As the internet grows, a lot of what used to be hip and cool loses its appeal. Even though forums are losing their following, there are still ones that are thriving. They have daily visitors, loads of members, and are bursting with content. Whatever the area of interest – ranging from online forums for students to gaming enthusiast bulletin boards – these hubs for topical discussion serve as a handy place for like-minded people to gather and chat. We have put together 13 popular forums that will keep you scrolling.

1. Adobe

Adobe is a software company based in the U.S. The forum is designed to help the firms customers with any questions they have. It's filled with how-tos and answers to any problems that users are faced with. Another handy feature this forum has is that there is a filter where you can find content based on the author, the date, or any related tag.

2. World of Warcraft

When this video game was released in 2004, it gained a massive following. Even today, it still has 5.03 million players. Their forum is a great way to build a community around the game. It has a number of great features for the members such as general discussion, guides, gameplay, and a technical support section. There is so much user-generated content, you could spend hours on this forum and not get bored. Definitely one of the most popular forums in the video game community.

3. Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an open-source product. Their forum is a way of providing users with customer support. With 1.8 million members, it has proved to be a great way to answer questions that even though asked by one person, can be useful to everyone visiting the forum.

4. The Chronicle of Higher Education

This is a forum where university professors can meet and talk about their interests. It is structured in different sections such as news, careers, and special topics. This community allows professors from all over the world to meet in one place and chat freely and openly with one another.

5. Politics: The Bully Pulpit

This forum has been around since 1994 and still has 3 million members. Once you have a look at the content, you'll understand why. This forum of chock-full of political discussions and active members. The constant back and forth means there is always something going on to have a read about. This popular forum has carried on throughout the years because of the strong community it has built.

6. About Smoking Cessation

Cessation is the action of quitting smoking. This is a supportive community for people who have quit or are trying to quit. Members write about their day to day struggle or equally their successes. From the posts, you can see it's a very caring environment as users cheer each other on and offer advice when they can.

7. Breaktime 3

This is a forum for builders, construction workers, craftsmen, and craftswomen. It is a space where they share advice and tips when one another gets stuck. The great thing about this community is that it is open to everyone. They are very welcoming, especially to people who enjoy DIY and are curious or need tips.

8. Fighting for America

The first thing you encounter when stumbling upon this forum is an atmosphere of openness. At the top of the page, the admin has posted a welcome video where he describes the purpose of the forum and what you can get out of it. The main topic of discussion is politics. The members are primarily liberal but according to the guidelines, as long as the content you post isn't hateful, all points of view are welcome. Great forum to express your opinion and learn from others in the community!

9. Airbnb Host

This forum ranges from hilarious stories, to support, to how-to-deal with different issues on the Airbnb website. It is extremely popular and is a great community for these hosts. On top of this, the forum has even set up a separate blog. This provides the readers with a guide on how to become the best host they can possibly be. All in all, this is a great online brand community.

10. Reddit

Reddit is an interactive forum in a number of ways. Users post whatever they like (a story, a video, a meme) and it gets ranked by other members voting on it. Also, members can comment and share on other websites. With over 100,000 communities, it remains one of the most popular forums on the internet.

11. Slashdot

The tagline for this forum is 'news for nerds' and the content delivers. It is full of posts that talk about astrology, space travel, programming, and technology. If this is where your interests lie, you will not be disappointed. Go, explore and learn!

12. Digital Spy

If you cannot stop binging shows, this is the forum for you. It's a place where you can get together with other TV fanatics and talk about everything you've been dying to all day long. The top category has 1.7 million posts. This alone shows how popular and active this forum is. If you ever felt like the only one watching a show, believe me, you aren't. And this forum is proof of that.

13. Vegan

This forum is a great place if you are looking for recipes, tips, and recommendations for delicious vegan recipes!  There is a lot of support for members' journey into becoming a vegan and also how to deal with the social stigma. There's a communal feeling of understanding and support, which makes this such an appealing community.

There you have it – those were 13 wildly successful online forums that have kept us engaged throughout the years. These popular forums show the number of people that still use them as communities despite the advent of social media platforms. There is such a vast variety of forums, from online games, to fan clubs, to virtual worlds, and they all offer so much to the members. It's a great way to find people with a common interest and spark discussions.

At Disciple, we love seeing great communities come together and thrive. We make web and mobile community apps that combine the best elements of social media and forums, and include a load of extra features to help you build a truly independent home for your community. Interested? Check out how our customers are using the platform to achieve their community goals.