Steven, you're right about this site. It's still growing, but it's got a lot of potential and we all stand to benefit through regular participation on any level. I am a firm believer in the power of forums like this. Through participation, anyone can become a relative master of any subject.
About eight years ago, I managed to find a forum dedicated to owners of second generation, non-turbocharged Mitsubishi Eclipse and Eagle Talons. At the time, I knew how to change the oil, filters, and plugs on my Talon, but not much else. Today, I've rebuilt more engines than I can count and I'm well into my second year of co-administering this community of more than 12,000 members worldwide. I've got good friends across the country in a number of fields who I can call with questions about subjects from real estate to how to replace the bloated resource hog, Windows Vista, with the 100% FREE Linux Ubuntu on my smoking fast laptop that I just bought for under $500.
Moving into your question, I *do* feel that forums which offer minimal services (if any) represent web 2.0. Although I try to abstain from subscribing to pop culture terminology like "web 2.0" and all that generation X, Y, Z blather, the web was once something of a personal reference desk for individuals and an avenue through which email could be sent. The advent of community forums made the shift from smaller groups communicating via email lists to massive communities of like-minded individuals regularly communicating, almost in realtime, on ALL the subjects they care about.
So whereas people once used the web as a resource, it's become almost a 4th dimension for us. People work and play on the web. It was designed to facilitate communication and it does so without compare. A forum provides a virtual location for immense numbers of individuals to congregate. Using my own forum participation as an example, I have the ability to reach upwards of 500,000 like minded individuals around the world. If my car breaks down anywhere in the country, I can find someone who probably has the spare part I need and will just give it to me. I haven't been to the dealership for anything more than a random bolt or fastener in eight years. The power of the forum.
The web brought the world to your desktop. The forums bring you together with other people of the world. You gain access to information which is highly tailored to your unique interests and needs. It *will* be the death of television in due time. Likewise radio. It's just taking it's time eradicating printed media right now. Don't believe me? Check out the FreePress website and see how much effort the big media conglomerates are putting into trying to get a leash on the internet. It's astounding.
I could go on, but I'm rambling, methinks. Forums are what I do. They are a source of immeasurable information.
