What makes a forum die?

[ratedxsuperstar]

Drama? Thats the least of your problems...Admin that is unable to be active, members who get too busy-holds down rp, meaning people start getting tired of it.

[Patrick [ASE]]

Your posts should be at least 4 sentences long. Anything less shows that not enough thought was taken in the post, and is most likely not productive towards the conversation.

[Lannorui]

I've read some of the different opinions in here and I think some are valid, some are outrageous.

PBS is a support site. Granted, we still have the GT, but that does give us a place to meet other members and chat about different things.

I think PBS having the codes and graphics to help us is idea. If they didn't, I wouldn't know what to do with my site. Was I to search the internet in hopes of finding a site that might have codes to help make my site a bit better?

If it wasn't for the GOAYB, I wouldn't know where I needed to improve on my site.

But what kills a site?

I'm here to tell you, Admins are a big area. I know when my activity level drops on my site, for whatever reason, so does my member activity. If I'm not willing to participate on my site, that I've created, promoted, spent hours and hours developing, then why should they? However, when I return to my normal activity, so does the activity on my site.

Blame needs to be placed where it belongs if you're going to cast blame anywhere. PBS is not to blame. It is because of them that we have the tools we need to develop our websites.

Another issue is interest.

On a general forum I created, it was active for a bit, but then it got boring because there was no real structure to it. On a website I had for Movies only, it was too well structured and restrictive. It is finding that happy medium that has made my writer's website a huge success.

I have the category where we do our writing, share our poetry, and what have you, but I've also added a relaxation corner so we can just hang out and chit chat with each other. It is the strict enforcing of particular rules, while also knowing a little slip is ok with a "hey, don't do that" type of thing instead of pounding the poor member into the ground.

You just have to find the balance. Once you do that, and it may come with a lot of trial and errors, but it will make for a successful site.

[Outsider <3]

I really agree with everyone on here.

I think originality is the key to a semi-active forum. Nobody wants to be on a site that looks, or feels the same as another one. I've been on a few sites and they all are the same. Usually it's Twilight, or Harry Potter or Warrior Cats.

Another thing is, nobody is ever watching the new members thing so nobody ever knows when there's a new member. I've been on far too many sites that I joined and nobody even said a simple hi.

My last thing to add is this. If you don't have any open threads for anyone to reply to, nobody will feel welcomed. Sometimes you need to forget about your "buddies" for once and welcome new friends.

[.·´¯`·->Kris<-·´¯`·.]

I don't know why my sites die as I am always active it's just the members choose to join, make a character then start a thread or even a plot then not long after that they stop returning without letting anyone know if they are gone for a reason or if they are gone for good. I have stopped making sites because of that, even though I will get ideas for sites I don't make them because I know people will join then go inactive. So it isn't just whether the admin is active or not it is also the members choice to be a real member or not.

[sincity61]

For me seeing so many RPG sites and having a small one on our forum I could see how that makes a site die. Diversity is the best for a forum. Before we started ours we looked around at a many a forum and tried to figure out what works and what doesn't. Ours hasn't always been the best due to um board wars and miss management of admin powers and so on.

Agree admins and long time members can take sides and forget about the new members. You need to treat everyone how you'd want to be treated.

Right now we closed our forum and reopened. Things got out of hand we didn't have fun. Was a chore to come on ever day keep things going. We got rid of a bunch of old post and let go the bad admins and hired new ones who are active and say hi when a new member joins our forum.

Part of what I see when I surf and go on sites is to many rules, admins in every sections. Locking post due to newbie not knowing. Have fun on your site, or you feel you are being policed. My thought is keep your members feeling like it's their forum but also crack the whip when need be. In a quit way, not in front of all the members, let them know by pm what they did wrong.

Side Note: RPG get boring if you don't have a strong leadership running the game. Just my oppion

[Îrøñ Måidëñ1]

Apr 15, 2009 3:13:32 GMT -8 Patrick [ASE] said:

Your posts should be at least 4 sentences long. Anything less shows that not enough thought was taken in the post, and is most likely not productive towards the conversation.

