Your Fake Users

[halil16]

I started a forum about a TV show. It was beautiful; I am constantly adding and improving content. But it has almost no active users except me. I wonder if I should create a fake user and join? It's nice up to a point. But I also feel like I'm just deceiving myself. Write to all topics with this fake user; and knowing that every time I look at it later... It feels weird.

Do you have fake users that you use? What do you think is the size of this and how should it be?

[KevC]

There's already a huge topic along those lines here
viewtopic.php?t=362219

[halil16]

Yes, now I see. But if I think that topic and the beginning of this topic and the meaning obtained afterwards are different. It starts with the increase in the number of users and ends with the number of fake users. But I'm talking about a fake user active on the board here. A fake user who will participate in the Topics and pretend to be an active user.

[KevC]

It's one of the many ways people get new users on to a board. Whether it's a moral way to do it is entirely up to the individual.

[[Dimetrodon]]

It's one of the many ways people get new users on to a board. Whether it's a moral way to do it is entirely up to the individual.

I doubt fake users would actually work.

I had 2 (real) other users active on my site besides myself, and that hasn't resulted in anyone else joining.

While I never intended for membership on my site to skyrocket or even increase, I'm sure that would have happened if having a few users is the magic bullet for people to join.

[ssl]

I wonder what is the point of creating 1 or 2 fake members to respond to yourself? It's quite a torturous way to proceed!
I think the content has to be, on the one hand very interesting and referenced on Google to have members who register on the forum, and then again they have to participate in the discussions.

[[Dimetrodon]]

Yeah, I would never try that. Not only would it not work but I'm sure it would make me go insane.

[KevC]

I can see how it could work. You set up some questions, you then post as a different account answering them and/or posing more questions. It's all about trying to get a passing potential new member to think 'mmm I know that, I'll post', or that it looks like a friendly place to join in. Depends an awful lot on the subject of the board I think.

If it's about a TV show you can post about characters, episodes or talking points and have different 'personalities' for the fake accounts to set up opposing views which again might encourage people in.

Getting a forum off the ground is by far the hardest thing to do. If there are no other sites about that TV show you have a chance. If it's something like....... Star Trek or some other hugely well established series, you have no chance at all because other sites will already and always out rank you.

[halil16]

Yes KevC, that's what I wanted to tell. Frankly, as a private and stand-alone forum, there are no forums related to that tv show. But my board in Turkish. He has a lot of fans in Turkiye as well. I'm trying to complete the main topics for the seasons and episodes. I also added a general cinema & tv category in the board.

One of the most pleasant parts of the job is that the main character says the full address of the board in Turkish dubbing in the pilot episode. Since the tv show is famous, there is a lot of content on other sites. So the competition is there, although not too much.

[dave2565]

You would probably attract more members if you spent time promoting your site on social media.

Dave

[halil16]

Honestly, I hate fake users now, I don't care anymore. I've moved my forum for the tv show to my main project, which means I've moved its content to the general forum and redirected the domanini there, making it look like a special section. I use social media when I can, but it doesn't hoppened as well as I'd like. What is said here is very true. No need for fake users. The important thing is to create good content and invitations. It also requires great patience

[Forex Station]

Do you have fake users that you use? What do you think is the size of this and how should it be?

I don't have any pretend users but if I had a board that was struggling to gain traction after 6 months I would promote the board on social media especially Facebook "groups", guest post on other forums and if that didn't work I would try get friends or family members to sign up to help out.

[JLA]

It's one of the many ways people get new users on to a board. Whether it's a moral way to do it is entirely up to the individual.

I doubt fake users would actually work.

I had 2 (real) other users active on my site besides myself, and that hasn't resulted in anyone else joining.

While I never intended for membership on my site to skyrocket or even increase, I'm sure that would have happened if having a few users is the magic bullet for people to join.

You're right - it doesn't work - now or 20 years ago.!