The forums are pretty much exactly the same as they have always been. Older members tend to percieve a decline because they start to get bored and pissed at the newbs, even though they were once the same.

The only real difference is the number of members has exploded. This isn't neccesarily a bad thing. There was a time though when you could get to know practically everyone on the site, and those times have passed. Still, you can get to know plenty of people.

The main problem with the forums is the Serious Discussion board. The majority of ZU's members are not mature enough for decent discussion, and most of them don't know what the hell they are talking about. I think the forums were way better when topics like that were not allowed. This is why I avoid that section.

So, basically ZU is like a car. It was awsome when it was new, but now that its been around for a while it has a few dings in it and doesnt seem that great. It's still running strong though, and hopefully it will continue to for years to come.