I'm one of the older members of Erodov and at one time, was one of the most active ones. At one point in time it was doing really well, there were regular meetups, representation at the local events, excellent value laden threads and conversations, etc. Forged some excellent bonds which I still maintain to this day.
The forum, according to me died a long time ago. I solely blame it on the total abdication of the forum by the original owners/moderators such as Kid0, Ad1, etc. for wresting the control of the forum in the hands of a power hungry nincompoop moderator with a severe god complex. The owners failed to take note of the issues or were just too busy to care. Hungry with power, rules were applied with prejudice and bias, there was either over-moderation or too little moderation, as the overlord pleased. He was single-handedly responsible for the exodus of the most active and valuable contributors of the forum.
After they left, pretty much all useful/meaningful talk whittled away and the forum was reduced to a marketplace.