What draws you to a forum?

[KONOHA]

For me...

The first thing I look at is the layout. If the layout looks professional and nice, I will take the site more seriously. And then the plot, and afterwards, it's either join or don't.

[Brecken Neumann]

Something that really draws my attention is the forum colors making sure it is not to bright and not to dark but just right for me to read and other people to read. I also like to get to know the people and the activeness that the forum brings. If it is really active i would enjoy it a lot. I would also like how nice people are to each other and hoping no one is rude at all to any of the staff or any of members that are on the forum. Well that is my thought.

[nyaccent]

A forum for me to even think about joining - doesn't have to have a lot of bells and whistles. The skin and layout can be simple as long as it is easy to read.

I DO NOT like forums that are dark backgrounds with white lettering, or red lettering.... If the forum is to dark, it's like reading it in a cave and hurts the eyes.....
I don't like too much blinking in a layout OR too many added features as it takes away from the content....and the main reason for going to a forum is the content and/or chat and if there are too many other distractions...... I won't think of joining...

Also the forum needs to be shown to guest... Not what is in each board....but the type of boards there are.... To not be able to see what is offered and you are made to join first, turns me off.

[gloomy sunday.]

I am drawn to a forum if it's for people I like.
For example, I am on many Jonas Brothers forums and even have my own. I am also on a couple of Selena Gomez forums (one of which is my own)
;D

Also, if one of my friends starts one or something, then I'll join to support them.

[wolfpup22]

I dont think about the skins or that stuff. I look at two or three things. What it is about. If it is literate(i dont like sites that force you to post like 400 words in each post), and what the threads are and the people are like. The skin is important but i wouldnt ditch a forum because of it.

[.that.cool.kid.rae.]

Hmmm.... I'm sure you've probably heard this before but...

The most important thing for me in a forum is to have a pretty decent skin and good plot (obvious things I know). And also, I've come across a couple of forums that I don't even know why they bother advertising. Mainly because they have admin who favor the people they know and figuritively hang the other members up by their thumbs for the slightest mistake.

I guess what I'm saying is, decent skin, good plot, non-A hole-admin ;] and make sure the rules have the tiniest bit of lieniency or people will get POed and leave haha.

[Macc]

im attracted to a board which has tips about making mine better

[quinner5]

I am drawn to active members but not to much members. I am also drawn towards the forum colors.

[Yukino H.]

I'm drawn to forums that
A. Have nice skin
B. Are literate
C. Low amount of members (I hate joining ones with like Fifty members)
and D. How nice the people are

I also like chatboxes, those rock socks. =D

[Myrtle]

What draws me into a forum.
• The Theme of the forum
• It's genre
• How it looks like. If it looks like a nice forum.
• The usual activity(I might be the only active member there)
• The staff and members, if they're nice.

[Dove]

What draws me to a board?

Nicey Nicey-The Staff must be nice to their guests, including having atleast one guest-friendly board.
The LAYOUT!- The layout does NOT have to be pro for me, but it does have to be easy on the eyes!
Activity-I will NOT join a site that has admins posting a reply on every single board, so all you see is Thread Number 42-By Admin, Thread Number 76-By Admin. Also, there must be activity from all members! (Average half)
Subject-I must like what I'm on, why would I join if I didn't?

I know I'm picky, but if I don't like it, I don't join it. Simple as that, if someone puts HOURS into organizing their board, but have a bright yellow and pink backround with white text its not happening!

[sneer]

The plot is what will draw me in, the layout gets me to look around and the staff is what convinces me to stay.

I try my hardest to be friendly and helpful on my own board, so I hold everyone to the thought that they should be friendly on theirs as well.
*Add-on:

Standards are a huge issue as well. Since I deal mostly in roleplaying boards, who they accept and who they don't really make me decide on whether or not I'd like to apply.
If they accept those who are barely literate, there isn't a point whatsoever in seriously applying; but in reverse of they're 'too good', I won't join then either.

[veggiegirl]

Aug 4, 2007 20:32:37 GMT -8 Martyn Dale said:

What draws you to a forum?

Aside from a well developed community, with many members, what is it that draws you to a forum? Which of those things are the most important to you?

Is it purely the colors? Perhaps the use of simple gradients? Or is it more than that.

Is it possible to draw someone in with just the use of simple colors, and basic gradients, or does it have to be something really flashy.

In addition, is there anything about the ProBoards "default" look (not colors) which could help improve the first impressions?

Again, please dont discuss member counts, or subjects, as those are obvious. This is with regards to the look, with the subject aside.

I think the default colors could use an updated look. However, I rather join a board without any improvments than a board which is over-improved with colors that make you flinch and images that take too long to load.

[McGani]

It's probably a bad habit, but the appearance of a forum really matters to me. If I click onto a forum with basic colors, or worse, a bad scheme altogether, I usually cannot interest myself, no matter what. It makes me feel that the admin isn't doin their job of making their site presentable, they aren't putting in the time or the effort, and therefore aren't going to care about the site either.

I know not everyone is a graphic artist, I surely am not, but there are people out there who are. If you want your site to be successful, it needs to look successful. A lot of people take the appearance into consideration first before they actually look around at the content.

[THE MURPHY]

I guess colors and the template sort of imposes on my decision of joining a forum. If the colors don't burn my eyes I can see my self spending time on the site, but if the template is too hard to look at then I just cant sit through it.

It also kind of tells about the type of owner you have. If the site has a well planned and neat layout, it tells that the owner wanted everything perfect for their site and most likely would do the same on their main stuff on the site. If a layout is choppy and quickly pasted on then it tells that the owner is not concerned about anything and would flow with anything