What makes a good forum?

[Nikon]

Ok well, I am thinking about starting a new forum.

No, i am not trying to be TechForums, or the next TechForums, or any other copycat for that matter.

I am just wanting to start a cool-community where people can just, kick it or what ever.

I plan on having a game hacking section for WoW, GW, Possibly Diablo II if any1 plays.

I plan on having some nice support for Linux, Windows, Applications, C++ and PHP

I am in need of a name, this is important.

I will be spending many of hours collecting/writing guides for each section.

I will be needing staff members

I will be needing members

We will have a 'Member's Only' Section, but only specific people will be added to a usergroup to see it.

The only way into the usergroup is to be refered by a 'Trusted Member' for instance, someone who was a large part of Tech Forums, would be considered trusted.

Basicly anything you guys want, you guys will get.

The main thing right now is the name, so i can register it.

If you have suggestions please contact me:

Via PM
Via Aim (xlordnikonz)
Via Email (lolstfu@gmail.com)

Thanks.

-The T2-

 

[Elbatrop1]

Name: Tech-town

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

A small l33t group that people want to belong to (no real l33t group here, everyone is everyhwere)

A special forum with free pr0n and other secret stuff (contributing members forum)

A strong OTF community

A real topic to talk about.

 

[office politics]

study www.strongwork.net they run subscriptions for access to private forums and 150x150 avs, tons of contests for prizes, and have a strong user base.

funny thing is they dont have a content website.

 

[C.Ingram]

The only thing that can make a good web forum/community is people. Ultimately, that is all that matters.

 

[Harper]

I plan on having a game hacking section for WoW

LOL! Shyeah! Right. Especially with the way that WoW admins seem to be cracking down on this sort of stuff.


Over all, it's the members that make the forum community. It's one of the reason I come here as appose to the my local OCAU Forums when I want to talk tech.

One of the things that is really good is to make sure that you have people that are posting interesting subject that other people can find interesting via google. Like there wasthis thread that i started on SS:UK that attached a lot of traffic to this site thanks too Google-Bot.

A special forum with free pr0n and other secret stuff (contributing members forum)

Free pr0n does not work. And some times it causes some un-dirable people to come on line too.
I moderate SS:UK forum. 2 weeks ago, the admin was wondering what else that we can do to get in new members. So one of the other mods posted up as joke of Ecchi, Hentai & Yaoi Sub-Forum.
The Admin thought it was a great idea and went ahead with it.
We really did not get the traffic that we were predicting.
And since we set it up, there is only like about a hand ful of people posts there.
Personally I hope he takes it down.

But just promising pr0n does not make instant web traffic.

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

You need to be special for the free pr0n, like VIP section with it.
Keeps the VIP's their

 

[phosho510]

can i be mod on this forum?lol...

 

[Qiranworms]

Judging by mistakes I've seen many other forum startups;

1) Do not make too many forums when you don't have enough members to fill them. Increase as your amount of members increase.
2) Don't have more Mods than you have members (...try waiting until you actually have over fifty or so members before you start designating mods)
3) No bright flashy hard-to-look-at themes!
4) Try to get at least a subdomain for simplicity
5) Advertise Politely
6) Make things fairly original
7) Don't give up...it can take a while to actually get going...


Okay...hope I've helped. BEWARE I do not have a huge amount of forum-running experience; I was a second adminstrator (out of three) to a forum that grew to about 500 members in a couple months...before the adminstrator who actually owned the forum spontaniously took it down, dropping the domain...not even a note or warning. The domain now belongs to a pornography company .

 

[Harper]

3) No bright flashy hard-to-look-at themes!

And don't change your themes like Micheal-Jackson's-Nose-Job.

I have been on a few board where the admin changes the colour theme once every 6 weeks or so.

If you feel the urge to change themes all time, then you might want to make a FORUM THEME secton, and then let the users desided with colours they want to view today.