Nazi

[No]

I think there's a long, long list of things that can kill a forum. Here are just a few that I've observed, or even done myself.

Overly Strict Admins
This is probably my biggest turn off when I join a forum. If *every* board has its own set of rules, I probably won't join. As a good rule of thumb, more than 20 "general" rules begin making it feel controlling, and more than 10 "role play" rules (if it's a role play forum) make it seem just as bad. Of course, it depends.

Right when I began joining forums, I joined a were-animal role play site. I was banned, without warning, for having a few (minor) typos in a post. After pleading my case, the admin still refused to let me re-join.

Softy Admin
This is something I've done before; let users break the forum rules, or bend them if nothing else, just to keep them there. On one forum (a role play forum), I had three users who were clearly breaking some of the role-play related rules (short posts, scattered characters, etc.), but I let them do it to keep them there.

Doing such can make users leave, because they think you won't enforce rules later on, when it actually matters. It can also attract the "wrong crowd", so to say.

Admin Inactivity
Another thing I'm guilty of. I got sick once, and left the board for two weeks (Majorly bad case of the flu). When I got back, what had been a fairly active "fledgling" board was completely dead.

Another (similar) case of AI happened on the first forum I ever joined; The main admins, who were lenient, likable guys left. For a month, there were no active staff members. When they finally came back, they hired new admins/mods, who were control freaks and re-vamped all the rules.

Poor Design
My first forum was blue, black and yellow. I didn't match, it looked terrible. It wasn't even coded. The banner was a different width and had completely different colors than the rest of the forum.

Amazingly, the forum lived for over a year. Lived, in a "incredibly ill, no clue how it's doing it" way. But it DID scare off a lot of users, and I was even told it.

These days, I'll leave a forum that's blinding, or just plain ugly. However, dark/light skins don't really bother me.

Too Many/Too Few Boards
I've been on forums before that had 50+ boards, each with only 1-2 posts in them. Needless to say, I didn't join, even though nothing else was wrong with the forum.

I've also seen forums that have three boards, and nothing else. In one case, the boards were very specific (PS2 game discussion, Admin's Lounge, Announcements), and left no room for anything NOT relating to those subjects.

Lack of Topics
I've been on several forums where I had to post almost everything. Recently, I joined a forum where I had to post 70% of the web site's topics, most of which never got any replies.

If no one else is making the topics, the admin needs to.

Poor Staff Choices
Another one I'm guilty of. I usually hire my friends to help, and they end up doing absolutely nothing. More and more I'm beginning to think I do it, simply so I have someone to talk to about the staff-related issues.

We're talking about mods that don't even do their jobs, here.

This can be a big turn off, as people realise most of the staff's completely useless.

C-box Woes
I tend to go without a C-Box, as they often promote laziness. I've seen forums with an incredibly active C-Box, but no posts. When I do have a C-Box, when (if) it gets like that, I threaten the users that I'll remove their C-Box.

Drama
On the first forum I ever ran, the final nail in the coffin was major drama.

It was a role-playing forum, and when two members (brothers) began spamming a little, and veering off the role play topics, I told them that if they'd continue, I would ban them. The next time they did it, I did ban them.

Of course, they came back again, and I banned them again. It eventually got so tiresome that one of the veteran users left, and I had to hire an admin. My admin made a *very* minor error, and I went off on him.

Ultimately, that one last argument sealed the fate of my forum.

[Wounded-Wings]

I personal think forums die for many reasons.
The admin must keep going through their forum and changing things, putting new things interesting things to keep the member coming back
Its no good having a forum full of old dead posts. Ask the old members to welcome new members.

This is the most important thing thou,
Remind the members its not just your forum. It's theirs!! So you want ideas you want them to participate in the whole thing. You are just the one who does the hard work for them.

