I've been an ET reader since late 2003 and one thing I can tell you is that the content is cyclical just like the economy. It goes thru dry spells every once in a while.
Reiterating smart ways to trade gets boring after a while.
Plus the constant bottom callers after the market goes up for a few days is enough to quit looking at the trading forum altogether.
The forum is the overall IQ level of all who participate and when there is a large majority with zero trading knowledge that act like they rein supreme than the forum becomes valueless.
Reminds of a ways back when at night once I went down to the gas station to get some gas. Had to go in for some reason. There was this guy who looked like he could of been an executive or something working the station. He looked at me and said "In the mornings I make a lot of money trading and this is just a temporary job for me". I almost laughed at the poor guy. Needless to say, he was still working there for at least a year after that night. He must of been making good money in order to have to work the station at night. Maybe he just liked all the weird people that go in to get beer and cigarettes at night.