@phelanvelvel 

I was really sad when The StoneTable and Into the Wardrobe closed their forums. I posted on those forums about fifteen years ago. It is good that the website of Into the Wardrobe and some pages of both websites were saved.  But I do like active forums like this one too.  There are actually abandoned Narnia websites with forums which can be found on the Internet, and one wonders why people stopped posting there. The reason why many websites do not have chat rooms may be because it is difficult to constantly watch what may be posted there.  Unfortunately, it does happen that people will lose interest in forums.  🙁

I think web forums just aren't as popular these days as they were 10 or 15 years ago, unfortunately. I was a member of at least five of them in the early 2010s (other than NarniaWeb, which I didn't join until more recently), and of those forums, only one is still active to this day. Interestingly, it's another one devoted to a classic British children's author (Enid Blyton)!

I guess fashions change and social media have taken off as the new modern way of communicating online with all and sundry, but to me, none of that is as good for a clear, focused, sustained discussion on particular topics as the traditional forum format like we're using here. I've also seen other online Narnia communities that are no longer active, or only barely so, and that's sad, I reckon. I was delighted a few years ago when I stumbled across NarniaWeb (I can't remember exactly how) and discovered that there was still at least one thriving discussion forum for fans of Narnia! I'm very grateful that we're still here and still going strong.  

Forums survive if people have made friendships, and have been supportive of each other, not merely enjoyed the discussions. It's the community of Narniaweb that its heart. 

If the subject of the forum is an ongoing thing, not just something static, people will keep coming back for news (as they do here) or to share news they've seen elsewhere. Otherwise a forum comes and goes.When a number of new people joined Into The Wardrobe,  they seemed to bring a different attitude, and it became less friendly. 

The third thing of course is social media. Facebook groups have become an alternative to forum sites, and they're all on one place. 

I think forums are better for lengthy and in depth discussions of subjects.  Facebook is okay if you want to just briefly respond to a message. The posts are usually short even when topics are introduced on the pages. It is nice when pictures of people and things from other people’s interests are shared for your enjoyment. But I think forums offer more deep discussion, which is an advantage over chat rooms (which are not so common now) and other online methods of conversation.