Suggestions on creating topics for forums

I've got a great community, but I'm not sure how to structure the new forum

[adrock31]

I work on a niche site that has a great community and we've decided to add a forum to the site to nurture that community. I know we'll get a lot of people looking at the forum, and I expect a lot of people wanting to participate.

My question is, what methods should I use to get started creating different topics? I don't want to create too many topics right away so that each topic is slow to develop threads, but I don't want to toss it all into a basket and have to deal with organizing it all later, either.

Any suggestions on how many topics to start out with, and when to begin splitting the index up into more parts?

Also, I've read a little about miniBB, but haven't heard any negative comments. Has anyone had a *bad* experience with it? It seems elegant and simple to manage, which is a plus for me.

Also, is it possible to switch forum software later in the game if I find one is not expandable in the directions I need, but don't recognize until too late?

Thanks for all of your thoughts,

jason

[rogerd]

Sometimes the forum subject will suggest a specific breakdown, e.g., if the subject is "Big Ten Football" you'll probably want a forum for each team plus several general topics.

In the absence of any obvious subdivisions, I'd start off with no more than ten, and perhaps as few as five. I've even seen some single-topic forums - they are OK when a forum isn't busy, but of course get really messy if posting volume picks up.

I've also observed that in new forums, it's common for one forum to become the "default" forum where everyone ends up posting. Posters see that one forum is a lot busier, so they post there even if it is off topic (and then bump their thread every few minutes if they don't get a reply!). A "new posts" display helps people scan multiple forums for activity and reduces the "single forum" problem.

Keep watching the busier topics to see if adding a new topic makes sense; putting a subject into its own forum can really give posting a boost if there is a core group of posters and plenty of interest.

[Tomness]

Yeah, I agree with what Rogerd said, setting a last discussion part of the forum up is a good idea. That way, people wont miss a thing.

MiniBB is good for that, it comes with a last discussion part automaticly built in and set up.

MiniBB are excelent forums - I had never had to tamper with MySQL before I had MiniBB, but after I managed to setup the database and tables, I was well away - they're easy to congifure, and use.

Sectioning off your forum is also a good idea, once again, as rogerd said, having a general section is always good.

Say you have a entertainment forum, you might have the following topics:

Television,
Films,
Films to come,
Music,
Concerts,
Ect...

If you were to add a general part to that, at the very top, or bottom, then people can post what ever they like there.

This will also give your members a chance to get to know each other, which gives them more a reason to be there, and socialize.

[Automan Empire]

Yes, definately a general topic forum- the Foo equivalent.
Also, a problems/suggestions/requests/board business area is helpful. Usually it doesn't get posted to very often, but does a good job of preventing such topics from being randomly posted around the forum.
Some fora that try to maintain a semblance of civility with controversial topics have a flame/hate forum where more of anything goes, while maintaining strict rules of conduct on the board at large.

[Tomness]

I think that flame and hate forums are terrible. They encourage abusive behaviour, arguments and disagreement, which in the long term, can break online relationships, meaning your forum could fall apart.

However, it would also have the adverse affect - because a lot of people like to argue, especially younger ones, as they tend to be very strong willed. Therefore people would come back.

It would depend on the age range average of your forum - if you're running a forum for young adults, say from 13-19, then it might be appropriate, but if you're running a forum for older, then it might not.

It would also be quite difficult to control if things are not put across properly.

[rogerd]

I'm not a big fan of flame/fight forums, though I've had requests for them. I don't feel that they build community, and it's likely that bad feelings will spill into the other forums. And if they attract members who primarily like to fight, who needs them?

An Off Topic, Foo, Lounge, etc. forum is a good idea. I used to resist them, but I found that people will post OT stuff in the "real" forums. Part of building a community is personal chat, sharing something funny, etc., and an OT topic lets that happen without cluttering the real content. It's also provides a place to dump OT discussions without having to delete the posts of good members.

[Tomness]

Yeah, I agree.

Why did you (or someone in the WW) team called that part of the forum 'foo'? It made me wonder that did.

[adrock31]

Lots of great advice, thanks.
My audience is primarily afluent older men, so I think I'll skip the flame war option. As for "foo," what does that mean?

[Tomness]

I thought I was the only one who didn't know - so I looked it up.

<jargon> /foo/ A sample name for absolutely anything, especially programs and files (especially scratch files).

First on the standard list of metasyntactic variables used in syntax examples. See also bar, baz, qux, quux, corge, grault, garply, waldo, fred, plugh, xyzzy, thud.

[camweh]

Going back to the original question:
On my board I have a dedicated 'Monthly Topic' forum. I post a monthly topic there to try to draw lurkers into the discussions. We are interested in a geographical location and subscribers are mostly locals and expatriates. The topics I choose are those that are not discussed too often or not at all. I use the following format:

Theatres in the three towns

Possible discussion pointers:

- Personal recollections
- Favourite picture theatre
- Saturday movie matinees
- The Pavilion
- Local theatrical groups
- Personal involvement
- Since the introduction of TV
- Present day theatres

Hit "postreply" and let's hear your recollections