@HalfNormal It’s just another platform, similar to FB, but without the invasion of privacy.
@HalfNormal in the google world all the media I create whether on the laptop or mobile device is directly shareable from its source location. I take a picture in the shop I can post it from my phone to any where in any G product including all office products, blog, G+ etc . I do not have to upload and maintain other libraries, formats, sizes etc. I get alerts to my phone rather than more emails … I could go on.
I also do not want to access communities via web pages from my phone, to clunky to navigate.
FB does not avail me all of this but it is better than most forums I have used in this regard.
Certainly there is no right-wrong here just preferences. My opinion does not intend to dis on your excellent forum work that is serving the community by collecting community info into one location 
@StephaneBUISSON I am still betting that Google will be back with something. I cannot imagine that they will exit the social networking market all together, there is to much search data there. I think that this abandonment is their excuse for an exit to another technology. Security is a problem as long as you are on a network with more than one human and all their products have this kind of problem so why give up this source of information!
I did not notice that Redditt was mentioned as an alternative anyone familiar with it in regard to what we are looking for?
@donkjr up to next August, we have plenty of time. it’s urgent to wait ;-))
I think you are right to say, Google could bring something new in the mean time.
But it would be lovely to be able to back up all the contents at once, I haven’t find a good way yet.
I really miss the BBS days. lol