oh my god, are we dying.

[Ozysites]

The old board was deleted.

See here:

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Webmasters/thread?tid=1cdab3d5f9db067c&hl=en

I'm trying to get a response on how to get something set up.

Meanwhile, I found out that that anti-spam puzzle mod was preventing EVERYONE from signing up over the past 2 days sine it was installed.

STAY AWAY FROM THAT MOD LIKE THE PLAGUE!

Hi

Real honest users of your forum wouldn't worry about having to fill the verifiaction code in.

By looking at the IP address of guests that where visiting our forum and some where spammers probably looking for a way in through the Anti-Spam feature.

So for that reason I am quite happy that I am only getting a smaller amount a members as those members are true interested members and not spammers.

Cheers

[Ozysites]

Hi

The board names are fine as they are bold. It's the text that you read that does what i mentioned above.

Like I said it's not a complaint because it does look nice, it's just my observation as I was trying to read it.
I had to give up as I wear glasses and squinting with glasses hurts ones eyes more.

I dodn't think changing the colour of the text will change that as it was the background behind the text that was interfering with being able to read the text as it was overpowering what i was trying to read.

Cheers

[wynnyelle]

I could try and replace the graphic to make it darker/less transparent. but the text is nearly white on a moderately dark green background. Still, it wouldn't be too hard to change.

...The verification thing that I uninstalled had been preventing everyone from signing up even if they answered the questions correctly. I know because after this one person's sister was unable to register despite repeated tries, I tried it myself and couldn't.

[Ozysites]

Hi

I have tried my registration process and just then again now just to be sure and had no problems what so ever.

As for your forum,, yea either the graphic although if you like that graphic I would remove the transparentcy from the actuall post/forum pages themselves and leave it as a normal page or lightly colored page. Then your background would still be seen except on places where reading is involved.

Cheers

[wynnyelle]

yeah...

Tried to make us a sitemap, but I don't know how. I heard that helps.

I've just never been this disspirited before, about my community's future. It's this deep funk I can't break out of, like there's no hope. I try to get my enthusiasm for it back and it's nowhere to be found. frustrating as hell...

[ishy]

We've had a lot of problems with the CAPTCHA not working, and not allowing anyone to join. And it's hard to find out since most new members don't actually know you. I ended up dropping the CAPTCHA completely and going to two math problems, and people started joining again. My math problems are long with both addition and subtraction, like 3+16-7, and so far no bots.

[wynnyelle]

The math problems prevented everybody from joining even though they were answering correctly. I know because I tested it. Now we're back to about 3 signups a day and none of them actually bothering to participate, while our former members from Proboards slowly drop off one by one.

[adbrad]

try adding something exciting like a fun game or something so it encourages people to participate again.
or as it is a rpg site try adding a new scenario

[wynnyelle]

Yeah, we have that stuff going. The problem isn't the present members, it's that new ones aren't coming in quickly enough to male up for the natural turnover rate. I've started several promotional and referral programmes as well as posted advertising in various places to try and make up for it at least enough to stay at our present activity level, as growth is pretty much impossible at this point.

One issue when I seek advice on it or something is when they see my board they're like "Wow you get 1000+ posts a day and you're complaining you're dying??" Well, if they knew that we USED to get over twice that much they would see that it is all relative and I'd rather not wait till we're down to about 50 a day to notice the problem.  They don't understand. It isn't the actual size that matters, it's whether it is growing, stagnating, or declining that matters.

[teh_Krall]

Wow I had no idea cats were so enticing to so many people. Your site looks great to me, very easy on the eyes and appealing.

My site doesn't generate a fraction of the traffic yours does, so my advice should be taken with 2 pounds of salt: I think portal software would lend itself very well to your setup allowing you to organize it a little better and display pictures and active threads on a front page instead of taking everyone to a list of forums right off the bad. For someone like me who isn't really into cats the way the forums are organized wouldn't 'hook' me to join because to me what you have at the start is kind of like reading through rules and regulations whereas a little bit further down is the 'good' stuff that shows what your site is really about. 

[wynnyelle]

Hm, you mean have the front page be a portal instead of the forum? I've seen that approach before.

I guess it's a holdover from Proboards, that we're organised as we are now. The top board up there with the SMF help is also temporary, it will eventually be moved to a sub board in Questions and Comments.

We were organised just this way back on Proboards and had around 15-20 signups a day.

[Vekseid]

Use the weakest captcha setting in combo with the stop spammer module. And verify that signups are working.

[teh_Krall]

Hm, you mean have the front page be a portal instead of the forum? I've seen that approach before.

Yes, that's what I mean.

[ishy]

I would not do the portal on a forum RPG.  I don't think most forum RPGers would like a portal setup as the first thing they see. Forum RPGers are sadly the most stuck-in-a-rut particular group when it comes to joining sites.  That's "not how it's done".  Of course, just using SMF does away with many of them. 

BTW, Groovy, this is Roswenth.

[wynnyelle]

Hi Roswenth!!

Our forum is STILL dying. It's even worse than when I first posted this. I've begun to try paid advertisements and still nothing is working. It's so strange because our current members love it...well, till they start to drop off and leave. We're down to about 30 less logging in daily than we were when I posted this.

This community is my life and as it dies, I'm dying along with it.

[Specklefur]

To be honest with you, Wynn, I don't really think that we're that bad off. It really isn't much different from when we were located on PB. We're down a little bit in numbers but we still have 178 right now - that was pretty average before for members, though that didn't count staff. Things have been a little slow posting wise, but hopefully it will pick up when school is out. I'll advertise more for you, but looking from my perspective it doesn't seem like you have much to worry about at the moment. :3

[Stevee]

Hi Roswenth!!

Our forum is STILL dying. It's even worse than when I first posted this. I've begun to try paid advertisements and still nothing is working. It's so strange because our current members love it...well, till they start to drop off and leave. We're down to about 30 less logging in daily than we were when I posted this.

This community is my life and as it dies, I'm dying along with it.

Don't panic.  Could be it's spring, the weathers good, and people are getting out and doing other things.  You should expect slow cycles like these. Start making note of seasonal cycles and patterns in your traffic so you can take advantage of slow times to make improvements.  And be ready for busy cycles,  when you'll then be complaining about how busy it is. 

[ishy]

Things have been a little slow posting wise, but hopefully it will pick up when school is out.

I just had the same thought. It may just be the time of year. You could kick off a big contest in a few weeks to get the summer going and send out a mass email. Maybe bring some people back.

[adbrad]

Tbh with you my forum is more dead than yours i have only 30 members no new registration's and no one posting

[wynnyelle]

Well I sympathise with you, Albrad.

Specky--that's the thing, it doesn't count staff and there you have about 30 members less than we used to. That's a large drop in only a couple weeks.

But rest assured, I am far from giving up. I've been advertising us in every corner possible.