It could be that there are too many uninspiring topics.
You have created more than 300 topics. Most of them got few views and no comments.
I don't think that was the mods fault.
I hope you don't get too offended. You are obviously trying your best.
It's quite hard to know what will strike a chord.
/ Attacking the mods is a sign of desperation if you just want comments.
Things were much more fun in 2011-12. They have been going down hill ever since. I'm not talking about my forums;I'm talking about the forums in general. There used to be much more activity,and I think it's because the staff have been discouraging participation. People have gone elsewhere. So much for "Chess.com being social".
If there is a problem, it's not due to any staff, admins, or mods, but to too many mediocre, repetitive threads and too many pointless and trollish responses.
Yeah, remember the good ole days when nostalgia used to mean something?
Yes! Charge! Finally, someone sees sense - the mods need to be replaced! Charge! Revolution!!! Revolution, I say, DESTRUCTION of the mods!!! CHARGE!!!!
I just looked. There's only 15,000 people online,and 20,000 live. In the middle of a busy holiday weekend. That's not very good.
Please show yourself more often. Since pdela retired, the position of most liked Spaniard on the site is vacant.
"Things were more fun in 2011-12. People have gone elsewhere". 
Where have they gone? 
Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Marco polo
Nobody goes there anymore. Its too crowded.
I agree with the OP, the forums are going downhill. Partly due to all the good people deserting, and partly due to the some of the mods' obsessions with shutting down harmless forums, especially in off-topic which is meant to be "unmoderated and uncensored!"
"Going downhill"
I just looked. There's only 15,000 people online,and 20,000 live. In the middle of a busy holiday weekend. That's not very good.
Busy holiday weekend might mean people are busy.
Gotta go!
Yeah... gtg
The only thing i have learned about the forums during my 3 years here is that you never can tell which topics will die a fast death and which once seem to go on forever. I do think the admin is abit over anxious to censor but since this site is open to all ages it might be a neccesary evil. I think the most important things to do with the forums is treat like chocolate, just don't over do it. There used to a time when every day i would check out the forums but now i just take a look once in awhile and i get more enjoyment from it now.
before i go...
the new staff mods are just great on this site.
Anyone that thinks people are not as active on the forums because of censorship is delusional. It's because of the mountains of crap clogging the forums every day and obscuring anything worthwhile...
The trolls ran amok a little too long, and a bunch of readers/posters went elsewhere. Now that the trolls are a little more in check, it's going to take a long while for the content level to come back up to anything a grownup can stomach on a regular basis.
I agree with what you wrote. Chess.com is totally in love with censorship. For example threads about politics or religion are not allowed. This is ridiculous.
umm.. this is a chess site.
Chess.com advertises: "We are social". People should be able to discuss what they like within reason.
Chess.com has been zapping political/religious topics since the site began. It's not censorship that is causing the perceived decline in the forums. It's the people who post in the forums.
Incidenlly, https://www.chess.com/groups/home/open-discussion is available to discuss just about any topic and has been functional since 2008.
I remember when there were rapid fire conversations, on dozens of topics ,going on all day and night. I just looked at "Hot Topics" and the final one on page one had the most recent comment 3 hours ago! I remember when it would have been 5 minutes ago.I think this has been caused by Mods over regulating the forums and discouraging the free exchange of ideas. What do you guys think?