How do you keep your forum active?

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cally6008
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by cally6008 »

thanks for that blog link :)
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reptileguy
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by reptileguy »

You're welcome cally6008.
Are you struggling to keep a forum active?
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uirebit
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by uirebit »

reptileguy wrote:I haven't lost interest. Not at all.
I think you should rethink from scratch the look of your forum.
Start by embellish a bit the forum theme .
Nobody wants to be active on a forum that looks the same like other forums 1,000,000.
:shock:

I worked less on content and more to look.
My forum is active even if I do not go there again.
cally6008
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by cally6008 »

not really but kindof - repitileguy

the main block gets used but im trying to encourage members to put in the general chat board

it used to be quite active a few years ago, under a different name using different software which then got hacked,
i merged the 2 websites together and the main section is still active but the chat bit doesn't get used at all
now with the rise of facebook and people changing email address' etc, a lot of previous members have moved on
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reptileguy
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by reptileguy »

uirebit wrote: I think you should rethink from scratch the look of your forum.
Start by embellish a bit the forum theme .
[...]
Hi uirebit, that's what I did: start with the default prosilver and modify it.
I still need to get used to the architecture of version 3.1.3, which is a bit more complex than 3.0.x, but I'm getting there ;)
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reptileguy
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by reptileguy »

cally6008 wrote:not really but kindof - repitileguy

the main block gets used but im trying to encourage members to put in the general chat board

it used to be quite active a few years ago, under a different name using different software which then got hacked,
i merged the 2 websites together and the main section is still active but the chat bit doesn't get used at all
now with the rise of facebook and people changing email address' etc, a lot of previous members have moved on
cally6008, do you have a Facebook page for your forum? If previous members have moved on to Facebook, then use Facebook to draw them back to the general chat board. Just an idea :)
Holger
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by Holger »

Delete the FB-page/group!
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reptileguy
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by reptileguy »

Holger wrote:Delete the FB-page/group!
Why, Holger?
Holger
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by Holger »

Because it takes the discussions and the traffic away from your forum.
I would never start a FB-group related to my forums content myself. If anybody else does then you cannot stop them (you can only stop them if they use protected names and such).
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Volksdevil
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by Volksdevil »

Interesting points regards facecrook. I have my forum setup to automatically post any new topics to both facecrook and twitter...

But at the moment I'm wondering what the benefit is...if any. I think facecrook has created lots of internet dummies. Half the time people don't even realise you are posting links, and they think that the (OG:Image) posted on facebook links is something to just 'Like' without even realising it's a link that they can visit. I find it proper annoying... :twisted:

Getting pissed off with the whole forum thing again, I just keep asking myself why I'm bothering with it all. Once of a day I didn't ask myself that. Disappointed that my site is just costing me money, time and effort and it's not getting used. But yet plenty of the members who have signed up then gone quiet are there on stinking facebook, posting random, meaningless crap.
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Mick
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by Mick »

For many boards owners, including myself, running a board is a hobby, there has never been any guarantees of sanctification.
  • "The more connected we get the more alone we become” - Kyle Broflovski© 🇬🇧
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Volksdevil
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by Volksdevil »

I'm certainly not looking for sanctification :shock: :lol: My board is based around my hobby of 20yrs, but it's become more of a chore because everybody's migrated to FaceCrook and it seems like people have lost interest in properly organised/clustered information and would rather post random pics on there...So I'm keeping the site going/informative for little reason (To help others/build a large repository of information).

I just posted this pic on our facebook page...And in the first reply we have somebody saying 'Check us out on facebook. :roll:
grim-reaper-corrado-forums.png
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reptileguy
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by reptileguy »

Holger wrote:Because it takes the discussions and the traffic away from your forum.
I would never start a FB-group related to my forums content myself. If anybody else does then you cannot stop them (you can only stop them if they use protected names and such).
You have a point there, Holger.
However, I believe it's Facebook as a whole that keeps people away from phpBB boards, not a FB-page for a specific board. If I delete my FB-page people will continue to use Facebook, and not be able to find my board on Facebook.
I share Volksdevil's experience: For example, I post a link to pictures on the forum on Facebook. People 'like' the link without seeing the pictures because they don't log in. To me that's inexplicable. :roll:
I like Facebook but it's not a good platform for serious discussion, and as Volksdevil says, properly organised/clustered information.
I'm not giving up yet but there comes a point where it's no longer worth the effort.
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HiFiKabin
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by HiFiKabin »

The trouble with Faceache and Twatter is that they prove the first law of the Internet.

Any idiot can use Social Media, and most of them do
Holger
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Re: How do you keep your forum active?

Post by Holger »

If you create a FB-group/page for your forums you will certainly have a slowdown in the forums, because people will use FB instead. So, dont create that FB-group/page. Dont help FB win.

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