How is a forum deemed "Successful" to you?

[christicehurst]

This question is always asked to Admin and members worldwide. Also to the answer to the question can be wrong and hurt yourself and your forum. For many years I used to think in terms of pure members/posts stats. After in fights with members and learning from forum owners, the true success of the forum is how you change and help members.

Here's a fact, some of the best forums I have been in are not the big forums of the world. They are in fact some of the smallest ones around. They are closed knitted, not worried about stats and membership They go on their daily business helping the members who find them.

My own forum Writersmuster has a small membership of 260 members. However we are a loyal group and however got ourselves to 21 000 posts and hopefully more in the future. I used to wory if we ouldn't get a basic 1000 posts for the month but I learnt it's about making the releationships you have with your members stronger.  Like the one on one interaction that you never see with Admins and members in big forums. If guests see how hard you work on that part, they may join and wish to be apart of that idea. 

I have admins going on about "Oh well I have 140 000 posts in the past year and thousands of members. I'm better then you!" Well I wouldn't trade any of my members for the thousands of members they have. I believe my forum is successful the way it is. I know my mebers well and they have ben very happy with the directions I have taken the forum too.

So how do you deem a forum successful?

[Dragooon]

For me I feel it is successful if it is active.
I dont care on "How many are active", I feel its active. After all, A forum is a community, A community is where you hang out.

[christicehurst]

For me I feel it is successful if it is active.
I dont care on "How many are active", I feel its active. After all, A forum is a community, A community is where you hang out.

How active would your forum have to be for you to be happy about it?

[Dragooon]

I am not certain/sure, But which makes me feel "Yes something is going on".

[babjusi]

I think that it ain''t about the quantity but the quality. That is the word

[christicehurst]

Sometimes my forum can be slow. But we kick things along with the rpg and commenting on stories and poems. It's hard at times but I like the challenge.

[christicehurst]

I think that it ain''t about the quantity but the quality. That is the word

Took me a while to learn that. We work hard on quality now and it pays off. Many members are more readers and I'm happy with that.

[babjusi]

That shows,I mean  for the number of posts compared to the number of members that you have, it shows some pretty loyal and stable members you have

[christicehurst]

That shows,I mean  for the number of posts compared to the number of members that you have, it shows some pretty loyal and stable members you have

We tend to be the forum that can do 5 posts one day, then the next 250. It's up and down and we have had some good guys and girls come through.

[Niteblade]

I believe that a forum is successful if and when the beginning goals for creating the forum in the first place are realized and actualized.

If someone creates a forum for the reason of attracting traffic, then success is measured in terms of traffic. If someone creates a forum to discuss a niche topic, then the development of that topic (over time) translates into success.

It's important for new administrators to understand what their goals are for creating a forum in the first place; without this understanding, then the forum loses its identity. Let me state this another way, the administrator of the forum imbues the forum with an identity in the first place. Those who are attacted to this idea help to contribute and to nuture this idea into something tangible -- a forum community.

Sometimes, a forum administrator might have a wonderful idea, yet not have the community or community support to develop the idea. And this is truly a shame; forums add to the rich diversity of human thought and interaction. Forums demonstrate to the world (and to those who are not familiar with the internet) that human interaction can occur in the virtual sense, despite the fact that interaction may or may not occur in the fleshy sense.

A forum may offer someone who is physically impaired, physically disfigured, or socially shy a "safe" means of communicating with the outside world. And for the first time in their lives, they feel that they belong to something.. to a community of like-minded people who accept them on the basis of what they type; not on the basis of what they look like (social/dating websites), not on the basis of how much money they have (sites that attempt to sell you stuff).

Forum success, then, in my mind is the realization of the forum administrator's goal for creating the forum in the first place through the interaction and participation of many diverse and insightful opinions contributed from its member base.

A forum is just another site on the internet until human beings decide to come together to form a community (almost like how individuals and tribes use to come together to form physical communities).

[HoTmetal]

I believe that a forum is successful if and when the beginning goals for creating the forum in the first place are realized and actualized.

If someone creates a forum for the reason of attracting traffic, then success is measured in terms of traffic. If someone creates a forum to discuss a niche topic, then the development of that topic (over time) translates into success.

It's important for new administrators to understand what their goals are for creating a forum in the first place; without this understanding, then the forum loses its identity. Let me state this another way, the administrator of the forum imbues the forum with an identity in the first place. Those who are attacted to this idea help to contribute and to nuture this idea into something tangible -- a forum community.

Sometimes, a forum administrator might have a wonderful idea, yet not have the community or community support to develop the idea. And this is truly a shame; forums add to the rich diversity of human thought and interaction. Forums demonstrate to the world (and to those who are not familiar with the internet) that human interaction can occur in the virtual sense, despite the fact that interaction may or may not occur in the fleshy sense.

