Forums have stood the test of time on the net because they are useful. Like minded people like getting together to chat in real time. If the forum provides good content and has a large memberbase, they won't have to fear about dieing out to social networks and such.
Forums will never die, as you can find many more intelligent people in forums than you can at social networking sites. There will always be people looking for good advice and intelligent conversation, and forums will survive due to this.
I highly doubt forums are dieing. In fact, they've been growing rapidly in popularity. Its just there are quiet a few abondanded ones out there because a few owners don't have the feel to drag people to their forums.
it's really depends on the forums's topic and how do the mods manage the forums. if the topic is out of course it's dying. if the mods in power-abuse sure people will run away. but DP is not like that kinda place though.
To the arguments regarding seasonal pickup of forum activity, You are forgetting that it's different seasons at the same time around the world. Also, I doubt forums will die, most of the forums I'm on are still growing and going strong.
Hehe, good point! And many countries have their students going year 'round too. I think it really depends on the administrators and how active the core users are on the forum.
I was thinking more along the lines of summer weather means more people are outside and less at the computer, winter comes around more people are in the house therefore higher chance of being online and being on a forum.