trillianjedi - 9:55 am on Oct 29, 2005 (gmt 0)

AjiNIMC,

Some good additions there - bit of further comment:-

P - Promotions using point systems : Empower memebrs with more posts using a point system. S - Spam controller : Use spam controllers to avoid spam posting.

Both of those are useful. One I've been experimenting with on the Spam Controller front is not allowing members with less than 10 posts to post URL's. At all (in software). Additionally, any first post by a new member containing a URL goes "on hold". Most driveby spammers post once and don't return. You can nip those in the bud automagically.

V -Visitor Posting is victory for 90% markets - Some Guests will not register but will post their questions and will partcipate time to time, it can consitute almost 30% to 40% of your daily posts depending on your market (webmaster forums are big exceptions).

Personally I always go members only for posting rights. It does reduce the total posts per day figure, but overall I think in a good way (signal to noise and quality).

It's not just about quality and signal to noise though, there are also community elements which come into play here. Allowing guest posting creates an "us and them" environment. In my experience members only forums always have a better sense of community.

That may not be what you're looking to create of course, but it's an aspect that I think should be considered.

Q- Quick Reply : Quick reply will increase partcipation by almost 20%. Person spending regular x mins can posts (zy) more posts due to quick reply options.

That's an excellent point. Out of interest, which forum engines don't have a quick reply feature?

N - nofollow tag : for all links.

I'm still in two minds about that one. Personally I feel that if a link is within your TOS, and therefore represents a useful link, then share the love with the site owner.

That, to me, is the natural way. And I think "natural" will become a more and more important facet of building websites if you have more than half an eye on your web pages performance in the search engines.

how does one get moderators and entice them to stay

You don't have to entice them at all. Members arrive, and some of them will stay.

They're there because they want to be there - becoming a moderator, to them, is a compliment to their overall contribution to the board (that can come in many ways).

TJ