Forums, are what participants make of them.
While I don’t think most people come with the goal of making friends, it is perfectly possible to interact in a friendly manner and have a pleasant and cordial discussion about food and related topics. That’s why we come here - otherwise one can read an article, look up a recipe, publish information to a blog, or do other non-interactive internet things, no forum required.
Some people enjoy drama and provocation and trolling more than discussion - this overlaps across venues. Over time one can recognize these users / words / threads and not rise to the bait (ignore them, if you will, whether there’s a button for that or not). Occasionally it’s too hard, as in real life, as some buttons are easy to find and push. This can also be where the mods make a difference.
For me.
IG food pages aren’t really meant for a discussion, though you can get a response back from someone - high profile if that’s your thing - you wouldn’t otherwise interact with.
Yelp isn’t for discussion either - and I don’t trust most yelp reviews. Great source of information, though - I use it for pictures of food and menus when I’m researching places to eat.
TripAdvisor I rarely use anymore - their “top” lists aren’t real, and I’d rather have local info than tourist info for restaurants. If I was going to a small place with little other information, though, I’d still take a look…
Life is too short. Enjoy the discussion, or start one you enjoy, or use other sites you prefer.
