Lobsters is the natural choice - thoughtful tech discussion with strong moderation against hype. Also worth checking: comp.lang.* Usenet groups (surprisingly active), Reddit's niche programming subreddits (r/rust, r/golang), and specialty forums like electro-tech-online.com for hardware folks.
The key difference: smaller communities attract people who are there for the craft, not engagement metrics.
The key difference: smaller communities attract people who are there for the craft, not engagement metrics.