Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

I've been using boards regularly since 2006. People have always moaned about the mods. The linear format is outdated, but kept the older users happy. The redesign then pissed off the older users and lots of them left or stopped using it as much.

younger people do not use browsers, especially on phones.

yesss, to some extent. But there are consistent posters on a couple of subforums, who lie in wait like the storied trolls, rolling out the typical boring troll tropes like "Why should we believe you", or strawman stuff "what you're saying is…" with some outlanding misinterpretation, just to goad and cause drama. Or some comment on the persons character in a childish rule-dodging way like "I find people who say things like that are idiots". Or relentless pointless questions or commentry where the topic is already perfectly obvious, frustrating the other posters. (aka Sealioning)

All of those fall into Don't be a dick, but after the 10th, 20th, 30th report for the same posters being actioned and the posts seemingly being edited, content trimmed without any mod note, the original posters have long gone, and the regular posters get tired of repeating the reports.

But I agree, it's not everywhere, just a few places I've seen.

Bigger problem is the buggy site design.

I would like to see the stats… average posts per month, or day, over the years. I have a perception it's dropped, but maybe it's not.

Suggesting to a poster, who believes the other poster tried to dox them and hounded another poster, that they should take it to pm and interact with them is truly bizarre to me.

This is something I suggested to an admin some time back and was told it was something that would probably be a good idea but couldn't be implemented with the new set up.

It's obvious to some that a minority of mods are on a power trip with the Sherriffs badge constantly visible, this supposed ethos that is meant to prevail where posters are instructed to "attack the post and not the poster" does not seem to apply to mods posting outside the forums they moderate.

I've had a difference of opinion with mods on one forum only to be warned for something mickey mouse when I post soon afterwards on a forum they moderate. Real petty stuff that I couldn't be bothered entertaining them with a reply to. Maybe I should have if but to my mind that's only feeding their ego. One mod wasn't here a wet week when he banned me from the shooting forum because amongst other things I highlighted how one poster over there is seemingly above reproach and allowed post all kinds of right wing anti Garda, anti Government tripe without fear of repercussions.

Part of the reason he gave me for implementing the ban was when he previously warned me I didn't interact with him afterwards. You couldn't make this stuff up.

Having said that there are some great mods on here who are a credit to themselves and the forum, they let discussions flow, don't take differing points of view personally and share their expert opinions freely. I've seen a mod publically pull another mod back into line when it was needed and stuff like that is good for the site. This attitude of "we are mods, we are spartans" is pathetic.

I’d also put those posters who jump on everyone for “evidence” or “links” to anything posted that they disagree with, yet when their statements are pulled up they disappear for 20/50 “buffer” posts before returning and hoping it’s blown over while their post remains into the same bracket.

I'm a technophobe myself but even I know there's something fundamentally wrong with a former biggest internet forum in Ireland when something as simple as this is impossible to implement.

The forum was way easier to use before it was "upgraded" a couple of years back. Did that upgrade actually achieve anything of benefit to anyone besides the people that got paid to do it?