, but that doesn't mean that Bitcointalk is useless. In my opinion it is a hybrid between a mailing list and typical social media postings, where you can still have in-depth discussions about things, but you are not going to see a whole lot of memes and trolling until you go somewhere like that Wall Observer thread.

The problem is people nowadays don’t even bother to create a topic for the big news anymore. I’ve been observing this behavior for a very long time.

The biggest one was when binance disabled monero withdrawals and nobody said a word about it for hours till I created a topic about it. Back in the day people were creating multiple topics about big news in every damn subforum.

Now,  nobody cares.

[cryptosize]

BBS -> fora -> social media -> ?? (could be Metaverse)

Few people will understand...

[Lucius]

This forum is still very popular, and ranking very high in any Google search.
Just search for technical questions and topics, bitcointalk is always among the first results
What OP wants is just more money from signature campaigns.. which are a privilege,  not a metric of the success of the forum.

Is it just me or do I see more and more "old members" who think that the forum used to be better before than today? Better in what exactly? More spam, campaigns run by bots, plagiarism everywhere and ranking without merits...

Given that the OP was registered in 2017, I assume that he means that period and the years after that - but the only thing that I miss a bit is the price of BTC, which was several times lower than today, which means that sig campaigns paid more in BTC. Some things are simply the past and you have to come to terms with that - maybe we should be happy that the forum still exists as it is.