We could start another forum location as an experiment and see if this is just how these communities evolve. I suspect it’s like a watering hole- the site is a fixed location that some set of people will share. The people will come and go as they please, but some will hang around more, and be encouraging or discouraging to others.

Good point! But they community begin to growth when the developers beginning to encouraging each other and dies when they are beginning to discouraging each ethers.