The development of bulletin board systems (BBS) at universities in China is declining as more and more users switch to social networking services (SNS) platforms and micro blogs, but experts say it's not the end of the road yet.

The BBS is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging messages with other users, either through email or on public message boards. Many BBS also offer on-line games, in which users can compete with each other. BBS with multiple phone lines often provide chat rooms, allowing users to interact with each other. They are often regarded as the forerunner to the Internet.

Ri Yue Guang Hua (RYGH) of Fudan University, one of the most popular BBS in Shanghai with 15 years of history, was reported by Oriental Morning Post to have less than 4,000 visitors online during peak hours recently. At its peak, before SNS and micro blogs were developed, more than 10,000 visitors were online during peak hours. The same situation also occurred with Piao Miao Shui Yun Jian (PMSYJ) of Zhejiang University.

"The development of micro blogs and SNS encourage people to spend less time on BBS," said the administrator of PMSYJ nicknamed Redcrab, who did not want his full name to be released. "Some popular sectors are becoming cheerless and unpopular sectors are facing an even worse situation".

Redcrab said the sectors for people to discuss technical problems and talk about entertainment have seen the most significant drop in the past few years.

"Micro blogs allow people give personalized information and make others better understand their demands and interests, so they have become popular in recent years," said Dong Xu, an analyst with International Analysys. "People will spend a fixed length of time on web searching and Internet surfing every day, so when they spend more time on micro blogs and SNS, definitely, they will reduce the time they spend in a discussion on a BBS."

Communication by micro-blogging attracted great public attention when it was introduced in China in 2009. The number of users registered with Sina Weibo micro blog reached some 250 million in the third quarter of 2011 and it is expected to increase further. Many celebrities including famous economists and tycoons have opened accounts to share their views on life.

Facing such a significant reduction in the number of people online, some BBS have been forced to reduce the number of their subsectors. For instance, RYGH was reported to have been closely monitoring a total of 66 subsectors which do not have many daily visitors and is considering closing them permanently within a month.

For many students, BBS was a platform for them to seek assistance and find information about courses and lecturers. Some had "lonely hearts" sections.

"BBS remains a platform for me on which I can find people with similar experiences and interests, so I am sure I will not abandon the communication system in the future," said Yang Ge, a former student at Tongji Univeristy in Shanghai.

Some people said BBS might vanish because of the development of new communication methods. However, experts said BBS will not disappear in the short term because it is a place for people to share their interests and opinions.

"We have some sectors for people to find friends from the same cities. It remains popular," said Redcrab. "Meanwhile, visitors who have known this platform for a long time remain loyal to our BBS."

Redcrab said the number of new people registering with the platform is declining.

Experts said that if BBS targeted certain types of people the outlook might improve.