slip
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pmmsn | | A Big Forum (22nd Aug 08 at 6:08pm UTC) | | What does it take to make a really big forum? And I mean really big! I see people making forums every day. 99% of such forums die out in a month. I mean seriously, if somebody would ask me to name a couple of forums that opened in the last 1 year and went big - I could name only 1-2.
So back to my first question: What does it take? | |
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gray929
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pm | | Re: A Big Forum (22nd Aug 08 at 6:46pm UTC) | | It's hard to make successful forums now because basically every category has been covered. Most forums will start out real well, then die out in a few months.
Most important thing you need when opening a forum is a solid, dedicated member base willing to join. Everything after that doesn't matter: design, staff, ect. | |
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Alex Bailey
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pmmsnaim | | Re: A Big Forum (22nd Aug 08 at 11:07pm UTC) | | | The biggest forums are or were the first of their kind , thats why they are big, But it depends really on what type of forum it is. | |
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Nick
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pmwww | | Re: A Big Forum (23rd Aug 08 at 7:37am UTC) | | | My forum is going fairly well. Forbidden Reunion. Its been open for 2 years. 1 and a half years on another provider then I moved it here. Final Fantasy Nation was open for 4 years then everyone suddenly lost interest then it died. I then closed it down and focused more on FR. Then just not to long ago I re-opened FFN on here. I also had this other forum called Balamb Garden, from Final Fantasy VIII, It was going good for a year, then a year and a half ago I closed it down. This year I found the link, logged in, and moved everything to here. now it has 10 members, more then it had on the other provider. FFN has 41 members, on the VF one, but on the other provider, it had over 10,000 posts and only 80 or more members. But now it only has 4,000 posts, and 1 member (me) and the posts are there only for archive To see what I have done wrong to improve this new one. | |
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Sven
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pm | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 1:44am UTC) | | Ok, big forums or a good forum is the next question I'm going to ask?
For a combination of the both I'll use mD as an example because you know that forum before I closed it down. To make mD what it was did take HUNDREDS of man hours to get it running effectively.
All time considered, our V1 skin which required only premade codes still took myself and Josh at least 24 hours to design it and make it look good. Lucky it was a weekend cause both of us were up late that night that we decided to open it.
The strong point about making a big and succesful forum is the opening. The opening HAS to be big, this means a lot of development. Usually, you begin your forum in 'total darkness' stage. You don't tell anyone except your partner (if you are going to have a partner).
Then once you have a pretty decent skin, you start advertising it and hopefully you pick up a coder along the way (or you already have one). Then you start on making a really good concept.
You have to ask yourself, what drives people to a forum? As you probably have visited several forums before deciding to make one, you look at what works and what doesn't. What makes you keep coming back to that forum over and over again to post? Is it competitions, the community, what is it?
Then design your forum around that. Make it so that people have something to do, seriously, don't just toss boards around - cause then you'll loose it and make something totally terrible. Use Sub-Boards and keep your forum looking very neat and tidy. Use minimal space and make it have a good strong idea. If you like battles, focus the forum on battles, etc, etc. Pick something small and make it awsome.
And then once it's opened, as the admin - you can't do jack all. You have to be putting your MSN out there to people; advertising it. We found with mD the best way to advertise was to do really good work. You know, nice tutorials that were easy to follow - then we put them on tutorial sites like GT and stuff.
If you are prepared to be an admin, you have to be there through thick and thin. You have to act professional, post good starting posts that make sense, uphold your own rules and don't develop whats known as a 'fapping circle'. Where they are your friends and you give them mod spots and stuff. Cause I find forums that do that fail instantly, they give their mates mod spots and then don't reprimand them when they stuff up.
The staff board usually ends up being cussing a lot of the time cause people spit the chips fairly often. However, that's what makes a strong staff team really - those that can handle the pressure, are fine in their job. They keep the board clean + come up with ideas for their speciality place.
Well, I guess I can't explain it more - have a good idea of what you want to do and be open to suggestions, keep things moving all the time. One thing that I hated was when people said that myself and Josh released skins too quickly, however, look at SSD and SZ. They haven't released skins for years and they are dying because people think that stuff isn't happening. By the constant changes in skins - you always know that something is happening around the staff board  Which is what makes a forum really. | |
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slip
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pmmsn | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 10:21am UTC) | | I disagree with the last point there. Changing skins all the time is not really the point. Making a strong community is. And I don't understand the whole PB dying off thing I get to read everywhere either. So SZ and SSD have maybe lost some steam - but they're still large enough communities to sustain themselves - they've been here for years. And then you have PV and SI = probably 2 of the 4-5 best gfx/design/coding/support forums on PB or on anyplace else. They're both doing excellently. And neither have changed skins too often - rarely as a matter of fact. We have new stuff at PV all the time. Just cos we don't make a new skin every week doesn't mean there's nothing happening behind-the-scenes. Same goes for SI. And definitely for SZ or SSD. Come what may, they have stood the test of time and are still here. While most of the others are gone.
I agree with all the other points. But this Josh you keep referring to - is that sunjo? Now that guy is one in a million. Terrifically talented. And yes Mas had tons to offer. Quite the benchmark in real terms. I wish it hadn't closed down. It was nice.
