Decline of forum discussion, Facebook and short attention spans

Frederic wonders whether reduced discussion on the forums reflects less interest or simply fewer mind-driven debates.

The Wonders answer both: interest has waned mainly because people now use Facebook, which is more accessible than the forum, though Rene keeps the forum active as a valuable resource with many visitors but few interactors.

They add that the conversations are less mind-game oriented than they used to be, which makes the forum less attractive to those - Frederic included - who came for those games.

They credit Rene's and Maggie's teams with expanding the footprint so people can engage with the message more easily and flexibly, calling the forum an interesting dinosaur holding a great deal of information.

On Frederic's discomfort with the era of short attention spans and short messages, they agree, describing the short attention span as a symptom of a much more active mind, and say things must move in that direction before slowing down and realizing something else.

Facebook succeeds, they note, because it delivers nuance and detail in short messages.