A forum may offer someone who is physically impaired, physically disfigured, or socially shy a "safe" means of communicating with the outside world. And for the first time in their lives, they feel that they belong to something.. to a community of like-minded people who accept them on the basis of what they type; not on the basis of what they look like (social/dating websites), not on the basis of how much money they have (sites that attempt to sell you stuff).

Forum success, then, in my mind is the realization of the forum administrator's goal for creating the forum in the first place through the interaction and participation of many diverse and insightful opinions contributed from its member base.

A forum is just another site on the internet until human beings decide to come together to form a community (almost like how individuals and tribes use to come together to form physical communities).

I couldn't of said it better myself. Nice post nite

[GPGrieco]

I think that you need to make the members happy and like the forum and build relationships, but I also think that it needs to be active. There should be something happening, so if you post, you could get a reply in say an hour at most. Thats my oppinion.

[JustLMAO]

This question is always asked to Admin and members worldwide. Also to the answer to the question can be wrong and hurt yourself and your forum. For many years I used to think in terms of pure members/posts stats. After in fights with members and learning from forum owners, the true success of the forum is how you change and help members.

Here's a fact, some of the best forums I have been in are not the big forums of the world. They are in fact some of the smallest ones around. They are closed knitted, not worried about stats and membership They go on their daily business helping the members who find them.

My own forum Writersmuster has a small membership of 260 members. However we are a loyal group and however got ourselves to 21 000 posts and hopefully more in the future. I used to wory if we ouldn't get a basic 1000 posts for the month but I learnt it's about making the releationships you have with your members stronger.  Like the one on one interaction that you never see with Admins and members in big forums. If guests see how hard you work on that part, they may join and wish to be apart of that idea. 

I have admins going on about "Oh well I have 140 000 posts in the past year and thousands of members. I'm better then you!" Well I wouldn't trade any of my members for the thousands of members they have. I believe my forum is successful the way it is. I know my mebers well and they have ben very happy with the directions I have taken the forum too.

So how do you deem a forum successful?

I agree with you.   

My forum has half as many people....and only a handful of them post regularly but they post a lot.....and they talk about everything.     So theres really no telling what the topics will be from one day to the next...and that keeps things interesting.

[sokki]

If you make forum to earn something from it, then you need post, members...
But if you are making forum just to make community, and help members, then isn't matter is it big or small forum, as long you help them, they help you, and they help each other

Cheers

[khoking]

Hi christicehurst,

This is a very interesting topic and before I read your post, I have always set in my mind that a forum success is based on the number of members and daily activity. Yeah...purely based on statistics.

However, I like the way you define success. This really reminds me again the purpose of a forum, with correct motive and it will sure grow by itself.

Thank you, christicehurst.

[christicehurst]

Hi christicehurst,

This is a very interesting topic and before I read your post, I have always set in my mind that a forum success is based on the number of members and daily activity. Yeah...purely based on statistics.

However, I like the way you define success. This really reminds me again the purpose of a forum, with correct motive and it will sure grow by itself.

Thank you, christicehurst.

Your welcome. My forum is in the middle of rebuilding. My goals is to increase members and keep a stable flow of posts each year. Improving on each year. So my goal is 20 000 posts and more.

[Noddegamra]

My forum did well in July last year:

165 topics     
4858 posts
315 most online

Total Posts: 21786

i want to do alot better though!

[Narkissos]

I believe that a forum is successful if and when the beginning goals for creating the forum in the first place are realized and actualized.

If someone creates a forum for the reason of attracting traffic, then success is measured in terms of traffic. If someone creates a forum to discuss a niche topic, then the development of that topic (over time) translates into success.

It's important for new administrators to understand what their goals are for creating a forum in the first place; without this understanding, then the forum loses its identity. Let me state this another way, the administrator of the forum imbues the forum with an identity in the first place. Those who are attacted to this idea help to contribute and to nuture this idea into something tangible -- a forum community.

Sometimes, a forum administrator might have a wonderful idea, yet not have the community or community support to develop the idea. And this is truly a shame; forums add to the rich diversity of human thought and interaction. Forums demonstrate to the world (and to those who are not familiar with the internet) that human interaction can occur in the virtual sense, despite the fact that interaction may or may not occur in the fleshy sense.

A forum may offer someone who is physically impaired, physically disfigured, or socially shy a "safe" means of communicating with the outside world. And for the first time in their lives, they feel that they belong to something.. to a community of like-minded people who accept them on the basis of what they type; not on the basis of what they look like (social/dating websites), not on the basis of how much money they have (sites that attempt to sell you stuff).

Forum success, then, in my mind is the realization of the forum administrator's goal for creating the forum in the first place through the interaction and participation of many diverse and insightful opinions contributed from its member base.

A forum is just another site on the internet until human beings decide to come together to form a community (almost like how individuals and tribes use to come together to form physical communities).

AWESOME post!