VF is new. But I am certain that within a year we will have large communities that will grow really big. Till date the only forum on VF that I saw a spark in was wrighty's wR. That could've been huge. | |
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dog199200
Guest | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 11:23am UTC) | | | first let me throw my two since in there slip you are right, its not about how the forum looks completely, it about the people in it and running it. here is a very helpful tip. Always start building with your friends and then have then invite as many people as they can and start chaining, This works well if your friends are really willing to help out. I can give you sp many tips and stuff because i do know what it takes to run a very successful forum, i just dont have the time for it anymore.. | |
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Sven
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pm | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 11:50am UTC) | | I find that looks have quite a lot to do with how successful a forum is really. If you want a community to thrive you have to get people interested. Granted, in something like a RP the skin isn't everything, however, if the skin isn't at least half decent - it drives people away.
Also, with a graphics site, the skin is EVERYTHING. The skin is the first impression for a graphics site, if the skin is hawt - the talent is going to be hawt to isn't it? That's just logic. However, if the skin is a premade or a piece of crap, that tells you the admin is a poor designer = poor skill really.
I do see the whole changing skins thing, but its one thing I loved about mD and same with others  Though, it probably didn't need to be done, a lot of work for it to happen. You gotta develop a theme with every forum though, a strong underlying theme.
And yes, Josh = Sunjo I called all my staff by first name and I still do. one of my personal touches that I don't think many other forums do. | |
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darkdays
Guest | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 11:59am UTC) | | | What it takes is.. a great idea, and the ability for that great idea to put other forums out of business.. which is what I may now have. | |
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Jack
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pm | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 12:21pm UTC) | | Probably the main thing that you need is a unique idea. 99% of the forums that die out within a month, as Slip mentioned at ones that don't follow a unique idea. It needs to be different, something to draw the crowd in. Don't go for another HP roleplay forum or something like that. Go for something different.
It has to be something that you're going to be interested in. Why make a Wrestling forum, for example if you're not into wrestling. It's not going to work. Think about your interests and then make the forum.
Make sure that the layout isn't too bright, the skin is neutral colours that slot in well together. You want to have something that guests will want to be drawn in by rather than be pushed away.
Make sure that the forum has a nice set of rules but not too strict. Guests don't want to have to trail thought pages of rules. Start with simple ones and then add some more later on if you feel they are necessary.
Make sure that you advertise the forum so that it raises awareness to everyone. There's no point having a superb forum if nobody knows about it. Perhaps even make a promotional video to draw in a wider range crowd.
As an admin don't treat other members more specially than others because they're your friends. You should treat everyone the same, whether old or new.
I think I've covered about everything there.
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Michael
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pmvForum | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 12:54pm UTC) | | I disagree with the last point there. Changing skins all the time is not really the point. Making a strong community is. And I don't understand the whole PB dying off thing I get to read everywhere either. So SZ and SSD have maybe lost some steam - but they're still large enough communities to sustain themselves - they've been here for years. And then you have PV and SI = probably 2 of the 4-5 best gfx/design/coding/support forums on PB or on anyplace else. They're both doing excellently. And neither have changed skins too often - rarely as a matter of fact. We have new stuff at PV all the time. Just cos we don't make a new skin every week doesn't mean there's nothing happening behind-the-scenes. Same goes for SI. And definitely for SZ or SSD. Come what may, they have stood the test of time and are still here. While most of the others are gone.
I agree with all the other points. But this Josh you keep referring to - is that sunjo? Now that guy is one in a million. Terrifically talented. And yes Mas had tons to offer. Quite the benchmark in real terms. I wish it hadn't closed down. It was nice.
VF is new. But I am certain that within a year we will have large communities that will grow really big. Till date the only forum on VF that I saw a spark in was wrighty's wR. That could've been huge.
Last I saw, there was a message on wR?  Oh wait, yea no one checks! | |
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Sven
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pm | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 12:59pm UTC) | | | I do agree that wR could have been huge who checks wR when it's like broken up into tiny little pieces last I checked? | |
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Michael
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pmvForum | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 2:06pm UTC) | | I do agree that wR could have been huge who checks wR when it's like broken up into tiny little pieces last I checked?
Exactly, last you checked!  | |
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slip
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pmmsn | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 6:46pm UTC) | | @sven: SSD, SZ = both have super-hot skins. I don't see where a skin might have been an issue with either.
@wrighty: ZOMG WR IS COMING BACK | |
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gray929
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pm | | Re: A Big Forum (24th Aug 08 at 8:16pm UTC) | | Changing skins all the time is not really the point. Making a strong community is.
Well said. Forums that focus too much on the design, they tend to lose focus on whats really important; community values.
Sure SSD has been slowing down a bit as of late. And yes, you are right. A new skin will increase activity there and elsewhere, but only for a few months. If you really want to establish your community, you are thinking what is best for your site in the long run. Not little short term solutions just to "get by" .
The most successful forums on PB actually have the worst designed skin. If you go to Alexa.com and search "proboardsXX.com", click Rank and then scroll to the bottom of that page, there is a list of the most popular forums on that server. Look at almost any on the list and they all have poorly designed skins or premade skins yet have high activity and traffic.
Anyways, SSD is working on a new skin, I can confirm that. It's going to be amazing x 10, as will SZ's skin.
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