What Do You Like In A Forum?

[BoxersRule]

Let's say you find two forums dealing with your favorite hobby whether it's gaming, cars, fishing, knitting...whatever.

 

Why are you more active on forum A rather than forum B?

 

What features do you like most on a forum?

 

What do you like least?

 

I'd like to increase membership & activity on my forum and am looking for suggestions.

 

Thanks!

Edited August 8, 2006 by BoxersRule

[abinidi]

Activity is number one for me. I like a forum that has active participants.

 

For me, the software that runs the forum and and the forums bells and whistles aren't nearly as important as the activity level of the community.

[TCH-Bruce]

I would have to agree with Paul. I am on three very active forums and don't think I could handle another!

[marie b.]

Activity is a big plus for me, but I'm easily turned off by overly-strict rules, blunt or plainly rude members and cliques within members.

[stevevan]

Activity is big (to find the info I'm looking for). However, the top things that drives me nuts, and usually causes me to leave, is the intolerance of other users who say they know everything (and make sure you understand that fact) and lack of moderators to police up these idiots.

 

That's why I like TCH!

[wampthing]

***this post has been moderated by the idiot police***

[TCH-JimE]

Content basically. If something is there that I want to talk about, I will talk about it on whatever forum it appears.

 

I have lost count of the numerous fourms I have posted my name up onto when discussing things.

 

The other reason is, that most of the time, I am busy in forum A, because I own forum A

 

JimE

[eukhost]

hi

 

This is shane,the best part ot the forum is FREQUENCY OF INTERACTION.

 

regards

[makaveli]

activity is a top one, i'm working on getting 1 forum active with a limited audience, and promoting another "general" forum.

also, say. well ill use TCH as an example. its not all just "hosting" theres this general mess area and games area so its not all just "blah blah" tech stuff.

[abinidi]

The problem, from a site admin point of view is that is a "chicken or the egg" -type argument. What makes a forum inviting? High participation. But how do you make a new forum with relatively few members inviting?

 

In the end, I think that you, and a select group of loyal followers have to make the forum very active up front, and then promote it in some way to get new members. New members become the lifeblood that keeps your forum running as older members suffer from some attrition.

 

Anyway, I'm just saying that I recognize it is hard to do when you are new. But once you can prove to your new members that the forum is useful, active, and friendly, then they'll come back.

 

Good luck with your forum.

[Samrc]

Activity AND the quality of the activity.

 

Some forums get into bickering, petty insults, and general misbehavior. This holds no interest for me, even if the topic is one that does. I may read, but not post.

 

I want to spend time with adults with the ability to communicate (speling optional) and sense of community.

TCH forum has both.

 

And of course quality smilies.

[owatagal]

I look for community/atmosphere/knowledge base. In the long run, I'll spend more time on a slow-paced forum with those three qualities than a fast-paced forum with a bunch of trolls (even though I enjoy reading trollish posts sometimes). I also prefer forums that are specialized to a degree but not over specialized--e.g. one on horses rather than animals or Dressage. When I need to, I go to more specialized forums, but I like to read over topics that aren't my specialty and see what new things I can pick up.

[eukhost]

hi

 

yes i have noticed that many member just post without any knowledge base,there comes in less of proffesionality and more of nonsense.

 

shane