I'd much rather be an active member of a community like x86 than even, say, slashdot.
I've made some really valuable connections through x86. There are many incredibly knowledgeable members that can help me with just about anything I need within the realm of academia. For example, I usually bug iago once every couple of weeks with a question I have concerning Linux, security, etc.
For me, the number of currently active members in a community plays little role in how happy I am being a member. As long as there are a few good members who are continuously active, the rest doesn't matter.
By the way of the topic, if I had to make a guess, I'd side with iago. School has started for almost everybody and we're all getting situated. I'm really busy this semester (18 credit hours, one credit is an independent study which will probably amount to the work of a 4 credit hour class, a work study and two clubs), so my activity will probably lessen a bit. I still visit the forums very regularly, but I don't post as much.