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HOW-TO kill a forum
idk i guess this could be "pitfall to avoid while running your forum" we can get a list of no-no's together here
#1 DO NOT SELL your forum, and if you do, DO NOT sell to a new owner with dollar signs in his eyes if you want it to continue. I am seeing this happen on one of my fav sites and it's kinda depressing cause the site had SO much potential but i see it being sold, again, soon.
#2 DO NOT create a forum where guests wonder "What the Heck is this place about". If your sites name doesn't give it away, put it somewhere where everyone can see what it's about. That is my biggest Forum (and website in general) pet peeve.
#3 Do Not create a forum to get back at another forum owner, negativity never fosters longterm growth.
#4 Make sure you when start with your forum you enforce the rules from day one even if you only have a few members. Be firm from the start. Trust me I didnt do that and it hurt me later on.
#5 ... DO NOT completely disable access to your forums for guests. Not only does this kill your SEO, it will encourage most visitors to move on to another forum or website. If I am ever directed to a website which requires registration from the moment I land there, I usually just go somewhere else which won't require the time needed for registration.
#6. Do not try to be everything to everyone. Have goals, have a focus. Use your guidelines as a vision statement and ensure that everything you do puts you in a better position to accomplish those goals. Your forums are not for everyone and some people will get mad when they find that your forums are not what they wanted. That's life, but stay true.
#7 Don't be penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to hosting, remember the success of your community depends on it staying online and accessible with minimal downtime.
....reply with your rule and it will be added
#1 DO NOT SELL your forum, and if you do, DO NOT sell to a new owner with dollar signs in his eyes if you want it to continue. I am seeing this happen on one of my fav sites and it's kinda depressing cause the site had SO much potential but i see it being sold, again, soon.
#2 DO NOT create a forum where guests wonder "What the Heck is this place about". If your sites name doesn't give it away, put it somewhere where everyone can see what it's about. That is my biggest Forum (and website in general) pet peeve.
#3 Do Not create a forum to get back at another forum owner, negativity never fosters longterm growth.
#4 Make sure you when start with your forum you enforce the rules from day one even if you only have a few members. Be firm from the start. Trust me I didnt do that and it hurt me later on.
#5 ... DO NOT completely disable access to your forums for guests. Not only does this kill your SEO, it will encourage most visitors to move on to another forum or website. If I am ever directed to a website which requires registration from the moment I land there, I usually just go somewhere else which won't require the time needed for registration.
#6. Do not try to be everything to everyone. Have goals, have a focus. Use your guidelines as a vision statement and ensure that everything you do puts you in a better position to accomplish those goals. Your forums are not for everyone and some people will get mad when they find that your forums are not what they wanted. That's life, but stay true.
#7 Don't be penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to hosting, remember the success of your community depends on it staying online and accessible with minimal downtime.
....reply with your rule and it will be added
Last edited by Brandon; 06-11-2008 at 12:03 AM..
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