Comments on: How to Be a Good Host: A Quick Guide to Web Forums That Work http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/ Online marketing that works Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:42:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ravi http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-732528 ravi Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:47:38 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-732528 I think running a forum has the potential of being really time consuming. Having good moderators is a must. It’s the people that make the forum, as you have pointed out. I think running a forum has the potential of being really time consuming. Having good moderators is a must.

It’s the people that make the forum, as you have pointed out.

]]> By: maryfergussonn http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-632489 maryfergussonn Thu, 21 May 2009 15:26:20 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-632489 Hey All, it's always nice to meet new people..Just wanted to introduce my self as new comer into the forum and for you all please feel free to ad me to your buddy list Hey All, it’s always nice to meet new people..Just wanted to introduce my self as new comer into the forum and for you all please feel free to ad me to your buddy list

]]> By: Rick http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-563113 Rick Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:22:57 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-563113 Nr 3 on your list is what have made our forum as popular as it is today, there are many forums out there where the tone tends go get hostile as soon as two people think different. The nice tone on our forum has really helped us and made the forum grow, and if people like it, they will tell others about this wonderful place they found. Free marketing. Our forum is not a huge one, we have about 500 unique visitors/day and because of the nice tone on the forum they think of it as a place where they can be who they really are without getting attacked by anyone. A forum is one of the places where you don't want your visitors to be afraid of writing. Regards Rick Nr 3 on your list is what have made our forum as popular as it is today, there are many forums out there where the tone tends go get hostile as soon as two people think different.

The nice tone on our forum has really helped us and made the forum grow, and if people like it, they will tell others about this wonderful place they found. Free marketing.

Our forum is not a huge one, we have about 500 unique visitors/day and because of the nice tone on the forum they think of it as a place where they can be who they really are without getting attacked by anyone. A forum is one of the places where you don’t want your visitors to be afraid of writing.

Regards
Rick

]]> By: Nick Stamoulis http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-560332 Nick Stamoulis Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:42:48 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-560332 The days of building something online having people show up are over and it really takes a great deal of work to drive significant amounts of people to a website regardless of what it is. The days of building something online having people show up are over and it really takes a great deal of work to drive significant amounts of people to a website regardless of what it is.

]]> By: Vardaan http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-560173 Vardaan Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:24:20 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-560173 Also i feel that Topics (Forum)/ Categories should also be well defined and interesting to users so that they cud feel like writing in Also i feel that Topics (Forum)/ Categories should also be well defined and interesting to users so that they cud feel like writing in

]]> By: Alice http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-559923 Alice Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:31:42 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-559923 Forums are a great way to find new readers, Iv used them in the past with great success. Not only are they a great way to communicate with your audience, they can be a great source of news and opinion, as well as a great networking. Forums are a great way to find new readers, Iv used them in the past with great success.

Not only are they a great way to communicate with your audience, they can be a great source of news and opinion, as well as a great networking.

]]> By: Jessica Albon - ThriveYourTribe http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-558928 Jessica Albon - ThriveYourTribe Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:39:41 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-558928 Maria, your comment that you should always be asking yourself "How can I be of use?" really stands out to me here. You're right--it's that kind of an approach that makes a forum genuinely valuable to the participants (which, in turn, helps it grow), and I think participants have gotten really skilled at sniffing out which forums are run by people with a hidden agenda and which are run by people who want to help. For me, though, that begs the question--what happens when the honest answer is, "I can't"? Is that a sign that it's time to take on additional co-moderators? Maria, your comment that you should always be asking yourself “How can I be of use?” really stands out to me here. You’re right–it’s that kind of an approach that makes a forum genuinely valuable to the participants (which, in turn, helps it grow), and I think participants have gotten really skilled at sniffing out which forums are run by people with a hidden agenda and which are run by people who want to help.

For me, though, that begs the question–what happens when the honest answer is, “I can’t”? Is that a sign that it’s time to take on additional co-moderators?

]]> By: J. M. Strother http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-558920 J. M. Strother Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:22:48 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-558920 Speaking as a reader/visitor (though I do have a blog) I have always preferred forums over blogs. A good forum provides a place for people of diverse backgrounds to interact and learn from each other. While blogs do allow for some interaction via comments, they don't let individual visitors branch off in their own direction. A well run forum can allow for that freedom within the confines of the subject matter under discussion. Over time I have seen many of my old favorite writing forums go by the wayside, replaced by much more confining blogs. Some are excellent blogs, but the free flow of information is greatly curtailed. In short, I believe blogs are directed conversation while forums are open conversations. To shift the subject slightly, I have seen the question about blog/forum integration come up more than once recently. You need to consider your software selection carefully or you may end up trying to cobble together disparate pieces from different vendors. The package I use is Tiki Wiki. It has everything I need under one roof - blog, forum, newsletter, wiki pages (think Wikipeadia - though not done with Tiki Wiki), image galleries, articles, and trackers. The advantage is that everything is managed under one set of Cascading Style Sheets. This means that everything has the same overall look and feel. The disadvantage of Tiki Wiki is that it can be a little intimidating to setup and confusing to configure at first. You don't have to be a programmer to use it, but having some technical savvy is definitely a plus. Just something to consider beyond the WordPress box. ~jon Speaking as a reader/visitor (though I do have a blog) I have always preferred forums over blogs. A good forum provides a place for people of diverse backgrounds to interact and learn from each other. While blogs do allow for some interaction via comments, they don’t let individual visitors branch off in their own direction. A well run forum can allow for that freedom within the confines of the subject matter under discussion.

Over time I have seen many of my old favorite writing forums go by the wayside, replaced by much more confining blogs. Some are excellent blogs, but the free flow of information is greatly curtailed. In short, I believe blogs are directed conversation while forums are open conversations.

To shift the subject slightly, I have seen the question about blog/forum integration come up more than once recently. You need to consider your software selection carefully or you may end up trying to cobble together disparate pieces from different vendors.

The package I use is Tiki Wiki. It has everything I need under one roof – blog, forum, newsletter, wiki pages (think Wikipeadia – though not done with Tiki Wiki), image galleries, articles, and trackers. The advantage is that everything is managed under one set of Cascading Style Sheets. This means that everything has the same overall look and feel.

The disadvantage of Tiki Wiki is that it can be a little intimidating to setup and confusing to configure at first. You don’t have to be a programmer to use it, but having some technical savvy is definitely a plus. Just something to consider beyond the WordPress box.
~jon

]]> By: Bamboo Forest - PunIntended http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-558900 Bamboo Forest - PunIntended Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:50:04 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-558900 I think running a forum has the potential of being really time consuming. Having good moderators is a must. It's the people that make the forum, as you have pointed out. I think running a forum has the potential of being really time consuming. Having good moderators is a must.

It’s the people that make the forum, as you have pointed out.

]]> By: Chester http://www.copyblogger.com/web-forum-guid/#comment-558865 Chester Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:34:29 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/?p=1888#comment-558865 I used to run my own forum and failed. Maybe I didn't spend too much time promoting it. Thanks for the tips :) I used to run my own forum and failed. Maybe I didn’t spend too much time promoting it.
Thanks for the tips :)

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