Discussion: Forum Makeovers

[Short of Daybreak]

I plan to revamp my forum. I feel I should tweak the character application form and maybe rearrange some things to make it look a little more organized. I even have a few new ideas. But I will also have to delete alot of stuff to give it a fresh start, considering it died. I will also do an activity check so I won't delete accounts of those who still want to be there. I feel that my makeover will help the forum really kick off and maybe even be more active than the first time!

[HoudiniDerek]

May 6, 2008 11:07:45 GMT -8 Short of Daybreak said:

I plan to revamp my forum. I feel I should tweak the character application form and maybe rearrange some things to make it look a little more organized. I even have a few new ideas. But I will also have to delete alot of stuff to give it a fresh start, considering it died. I will also do an activity check so I won't delete accounts of those who still want to be there. I feel that my makeover will help the forum really kick off and maybe even be more active than the first time!

I can agree with revamping the character profile and maybe adding new areas or what not. (I am not sure of your changes, but those tend to be the most common).

My point was the revamping idea with massive deletion. Do you have any active members on the site? If you do, it could seem like you do not care about them as much because you are revamping it to get new members who will hopefully be active. It just seems that there is not a reward for being a long-term active member...regardless of how long some sites have been open.

[Kirsty geek]

May 6, 2008 11:14:55 GMT -8 HoudiniDerek said:

May 6, 2008 11:07:45 GMT -8 Short of Daybreak said:

I plan to revamp my forum. I feel I should tweak the character application form and maybe rearrange some things to make it look a little more organized. I even have a few new ideas. But I will also have to delete alot of stuff to give it a fresh start, considering it died. I will also do an activity check so I won't delete accounts of those who still want to be there. I feel that my makeover will help the forum really kick off and maybe even be more active than the first time!

I can agree with revamping the character profile and maybe adding new areas or what not. (I am not sure of your changes, but those tend to be the most common).

My point was the revamping idea with massive deletion. Do you have any active members on the site? If you do, it could seem like you do not care about them as much because you are revamping it to get new members who will hopefully be active. It just seems that there is not a reward for being a long-term active member...regardless of how long some sites have been open.

I totally agree with that, there is never anything for long term mebers on RP sites. Every one only ever concentrates on getting new members. When my sites have been running for a while and I am still getting new members I will open a private board for the ''old timers'' and they get to pick what sub-boards are posted and what ever they want on it to be honest, that normally works quite well but i will only ever do that when the site has been up for a few months.

[foxy9212]

My Forum has only been active in its present form for just over five weeks and I'm in the process of designing a 'look' that will become its 'identity.' I didn't envisage having to give the forum a theme change very often, if at all. I've been a member of forums in the past where the skin changed several times each year and found it tiresome having to get used to the new theme only to see it changed for another. I'm getting old!

Fox

[Desdemona Dreadful]

I'm still trying to figure this out and I am just starting. I don't want to make over my main page too much because some people may like it and it I mess with it, I could screw them up.

But I do have several skins they can choose from and I invite people to comment about them. I hope that as I crawl through this learning process I won't startle anyone.

[atgetsapprentice]

I've just opened a forum on proboards after a few years on another provider, and tried to customise my background, but the image only appears to be visible on login/out.

What/where am I going wrong, if at all?

[Enchant]

Jun 4, 2008 9:33:55 GMT -8 atgetsapprentice said:

I've just opened a forum on proboards after a few years on another provider, and tried to customise my background, but the image only appears to be visible on login/out.

What/where am I going wrong, if at all?

Please direct all technical support issues to the support board. This board is for discussions only. Thank you.

[Dee]

Aug 3, 2007 4:36:00 GMT -8 Enchant said:

Do you think it is necessary to occassionally give your forum a makeover? Do you think it is necessary to do so, when you have multiple skins? I have seen changes from colors, designs, content to going so far as a name change.

In my opinion, change is good. Many times I have seen a forum die out, because the admin felt that nothing needed to be changed or that having multiple skins for its members was sufficient. The common thought of " if it isn't broke, don't fix it" seems to be a reason not to as well. I think on occassion, this might be true, however....I think that a forum can get dull and uninteresting if it never has nothing new to offer.

I often change my layout, at least once a year...the main reason is, at first it is original, but after awhile, other forums start looking like it. I like to have my forum unique....What are your thoughts?

Hi there!

I love changing my forum. In the nearly four years it's been around, it has changed main skin appearance no less than 20 times. I change it with the seasons, with our general energy, and just for fun.

It keeps members happy from the feedback I get - they enjoy having a new look and feel to play in!

I have changed the name 3 times, and each time my members have jumped right on board. There will always been the odd person who is so attached to how it "was" that they can't get with how it "is"... but that is thier glitch, not the admins.

I say, change it up! Let your board reflect how you're feeling, as much as it's reflected how you used to feel.



Cheers,
Dee

[VoodooBlue]

In my opinion forum makeovers are especially good if you make the graphics yourself. I noticed this with my first forum.

I started out making proboards with hardly any graphic skills, but with time I got better and did a forum makeover when I had better graphic skills and my members loved it to bits. It can be very hard work, though but also much fun.