Yes, the internet forum world has definitely seen some changes. A bunch of hobbyist or niche sites have been bought up by the same content management company, from Canada I think. They all were rebuilt with a similar look and feel, and probably 75 - 85% of them died activity-wise after the buy-outs, redesigns, and management/mod changes. As somebody who never had any interest in facebook, reddit, instagram, or any other social media that leaves me in a bind. Again, glad I found this place.
As for the new bar, it will be underwhelming compared to many other home bars. It's for our lanai area, much more compact than my old one, for a few reasons which I guess I'll explain when I post a built write-up. It's also an exercise in taking an off-the rack bar and converting it. So far, I'm happy with how it's turning out.
