Thread: My Tips for New and Old Forum Admins

So technically 3 categories is perfect for a starting off forum ??

Quote: Originally Posted by BioX You should of given examples of what to do sites. I didn't want to get into Site A vs. Site B situations. But, I may compile a list of good examples and post them at a later date. Thanks for the suggestion. Quote: Originally Posted by BioX So technically 3 categories is perfect for a starting off forum ?? There is no perfect number, but having very few isn't a bad place to start. The thought behind...

Quote: Originally Posted by BioX You should of given examples of what to do sites. I guess just the opposite of what not to do.

All very good points, except #6. The default theme IMHO is actually better to use as new users will feel right at home from the get go.

Agree with post #1 100%, rep given.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mudcrutch 4. Keep the Head Size to a Minimum Since content is king, why hide your content/forum under a huge header? Get that content up there! An example of what not to do: http://www.feldoncentral.com/forums/ I don't even see the forum! Is that the same feldon that posts on here? Regardless, I actually dont' mind that one as I can still see the first forum link on the page without scrolling. Now this...

I agree with it all except #4. Visually having your information at the top makes no real impact when it comes to a forum, because 99.99% of the time you must expect to scroll with a forum, regardless the size of the header. If your site is visually appealing, regardless the header size, then that will actually do more good than bad for forum appeal. Visual marketing is one of the leading aspects of getting more people interested. The more...

Quote: Originally Posted by DiscussBusiness Are you suggesting that you should have an account separate from your Admin account, and not tell anyone you own the forum? I think what he means is to not make being an admin some sort of dividing line between you and your members. Be human, be a member just like them. It's much friendlier to mix with the crowd than to sit behind your glass wall pushing buttons and moving levers.

Quote: 1. Start with VERY FEW Forum Categories I believed this for some time and I do implement this policy on my own forums. However, I recently looked back on some very large forums on Archive.org and to my surprise quite a few of them had lots of forum sections when they were much smaller. Boards.ie from 2001 is an example. Quote: 2. Be One With Your Members Are you suggesting that you should have an account separate from your Admin...

Decent write up and a good point about not creating a huge amount of forum sections starting out. Most times its easier building quality content into your communities niche with a smaller amount of sections. That way your overall forum doesn't have that "bare" or "ghost town" appearance when it is in the early stages of growth. As time goes on it is very easy to introduce a new forum section and move...