Been with a few sites like that. Got a fishing site right now on the down spiral. Not sure if that one will make a recovery or not it was partly the owners fault in my opinion but the activity is picking back up so we will see.
Forums kinda head where the members take it. If you get a lot of gruff treatment new people leave and older members stop posting and just observe. But if you get members that constantly like to share and teach then things can easily get turned back around.