There's not too it this time when it comes to this topic. What was it/what were the "its" that brought you here, and what about BL nowadays in this sea of alternative and mainer-streamer social media options that also boast TYPE-MOON (mostly Fate/, let's be real V: ) communities and—supposedly—discussion?
As an oldf- uh, oldhead-turned-moderator, I have a perspective hopefully worth sharing. I don't intend to make this too me!me!me!, but this is meant to be a thread all about me!me!me! (i.e. you!you!you!), I am asking for your stories, so here's enough context-mine to make this topic topic-relevant.
I originally came to BL—the previous ProBoards version, no less—for fanfics. Fanfics of an assumed higher standard, done up by a more insular and specialized fanbase focused on a particular niche media. Fanfic posting, TBE. This, in turn, introduced me to several cool individuals, many of which I'm still in contact with, some moreso than others. This comradery and associated discourse, combined with the passage of time and us experiencing of T-M's further growth and development, led to a loyalty for and accustomisation to them and this site.
Dwindling BL fanfic community? It's okay, I'd become a mod long by that point, and by that point I had investment enough in the forum to want to see it done right and thrive in its own niche, even in spite of the larger and more prominent other social media communities that also feature T-M content. Being a BL regular, to me, means you're a "real one," whatever that entails to you. At your core, you're a misfitted specialist-seeker who abhors the impersonal leviathans that the bigger sites like the Bird Feed and the Alien Frontpage are. You want a community that feels more like a community than what they are.
You want the thing you're personally here for and with a heaping plate of community on the side. Community, even, with a capital C.
You're a romantic.
You want something real.
You're a Beast's Lair Poster, by golly.
Oh, uh, yeah. I'm also still interested in T-M content and output, as well.
Anyways, HBU?