[edr]

I think most people have listed the main reasons. But here's what I think,

The main one is being lack of members or the forum just not getting off to start with. It takes alot to attract a auidence and get the forum off the ground. Then of course people could dift away easily too.

The other is the admin themselves. If it's their first forum then they have no experience in running one. It can be overwhelming at first and lack of knowledge with codes etc.
My first few forums never took off and have been deleted long ago as the only thing they were doing was gathering dust!

I think those are the two top reasons personally for why some forums die.

[Former Member]

Ok my two cents

You all make really good points...and I agree with most of you...

my site [removed] has been up and running for about two years now (5th March 2007) it has a brilliant team of moderators and admin/co admin.

I think what kills a site is lack of creativity-action-drama... My site is an rpg based NCIS/CSI crossover with the ability to add any other shows as long as it fits in easily without being too "that would never work"

Also, I have witnessed on other sites the following points

- The admin has major disappearing acts

- lack of teamwork between the moderators/admins

- Members lack of co-operation

- lack of continuancy

On the fourth point I should explain.... if you look at my site we have a main rp section...in there we have major storylines... and usually it continues on from the previous storyline...we try to create new ones... and we try not to go way off base.

We allow members to have their own threads of course and I encourage them to do their best...I am always fair to the new members when they make minimal posts and we gently encourage them until they flourish...

There is one member who joined last month...we didnt expect her to jump in to the main rp so fast but she did and she flourished...shes now one of the senior members due to her soaring post count and ability to be creative...

On the downside one member said they found the main rp intimidating and I assured her that I would ensure she would find it easy to get into the next one. Thats the sort of thing I would expect from other admins. I have been rpging for over five years now and I am very flexible.

Granted we have rules but...because of the quality of teamwork ...we have had only one troublemaker and my team know what to do whenever trouble brews.

We've had our fair share of bust ups too...but it was easily and calmly rectified and we took appropriate action...

As an Admin I try not to push my members too hard and I try to encourage them to stay in touch. I also try and negotiate with them all whenever things go wrong. NCISCSI had its moments where it went dead but sheer determination and creativity is what brings it back to life.

I mean... I've witnessed many say "no muse" or "No time" it irks me ... on my site they have valid reasons and usually make every effort to come in and post something...

Sadly there are members who post a few then disappear...I usually wait a month then PM them or email them...and sometimes if applicable I IM them on messenger...sometimes they have a bad excuse or they just dont come on... some members that join dont activate their accounts because they dont know if they like the site...but they end up being our best members...then suddenly they disappear...I end up deleating them after dozens of warnings...

so what kills a site?

- Lack of teamwork
- Lack of creativity
- Lack of activity
- Lack of Flexibility
- Lack of knowledge

and my final note, its not always the members or the admin/mods... its the lack of certain things that make the site

the strength of the team is in each idividual member the strength of each idividual member is the team.

Thanks

Jessie

[violet]

aside from those that were mentioned as reasons why forum die, i think it is because of so many personal websites available for all of us to express ourselves in a way that really suit us.

take for example personal websites such as, myspace, facebook, multiply, xanga, hi5, and so many more..........

registered members have full control of their own web page without going through the hazzles of beaurocracies like, admins, moderators etc...

they can customize, modify, upload music of their choices and when things don't go well, they can delete people, topics, everything, as well as put up things they like.

In a forum board like this, people don't have the full acess to control it the way they can with their own personal websites
and when cyber bullies come in and mess their topics , they are helpless and must report it to an admin or global moderator to
deal with it.

forum boards are more likely becoming less and less popular for many, and this gives admins a lot of work to do to make it alive.
but admins and moderators are people too ;D when they have personal difficulties and problems and prioritize other things than the forum board, forum death is imminent.



my two cents.

[Mistysong]

There are quite a few reasons forums die. I'm sure you'll be surprised to know some of them.

