There is something outside the production forum?!
I would really hate to see DSF go away. Think Nowaysj has made some good points. I am not sure I really have any big suggestions. My other favorite music forum, like most, began as genre specific...these days most of the members arent strictly into making or listening to specifically that genre and the core members can only be lumped into "underground electronic" (ie not mainstream and/or dance). At least for myself, dubstep is only about 10% of what I listen to these days, but that still leaves me feeling that if the DSF brand is going to be dropped, then what is the point?
I would have a go at the Discourse system. At first it sounded annoying, but actually browsing around some of the examples and seeing how it works I could get into it. Just because I am a weirdo, I have gotten stuck really only posting and reading in the production forum. I wouldnt mind being forced to acknowledge there is more than that going on : )
I could use more dubstep in my life, but I have always been a passive reciever of music for the most part, anything that kinda does the work for me in a sense.
Anyway, hoping for a DSF resurgance : )