Running Your Forum

The Running Your Forum Board is governed by the rules of this forum AND by the board specific rules listed below:


Purpose:

Running Your Forum is a board where you can create threads about the day to day management of your forum. This can range from offering tips to having discussions to asking questions - as long as it’s regarding the general aspects of running a forum.


This is NOT the place for receiving technical support, getting opinions about your forum or advertising your forum. Please visit the appropriate board for these areas:


Bumping:

No bumping. If your thread isn't getting any replies, chances are it's a question that's been asked many many times (check through a few pages and you might get your answer), or it's something to which they cannot relate.


Board Specific Rules:

  • No Asking For Staff or Members ~ it is a bad idea anyway to appoint people you don't know to run your forum. When you first start out, you only need yourself to run things. Once the forum gets established and is busier, then promote someone from your rank of members who has shown good judgment in the past.
  • Please do not direct others to click on your signature to visit your site.
  • No Adult Content ~ this has been asked many times and the answer is that all content must be kept PG-13. This includes content in hidden boards and content in PMs. All forums must follow ProBoards Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.
  • Be respectful ~ Everyone has different ideas about how to run a forum, so please be considerate when replying to the posts of others.

While manners cannot be forced, it's recommended that you thank the members/staff who reply to your posts. It's more likely to get them to reply again in future posts of yours. Being thanked or similar makes people feel like their efforts were appreciated.



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Promoting Your Forum Discussion Board Rules

The Promoting Your Forum Discussions Board is governed by the rules of this forum AND by the board specific rules listed below:


Purpose:

The Promoting Your Forum Discussions Board is for forum admins to have more indepth discussions about promoting their forum. Admins can discuss different strategies on promotion, methods they’ve tried, and observations on membership trends.


From time to time, a moderator or admin will post a topic on this board. Members will then be able to discuss and comment on that topic. All topics will be related to ideas on how to promote your forum. This includes ideas on how to get members, how to keep members, how to get your board ranked in search engines, how do get people to link to your site, etc.


Bumping:

Bump by post only. - Meaning no single word “bump” allowed. Threads may remain active (bumped) if the post is relevant and furthers the discussion. There is no necroposting restriction on this board. All threads are open for discussion.


Board Specific Rules:

  • You may NOT post your forum’s URL.
  • All discussions must remain 100% on topic. Going off-topic is subject to a warning.
  • Posts should be at least 4 sentences long and fostering intelligent discussion.of the topic. Non productive posts such as "thanks for the ideas" should be avoided as it does not add value to the discussion.


Get Opinions About Your Forum Board Rules

The Get Opinions About Your Forum Board is governed by the rules of this forum AND by the board specific rules listed below:


Purpose:

The Get Opinions About Your Forum Board is an outlet for admins to submit their forum for peer review regarding a forum’s design, organization, content, etc. This board is expanding to now include themes (skins) as well. Any member is welcome to critique a submission whether they have a submission here or not.


Note that since this is a peer review board you may not receive a critique or the response may not be immediate. Please be patient.


Bumping:

You may bump your thread once every 24 hours - with the word "bump" only. Only the thread creator can bump their thread.


Board Specific Rules:

  • ProBoards hosted forums only. These are forums with the domain of proboards.com, freeforum.net and boards.net. No personal websites. Posts of non-ProBoards forums will be removed.
  • Forums.net (ProBoards premium business-class service) clients may submit on this board providing their forum content is PG-13 and the forum conforms to the ProBoards Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.
  • The link to your forum needs to be a direct link and not a link to a website.
  • Forums MUST be open to guests. This means "guest must log in" or "maintenance mode" must not be activated. Having closed-off sections are okay, provided the critiquer can see the forum as a whole.
  • If submission is for a theme (skin) only, then that theme must be set as the default theme for guests.
  • A member may have up to two active submissions at any one time provided they are for different forums and each in their own thread. A new submission may be made if another is designated as closed.
  • Only forum admins or co-admins can create a submission for critique. See How to Post… below.
  • No forum advertising. Use the appropriate board. Submissions that read as an advertisement will be deleted. This also includes posting your forum link in someone else’s thread if even as an example.
  • No member solicitation, offering staff positions, or directing members to click in the signature.
  • No trade-offs - "I’ll critique yours if you critique mine."

