I set up a Mattermost server for my friends and former coworkers to keep in touch. It's far from perfect technology, but it's pretty good on a $5/mo droplet. There are about 30 people, no official rules, and it's worked nicely as a small community for about two years. It's been especially valuable in the last nine months or so.
I've tried setting up bulletin boards to achieve that same sense of community, but it never worked for me. BBSs were definitely important to me as a teenager, but even in that realm my favorite part was chatting with the sysop in real time. I think low-latency communication is better in general for fostering community.
Hm I dont think so, even discord/mattermost is asynchronous, not like IRC. I think it the clear notifications and the 'inbox' functionality that make the difference
I've tried setting up bulletin boards to achieve that same sense of community, but it never worked for me. BBSs were definitely important to me as a teenager, but even in that realm my favorite part was chatting with the sysop in real time. I think low-latency communication is better in general for fostering community.