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    How Would You Run A Forum?

    Topical question of the day, how would you do it, what do you think is the best way?

    If I ran a forum, I would enforce rules on questions posted and delete all repeat posts immediately. When you first joined my forum it would appear somewhat heavy handed, but after a few weeks you would realise what a fantastically organised resource it was and how easy it was to find an answer or get help on your problem. You'd soon realise the approach and respect it for what it actually gave you, not how it treated you at the start.

    I'd have rules of no links until 20 posts had been made, you can't have a site review until you yourself have done a site review, basically encouraging people to join who want to play an active part in the community. I'd also have a £10 joining fee to pay for the hosting of it. I'd run a competition of some kind and run official rewards on a monthly/annual basis to reward the top people on there.

    This approach would mean people would leave of course, it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but what it would do is prepare those who stayed, for what is inside and how it runs. Whenever we go somewhere new, it's a period of adjustment, whether that be a new job or house and there is always a period of adjustment for everyone. That time is also the most important one to set down ground rules and illustrate how things work.

    I would allow all banter and conversations to occur and would only come down hard on religious, racial or any abuse towards a person's family. I'd provide a warning for the first time and then a posting ban for 2 weeks after that. If above rules were not broken, i'd not close or moderate in anyway, because I am yet to see a thread not manage itself personally, one of the parties always gets bored or takes the high ground in the end. I want people to be people and do as they wish following a few simple rules for the good of all, I'm not after a utopian community, I'm after a real life one as it is out on the streets.

    That's how I'd do it, how would you do yours? If mine would fail, why would it?

    #2
    I don't think there is a 'right way' to run a forum and I, for one, would never want to have to do it. Communities evolve. People leave, new people join and community 'policing' has to evolve with it, IMO.

    I think you're an idealist, Lee. Not that it's a bad thing.
    Tracey

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      #3
      To be honest most of my thoughts come from other forums and seeing how they are run. I joined a very heavy handed one on posting rules (LOST forum), but it had 20,000 members and needed it I soon found out. I was soon won over just by being there for a few days. I'm a firm believer in never looking a gift horse in the mouth and believe that if you want help on something and you also wish to dictate how that help should be provided, then you need to put your hand in your pocket. Beggars can't be choosers etc.

      I can see that some would totally disagree with that, but that's the beauty of society and opinions, the shear diversity. Morally high people (or people who think they are very moral) would be bored senseless if all people thought as they did. The immoral people help to define where the moral people are in life. We all want people to be like us and think like us, until it happens and then we realise how interesting our old life was and how incredibly boring the new one is.

      Comment


        #4
        I was an administrator with a fairly sized software company on their forum. The forum would see anything from 20-50 new threads per day, average was around 35 new threads a day.

        To cut a long story short, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Regardless how much you enforce the rules, the rules are there to be broken and idiots will always push the envelope.

        In the end I'd had enough of giving the same idiots advice, telling them to check the FAQ, read the help file, search the forum, etc. and no longer actively work on the forum.

        It's worse than getting your head around convincing online shoppers to buy from your site - you need to get the message across, but unfortunately some people just don't want to listen.

        Why this forum doesn't have the Help/Reputation modules installed/activated or why infractions are never taken advantage of, I don't know. Both are a system that are definitely required for an online forum. As with everything in life, there will always be somebody out to exploit you for their gain.


        Apologies if you are in fact an idiot and take offence to being referenced to as an idiot.

        Comment


          #5
          Just a thought,
          when someone purchases Actinic, can they receive a login for the forum instead of signing up off the 'street'?
          At least this way it will stop people hiding their identity and make people appreciate their account.
          So if they start giving abuse on the forum or not following the rules (say 3 strikes and you’re out) they then lose their privilege to a helpful and much needed place.
          "If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions"

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by grantglendinnin View Post
            In the end I'd had enough of giving the same idiots advice, telling them to check the FAQ, read the help file, search the forum, etc. and no longer actively work on the forum.
            I wouldn't do that part, I wouldn't waste my time, that type of person if persistent (long term) would not be who I am after to help build my community. For any thread that I felt was useless, i'd have a switch that closed the thread and enforced and linked through to the rules of how things work. It would be deleted one week later. If they don't listen, then they can go whistle, I don't want to waste valuable time educating them. They have a duty to add to the forum, at the very least not dilute it is my stance.

            Comment


              #7
              Your forum sounds great Lee, but what it will require is resources and perhaps there lies the problem.

              Companies generally aren't going to throw resources at something which isn't at the very least paying for itself. Then you'd start seeing high membership fees or advertisement banners all over the shop to make the whole project worth while.

              Ironically, this type of community is indirectly saving companies money:

              No community = more support inquiries = more staff = increased wage bill = higher product price = less sales

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                #8
                Originally posted by leehack View Post
                I wouldn't do that part, I wouldn't waste my time, that type of person (long term) would not be who I am after to help build my community. For any thread that I felt was useless, i'd have a switch that closed the thread and enforced and linked through to the rules of how things work. It would be deleted one week later. If they don't listen, then they can go whistle, I don't want to waste valuable time educating them. They have a duty to add to the forum, at the very least not dilute it is my stance.
                I've seen this sort of practise used too. It seems to work however what it builds up is less 'community' and more 'help desk' or 'support'
                If you err towards the latter then, IMO, it should be PAID people doing it.
                Tracey

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by chunkesolutions View Post
                  Just a thought,
                  when someone purchases Actinic, can they receive a login for the forum instead of signing up off the 'street'?
                  At least this way it will stop people hiding their identity and make people appreciate their account.
                  So if they start giving abuse on the forum or not following the rules (say 3 strikes and you’re out) they then lose their privilege to a helpful and much needed place.
                  Issues with this:
                  • How would those with invalid licenses/trial users get support? They'd both be stuck on the same boat.
                  • How would assigning details to current users who don't (yet) have a forum account work?


                  Your last point is a very good suggestion though, definitely one I would support

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by webD View Post
                    Ironically, this type of community is indirectly saving companies money:

                    No community = more support inquiries = more staff
                    I said exactly that earlier on.

                    THIS forum (the Actinic one) saves Actinic a HEAP of money and for what thanks?
                    If the forum self-combusted today, Actinic Support would NOT be able to handle the fallout. I am 100% convinced of it.

                    [editted to add, that 'rant' is really on the wrong thread but hey..I'm sure Lee doesn't mind )
                    Tracey

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by grantglendinnin View Post
                      Issues with this:
                      • How would those with invalid licenses/trial users get support? They'd both be stuck on the same boat.
                      Users would have a guest account to read but not post, so they can see what to expect if they were to purchase actinic.

                      Originally posted by grantglendinnin View Post
                      Issues with this:
                      • How would assigning details to current users who don't (yet) have a forum account work?
                      They would have to be created by Actinic by sending a request email with their details to clarify
                      "If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions"

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I'm sold on that idea Paul. One for the Wish List, perhaps?

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