It really depends on the forum and I can take a guess that members will lurk here because of all the music sharing. As a stalker myself well... I always imagine how your bedrooms would look like because the pictures in our head are strong while socializing on the internet.
I've been on forums for 10 years now. People put a lot more effort posting on forums. It creates a certain depth that makes it attractive. Liiterary, it's more educational.
You find a forum with subjects you like then relatively it's easier to become involved in some sort of community. It's a public arena, you'll get to know people you've never met or have been introduced to just from posting, and you get to talk about so many things. It's exciting in a way.