Many forums like CD Freaks/MYCE have disappeared but there are some forums like ultimate-guitar.com that are still thriving. So why are they somehow different that so many others. It's true the subject of many forums such as an interest in video encoding and PC overclocking has faded over time, but so has an interest in guitar players. Here is the current activity on UG Forums "Currently Active Users: 8,965 (7,681 members and 1,284 guests). That's right, at this moment there are currently 7,681 active members browsing the forum. Go check it out and then think about what can be done to boost things here on AD. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/
Couldn't help noticing that it says at the site that the most on-line users was over 50,000 back in 2018 and, when I visited it said there was currently a little over 11,000 active users.
It varies depending on the time of day, but the point to consider is that there are thousands of active users not including guests or bots.
Understood. In regards to something like video encoding/editing, I don't know what people do today with all the video they record with their cell phones. Most of it could probably stand some form of enhancement.
Right now there are 10,350 active members online. As for video enhancement, there really isn't much that can be done to enhance after the fact short of using AI, and that in itself can ruin the character of a video. Video reencoding is something you have to get right on the first go, or do it over.
When I said enhancement, I meant things like cutting or trimming, adding effects, transitions, fixing blurs etc. Stuff that is done with software like Adobe, Nero, Cyberlink, etc. If one isn't using some sort of software, the corresponding forums go away. On the other hand, although there was good participation, Nero closed it's last forum because of the cost of maintaining it.
Nero and Cyberlink disappeared because they fell into obsolescence and the online communities that supported them went with them. Adobe is still alive but on life support because it diversified and because acrobat is still relevant. The reason Ultimate Guitar survives is because there will always be musicians who play guitar. Guitar playing is a skill that requires discipline and a degree of dedication that most people don't have. If a guitar player wants to engage in discussions on style and technique they're generally not going to find on Facebook. UG has 50,061,779 members from almost every continent on earth, and it will probably survive until portable devices replace computers.
Nero is still available. Like I said, I have v2024 of the suite. I think what keeps them, and many other software companies afloat is the introduction of subscriptions. If you don't pay annually, the software will no longer work. However, a Nero subscription is only around $40/yr and they do add features annually. The problem I have run up against is that, for some of my software, the subscription cost has skyrocketed to the point where it's no longer viable continuing with the latest and greatest. I use a database software that I upgraded yearly from 1990 to roughly 2008. However, they then mandated subscriptions if you wanted to continue upgrading but they priced the subscriptions to 100's of dollars a year. They also closed the forums for any of those using pre-subscription versions.
I think Nero is just barely here. I have no idea what keeps Nero afloat because it certainly isn't an expanding user base. Then consider that Optical drives are no longer included in most commercial Desktop PCs. The majority of PC cases no longer have 5.25" drive bays, and this makes the need for burning software less relevant each year.
As I mentioned earlier, I wonder what people do with all the video...................................... My X-Jupiter case has like 5 of the 5.25" bays and at least 3 HD bays. If I have to give up and buy a new system, I'll have it built in this case. The only option without those large bays, is going to a thumb drive and to get a self playing video format, that's only possible using AVCHD, to my knowledge.
I also have an external optical drive, albeit a little older somewhat bulky one, but I much prefer incase drives. I'm going to order another for my laptop. Portable drive storage.
Okay guys, hold onto your dentures! Doom9.org is another forum that is still alive, and jdobbs still appears active.