How to Post for Opinions:

  1. The thread title must be the name of the forum and/or its subject matter only.
  2. Specify what is being submitted for critique: the whole forum, just the theme (include theme name), or a specific area of the forum; however it should be something substantial, not just "do you like the color of my text".
  3. Images are not allowed, however if you think it will help the critiquer to understand your forum better, you may include a brief description of what your forum is about. Please keep this to around 250 characters or less as this is not an advertising board.
  4. If the submission is for the forum as a whole and you are using a premade theme, please note this in your post with a credit to the original creator.
  5. Only a forum admin or co-admin can create a submission for critique. If you are not the main admin (username of ‘admin’), but are the co-admin, please state so in the opening post and add the relevant profile link from the forum being submitted.
  6. Theme (only) submissions can only be submitted by an admin or co-admin as stated above in step 5. If the theme was created by another member (non-admin) of the forum, that should be stated in the opening post with that member’s username or a link to that member’s profile on the forum.
  7. If you have made changes to your forum / theme / submitted item, edit your original post making note of the changes.
  8. If you are closing out your submission and no longer wish to receive opinions, edit your thread subject title adding the word "Closed" at the beginning.
  9. If you have made significant changes to your forum / theme / submitted item and want it reviewed again, then it’s best to mark the original thread closed and start a new thread. If the changes are based on a previous critique, then a link to that post in the closed thread should be included in the new thread.

How to Critique / Give an Opinion:

Peer reviews are submitted for honest, constructive opinions and not for disrespectful responses. A proper critique should always be phrased to help. If you choose to participate by offering a critique, it should be thoughtful, informative and on point.

  1. Only offer an opinion on what the submitter designated in their opening post.
  2. Be original with your critique. If you agree with another member’s critique, still state your own opinion. Everyone words things differently, so even if you're reiterating the same points, the thread starter might find your version easier to understand, than another.
  3. Do not direct people to PB design forums. This is considered unfair advertisement. Instead link to the Graphic Design Board.
  4. If code is offered as part of a critique, in addition to posting the code, a link to the source should be provided if possible (or applicable). Recipient’s use of code is at their own risk. It is advised recipient makes a copy of any existing css/template code before making modifications.
  5. Currently there are two recommended methods of providing a critique: Aspect and Rating

    • Aspect:

    • Critiquing by aspect involves three points:
      1. Statement = What you like or dislike
      2. Elaborate = Explain why. If you dislike it, offer suggestions to make it better.
      3. Other = Offer other helpful information (optional).
    • Here’s an example of an Aspect Critique:

    •  


    • Rating:

    • Critiquing by Rating is similar to Aspect, but also involves a numbered rating.
      1. For each topic of critique offer a rating of 1-5 (1 = needs improvement and 5 = excellent)
      2. Like Aspect, include likes, dislikes, and suggestions to make it better.
    • Here’s a layout example of a Rating Critique:

    •  


After the Critique:

  • If you receive a negative rate please don't take it personally. People rate based on their tastes, and their tastes might not be the same as yours. You may question the critiquing member if anything's confusing you, but please don't get abusive to members who give you a negative opinion. In a similar sense, members who give abusive opinions, should be reported via the Report Post feature.
  • Mind your manners. Be respectful whether you’re giving or receiving an opinion. Remember that receiving a negative critique on something you’ve spent time on is not always easy. Likewise, if you’ve posted soliciting for opinions, you need to expect the negative as well as the positive.
  • If you’ve received a critique, it’s polite to thank the member who gave of their time to help you out. It goes a long way in encouraging them to continue offering opinions as well as having future submissions of yours critiqued.


Advertise Your Forum Board Rules

The Advertise Your Forum Board is governed by the rules of this forum AND by the board specific rules listed below:


Purpose:

The Advertise Your Forum Board is a "listing board", a place where you can call attention to your forum to attract new members.


Bumping:

You may bump your thread once every 24 hours - with the word "bump" only. Only the thread starter and one additional person (who is listed in the thread title) may bump.


Board Specific Rules:

  • ProBoards hosted forums only. These are forums with the domain of proboards.com, freeforums.net and boards.net. Posts of non-ProBoards forums will be removed.
  • Forums.net (ProBoards premium business-class service) clients may advertise on this board providing their forum content is PG-13 and the forum conforms to the ProBoards Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.
  • Thread starter MUST be the forum admin or an appointed staff member.
  • Only one active advert per forum URL (e.g. http://forum.proboards.com).
    • You may have up to 3 different adverts so long as each one is for a DIFFERENT forum (different URL).
    • Active adverts can be in the same or different sub-board category since each advert is for a completely different forum.
    • If you are at the maximum limit of 3 adverts, you must stop bumping one advert and wait until it drops to page two before starting any new advert thread.
  • Thread titles should be easy to read and include:
    • The name of your forum
    • A very brief description
    • And, optionally, the name of an authorized bumper listed in brackets.
    Example thread title:
    “Buzzing Business - A Beekeeping Forum [wildmaven]”
  • Graphics are limited to no more than 600 pixels wide by 600 pixels high.
  • The link to your forum needs to be a direct link and not a link to a website.
  • No comments or replies allowed in the threads other than the “bump” post as stated in the rules. PM the thread creator if you have questions regarding the forum.
  • Do not offer staff positions just for a member joining your forum. Only promote people you trust.
  • No "join for join" - Do not post offering to join another's forum if they join yours.
  • Do not post “Looking for” threads here. There are stickied threads in place for this purpose. Make sure you read the specific rules in those threads before posting.


