14 replies to this topic

[Ash-Bash]

Hello all,

You may have seen the other sites I now want to start off a forum again, I used to have a Computer forum however I shut it down due to another project which has been completed.

Now I was wondering if I should do another Computer support forum or I was thinking of a mod wars forum like an army system.
No matter what forum it is on I will be using the forum software IPB 3.0.X

Could you suggest some ideas and how to get them popular?

[DodgyPhil]

I'm sure you've heard many people saying this before Ash, and I don't doubt that you probably have ten times the experience as I do: but may I recommend finding a niché topic for your board. 'Technology' forums come and disappear in droves every day practically. If you really want to have a vague-genre forum then it has to be excellent: and I'd say IPB is up for the job- but you'll probably want a very individual theme, name and some good modifications to separate yourself from the crowd.
This is completely offtopic but I found a forum that employed 'spy' tactics for users. Posts were converted into points (like MyCENTs) that could be exchanged for the ability to read others Private Messages or read other's emails. At a certain level, I believe you could even change other's signatures and names (but that was too extreme).

Anyway, if you are starting another technology-centred forum then good luck with it!

[kleong]

Forget about creating a forum for the technology. There are plentiful out there and some of them are very popular. So unless you have your ready fans and supporters, it is unlikely that you will be able to "lure" them over and help build up the popularity of your forum.

[Ash-Bash]

I have really given up on creating forums now after my ITneed one which was rather popular but then I had to shut it down due to things and then I forgot where I placed the backups and over time they got lost. I think I will just stick to projects like TinyLX.

[kosmik]

Try investing in a Invision Board Pro license and play around with that, it could be expensive but it is really easy to start up a forum with that script.

[mahesh2k]

If you've no intention of forming community around your TinyLX site then in that case IPB forum is just fine. Else you can invest into Vbulltein. You can use that forum software for your TinyLX for just official bugs announcement and some other minor site update and feedback forum. And if you've no money to spend on any of the forum software then SMF and PunBB. PunBB is really small and easy to setup and no need to tweak or use it with fancy themes. Default themes of punbb are cool and you can use them as default with some modification. Other than that use forummatrix site to compare the features then pick the forum software. Check the forum of forummatrix and you can testdrive the forum there as well.

[bandias]

Making popular forum can be easy if the idea is cool. If you are the only one with that kind of forum. Like this one There are only 4-5 forums like this one , with this special feature.

But if you have standard forum, you need something hot which will make visitors to come there. Because, it is normal a user to post on a popular forum rather then a new forum which is like dead.

[Ash-Bash]

Like I have posted in my other website topics I have said I am now a webmaster of around 10+ websites. I am trying to concentrate on my web hosting company though in the near future may integrate it with the web hosting company for like a post to host a bit like this but obviously not as popular etc...

[inea]

Ash-Bash, on 01 September 2010 - 10:28 PM, said:

Like I have posted in my other website topics I have said I am now a webmaster of around 10+ websites. I am trying to concentrate on my web hosting company though in the near future may integrate it with the web hosting company for like a post to host a bit like this but obviously not as popular etc...

What are the links to these websites? Actually you might miss some traffic by not writing down the links in your posts.

bandias, on 22 June 2010 - 01:38 PM, said:

Making popular forum can be easy if the idea is cool. If you are the only one with that kind of forum. Like this one There are only 4-5 forums like this one , with this special feature.

But if you have standard forum, you need something hot which will make visitors to come there. Because, it is normal a user to post on a popular forum rather then a new forum which is like dead.

What other forums do you mean?

Edited by inea, 15 September 2010 - 01:26 PM.

[legend112]

wow you now have like 10 websites under your belt??

firstly thats amazing. second be careful.

why? because I think as you try and make it in this tech world...its best to specialise otherwise you risk becoming a total jack of all trades and master of none. find something you're passionate for and push until you become a real heavyweight!

I have run a few forums including one that i might resurrect in the near future and my advice to you would be to make sure you'll never give up no matter what. besides...to me it now appears like the forums thing was something of a fad. maybe its just because i'm no longer an active poster even here but it seems to have passed its glory days at least for me

[Ash-Bash]

I am being very careful with what I am a webmaster of or an admin or any other staff member of some sort. It is hard with 10+ websites however I seem to be getting good money from it so I am going to be sticking with it.

[legendary112]

Ash-Bash, on 09 October 2010 - 06:00 PM, said:

I am being very careful with what I am a webmaster of or an admin or any other staff member of some sort. It is hard with 10+ websites however I seem to be getting good money from it so I am going to be sticking with it.

just out of curiosity, how much are you earning mate?

[Alex Cicala]

Adding the forum to top lists and also adding the forum site to Google Lists are ways of getting the site popular quickly. Even if top lists sound dodgy many people do visit them. Depending on the category you can easily google top lists, for gaming or support forums, there are many out there. Also one way I would go about is to get people you know to promote the forum site and also get others to either moderate or become new members on your forum, this will help get traffic onto the site.

Hope I helped

[benon7]

Also, make it appear beyond cluttered, like oversimplified with good functionality. Make it look concise, people are afraid of a large amount of choices, options, buttons, and links they can't read all at once or understand.

I'm sure there are people out there whose eyes have adjusted to various forums, but overall, I hate signing up for forums just to post. I want to be able to put my email address in, bypass a decent captcha, and then post. Maybe even have anon go to an admin approval.

[Eza]

The moderation of a forum seems to cost a lot of time and attention. And starting and being the administrator of a forum costs probably even more time. It seems there are several ways to get a free template for a forum.