First of all, the administration has to be well experienced, and they should all be helpful, with a great personality. The administration should be smart, and confident about running the sites. Most importantly, they have to listen. If you create the forum, you have to listen to what the people want. If swearing is allowed in your forum, and it makes others uncomfortable, then you should probably make a rule about it, right away. If a group of people want something new on the site, and possibly have a suggestion, you need to take it into consideration.

Too many boards is also another reason forums die. You should try to make less boards so the site has more reasonable posts. If there were so many boards, you wouldn't be able to keep track of them all, and eventually people will just stop acting very reasonable. My advice to whoever is struggling with their board is to immediately combine boards. Of course, it should make sense, and remove unnecessary boards!

Layout is also very important. To attract members, you must have amazing skins. Be careful the skins don't blind the person's eye! Make it attractive. Don't always stick to the regular Proboard formatting. Sometimes you need to find other codes, (legally, of course), and make your site look wonderful. Make it look attractive; but don't over do! Sweet and simple can be the way to go sometimes. Sometimes you don't need a fancy code, but just a wonderful layout that'll make members happy to be at your forum.

Make sure other members are friendly! The administration can't judge or hold back when it comes to punishing a close friend! The site has to be fair, or people will complain about your site! They will all leave and probably think of the site as a failure. You don't want that. Every forum must be fair, or it drives away more than half the population.

Before creating a new site, you should have ideas in mind. Have an advertisement board all set, before you start! Have the theme and details all in your head before you hit that "create" button! On forums, you must plan ahead. You must think about how you want your site to be, and what it's topic really is. You don't want members to join with a lot of confusion. You want it to go smoothly.

There are many more pieces of advice I could give to you, but for now, start with this. I'm not a professional, I'm just experienced. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your board!

[blood death ivory.]

What makes a forum die is this:

• When you get a dedicated member, and all of a sudden the rest of them disappear. ((I, myself have been in this situation three times))
  
• When people don't explain RP plots too clearly - it gets confusing
  
• There's no place for feedback! You can't possibly have a good forum if your members can't tell you how it can be improved!

[Tini♥]

In the 4 years I'm roleplaying I had a lost of great sites die and as I notice there are some basic reasons that gets repeated every time. Some of them are:

• NON-Original Plot:
  If the plot of a site is not original enough, doesn't have any twists and you can pretty much can find in a bunch of other sites then it's normal for that specific site to die... To catch people's attention you have to be original and have something they haven't seen before or something that it's not used THAT much!
  
  
• Cliques or Groups:
  That is something else that I've noticed that makes people slowly abandon sites. I understand that when you roleplay at a site for a while then you are bound to get closer with some other members and become "friends". And this is good since that's the whole point but that sometimes get to a point where it closes some people out! I often found sites where the members were concentrated in their own little groups and everyone knew was getting ignored and forgotten. Not by intention, but because of the conditions at the site.
  
  
• Rude Staff members
  The admins and staff of a site in general, HAS to be friendly to everyone and welcome all members, new and old... When a new member registers at a new site and the staff member is not welcoming and polite and of course glad to help (which is the number one duty of an admin) then of course the member will simply vanish and abandon the site
  
  
• Boredom
  Let's admit it... We all come to a point where we get bored of a specific site after a while. Even if you are an admin... When the plot is the same the whole time and nothing exciting happens around and you roleplay with the same people over and over again is natural that you'll get bored! The only way of avoiding that and saving your site is to keep updating it and add things so you will keep the members intrigued and excited and of course attract new ones!
  
  
• Drama
  This is the exact opposite of the above! Drama is good but only in some levels! When a site has a LOT of Drama between some members then the rest of the members will certainly get tired of it and abandon the site! The Drama can be In-Character or Out of character... The In Character drama can be good and exciting for the members but the Out of Character drama, where some members keep fighting or spamming the c-box, involved in their own little conversations and arguments can drive the other members away from the site!

These in my opinion are the BASIC reasons why a site dies... And of course let's not forget that the members have lives as well and they can't be online 24/7...