Have you noticed how rebranding and merging seem to be the thing lately? It feels like every time I turn around, another platform is getting a fresh name or joining forces with a competitor. Not saying this is a bad thing of course. I've done both a rebrand and merge myself. Here's what I've spotted so far:

 

Rebranding:

 

• ForumDir is now Administrata.
  
• Chatosaur decided to switch it up to ForumIsland.
  
• CrowdTopics became DiscussBB.
  
• NerdZone is currently rebranding as XenForums soon.
  

Merging:

• Agora found a new home with Administrata.
  
• AdventureAds teamed up with Chatosaur.
  
• The Blogging Collective joined forces with AnotherAdminForum.
  

And all this has happened within just a few months! :D

 

Is it just me, or is everyone trying to shake up their identity to stay relevant? What do you think about this trend? Smart moves or just try to keep it fresh (not a bad thing)? What merges do you predict will happen?

You should probably have read my very first post on the matter first where I laid out the exact same thesis - don’t dump on what you don’t know. Yes, there are emotional ones in my case, but there are people who merge for financial reasons (namely they can’t afford to run the site any more), some merge because they’re moving on, some merge… there’s any number of reasons, far more than just the ones you and Bawse are pointing to.

 

People invested a lot of time and energy into forums. Giving them up for any reason is not trivial. Don’t sneer at it just because you find a subset worthy of derision.

You're still arguing the same point. Let it go.

 

 

It’s not about agreeing with it, it’s about how insulting it is to some of the people who chose to merge, because you think it’s only ever about how weak they are, that they can’t stay the course. Don’t laugh about people I’m situations you have no understanding of, because it makes you look like an arrogant fool, with limited empathy.

Your main counter-point is an appeal to emotion as to why some (minuscule in the scope of things) merge. But, you're arguing for the minority, stating that it's insulting not to understand that. I understand it quite well, and to be Frank, I guess I'm an arrogant fool because I don't care. I'm not invested in those communities, and I wouldn't expect anyone invested in my communities to care either.

 

Sorry you got butt-hurt over an opinion more than just Bawse (might) hold(s). 🤷‍♂️

I'm sorry I happen to give a crap about people in different situations to me. But that seems like a solveable problem.

But that seems like a solveable problem.

It was. You just had to not reply.

 

One area I think not covered often is in the process of before the merger/rebrand. Did one person reach out to the other forum owner in wanting to merge the two? Would the benefit of letting your forum go, to be merged into another effect your willingness of creating another forum down the line or do you tend to stick around in the new merged forums?