Affiliate Exchange Board Rules

The Affiliate Exchange Board is governed by the rules of this forum AND by the board specific rules listed below:


Purpose:

The Affiliate Exchange Board is a repository of forums wanting to affiliate with other forums. This board is designed to help forums find each other and facilitate the affiliate process.


In regards to forums, affiliates are forums that are associated with one another generally based on similar interests. This provides a means for forums to get exposure to new members and a way for members to discover other forums based on their same field of interest. Forums that affiliate with other forums will provide a link to the other forum via a displayed logo or image usually located in a table format at the bottom or on the side of the forum's home page.


Bumping:

You may bump your thread once every 24 hours - with the word "bump" only. Only the thread creator can bump their thread.


Terms Used:

OP (Original Poster) = The member creating the initial affiliate thread - forum owner or staff.
SM (Searching Member) = The member that searches for affiliates and makes the initial PM contact with the OP.


Board Specific Rules:

  • ProBoards hosted forums only. These are forums with the domain of proboards.com, freeforum.net and boards.net. Posts of non-ProBoards forums will be removed.
  • Forums.net (ProBoards premium business-class service) clients may affiliate on this board providing their forum content is PG-13 and the forum conforms to the ProBoards Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.
  • Only one listing per forum. If you have five forums you may have five listings, one per forum.
  • Forums must be active and open to members. No "test" forums or those in maintenance mode.
  • Affiliate images should be 88 pixels wide and 31 pixels high to conform with the affiliate standards that are already established.
  • Enter your forum URL and image link using HTML < > and not BBCode [ ].
  • No Post Layout Modification - Follow the template and do not alter the layout. Posts not following the layout template will be deleted.
  • No Reply Posting. - Other than the OP bump, no other comments or postings allowed. Once an affiliate is found, communication is handled via PM.
  • Respond to a Request - If an OP is contacted with an affiliate request they are expected to respond to the requester as to whether or not they want to exchange affiliations.
  • No Badgering - SM is expected to respect the decision of the OP and not "pester" them if the OP does not want to exchange affiliates.
  • Be Respectful - Both the OP and the SM are expected to conduct their PMs in a civil, respectful manner.

HOW THE BOARD WORKS:

  1. The OP must have an account here on support.
  2. The OP creates a thread filling in the information in the pop-up form box or by following the template provided.
  3. The Title of the thread should be the forum name and a short 2-4 word description so those sifting through the threads can tell what type of forum it is from the title. (example: "MCCA – Canadian Minecraft RP" or "Pen & Ink – Creative Writers"). Please avoid using the the word "affiliate" or a variation thereof in your title. Since this is an affiliate board, It's kind of a duh! Thread titles are limited to 60 characters.
  4. The SM views the posts (or uses the search feature) for forums they'd like to affiliate with.
  5. The SM finds a listing and PMs the OP indicating they'd like to exchange affiliations. They talk and share.
  6. Bam! – Done. That's it!

RESPONSES, DELETIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFO:

  • Sometimes personal circumstances may prevent an OP from responding immediately. If the SM does not receive a response from the OP after 14 days, the SM should forward the PM request to Scott or one of the mods. Indicate lack of response and make sure the forum URL is listed. The situation will be reviewed and if the OP is found non responsive, the affiliate posting will be deleted.
  • If a PM exchange between the OP and SM is less than civil it may be reported (by either member) by following the above process.
  • If an affiliate listing is deleted due to template modification, rule infraction, or lack of response, the OP may resubmit their listing if their intent is to follow the rules set forth. Everyone deserves a second chance.
  • This board will adhere to a firm code of ethics. Any efforts to discredit another member or forum; any badgering of another member (or mod) for a response; – is subject to a foregoing of a warning for an immediate ban.

Template For Manual Posting (mobile):

"Our Affiliate Code" (below) should be listed using html < > and not bbcode [ ]


Forum Name:
Forum URL:
Description:
We want to affiliate with:
Our Affiliate Code:
Our Affiliate Image:
Optional Forum Stats: