This forum used to be so active...

There are a variety of factors that are causes:

1.) People have outgrown GFF. Some people aren't interested in video games anymore, or perhaps VGM. Others aren't interested in the activities here. Yet others just aren't interested in the community.

2.) The crashes. I'd say the last big crash caused a lot of members to just up and leave. that, coupled with us being Gamingforce.net for a good while, meant old members thought Gamingforce was gone, period, and long since gave up.

3.) Loss of music. This is an older reason but after GFF stopped offering VGM, a lot of people just went on to another site.

4.) Other. This probably includes things like members getting upset at GFF as a whole, members leaving due to the various other crashes, people getting banned, and so forth.

Of course members leaving can also result in other members leaving (e.g. One member leaves who is good friends with X. X wonders why that member left, and upon finding out, decides to go with that member to wherever) and as there have been less posts in recent time, people see it as a sign that the forum is 'dying' and hence moving on, which of course continues the cycle.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Rarely could I stand GameFAQ forums. Half the time if it's for a popular game, I see the same question over and over and over again. And then I see threads bashing people who ask that question over and over again.

I do think that Marco brings up a valid point--with LiveJournal, Facebook, etc out now, along with things like Twitter, forums like this are fading away because people would much rather use those social networks.

One thing though is GFF has been around nine years now (actually, almost ten). I think it's longevity is one of the factors for it being around because those members who have been around for years know each other quite a bit and cling to each other to an extent. That then, goes back to what i said earlier in when some of thsoe members finally do leave, others go with them.

It would be kind of cool to draw back some of those old members. If we drew them back, others would probably come, and that would give the forum more activity would may give new people more of a reason to join.

that though may be very difficult if not impossible to do. Plus, people here aren't exactly begging for members. They are generally happy to greet and socialize with old and new ones alike but for most members, it's not the be all, end all to have a large forum anymore. Just having people to socialize with, whether it be 10,000, or 10, is sufficient.

There's nowhere I can't reach.