anytopix.com, General Discussion Forum

[gen6]

http://www.anytopix.com

Hi guys, I finally completed my forum, my aim was to create one of the biggest general discussion forums with all kinds of topics!

Tomorrow I am starting the popularization process

What do you think about it ? Any kind of critiques/suggestions will be highly appreciated!!
Since the forum is quite big, I'm just thinking of doing something that will ease the access to every single category/forum, something like an updated quick navigation menu, that will expand like a Windows Start Menu, which would make everything a lot easier If you have any suggestions how to do that, I'll be really grateful!

Also, does the site load fast for you? Is there any delay when you expand/collapse categories?


Thank you guys!

p.s.

Don't mind the ugly logo, this was just a sample, I'll have to make a new one in the following days

 

[Shelley]

http://www.anytopix.com

Hi guys, I finally completed my baby, my aim was to create one of the biggest general discussion forums with all kinds of topics!

Tomorrow I am starting the popularization process

What do you think about it ? Any kind of critiques/suggestions will be highly appreciated!!
Since the forum is quite big, I'm just thinking of doing something that will ease the access to every single category/forum, something like an updated quick navigation menu, that will expand like a Windows Start Menu, which would make everything a lot easier If you have any suggestions how to do that, I'll be really grateful!

Also, does the site load fast for you? Is there any delay when you expand/collapse categories?


Thank you guys!

I seem to be getting a "Server not found". Your forum is unreachable for me.

 

[gen6]

I seem to be getting a "Server not found". Your forum is unreachable for me.

Ah....where are you located? It's online for me and I can test it from most servers around the world from http://loads.in ...

 

[Shelley]

I'm in the UK. I'll give it another try after I submit this post though.

edit: Still a server not found.

 

[Andrej]

Why do you need 300 forums?! (yes, I counted them all manually... ) There is absolutely no reason to have so much forums when you have not even that amount of posts that would fit this structure. You are trying to do the impossible (counting in fact that you are one of the another million of General Discussion forums out there).

 

[Shelley]

I have to agree with @Andrej I think you should start smaller, a little less on the areas while you build up content and members then once the areas start to fill out then start expanding. I think in the long run this will serve you better and eliminate that feeling of a really empty forum with so many areas with zero content.

Nice style, good choice. Goodluck with your site.

 

[DBA]

"Build it and they will come" does not apply to forums (or really anything anymore for that reason).

What sets you apart from the other [million] general discussion forums? Also nobody likes seeing 300 empty forums...

Also, does the site load fast for you? Is there any delay when you expand/collapse categories?

It depends on what you'd define as "fast", according to webpagetest.org it's taking over 5 seconds to load. My forumhome on the other hand takes around a second or so.

http://www.webpagetest.org/result/130612_CF_14SN/

 

[gen6]

Yeah, I know it's kind of empty...but I was hoping step by step to fill it up, paid user posting, friends, advertising...because if say the Philosophy area lacks, how am I gonna attract people that are interested in that? Or if I remove any area, how am I going to attract the people that are interested exactly in that area? I think what sets this one apart is the richness of the topics compared to others, if I start small, I will be nothing different than most general discussion forums....but look at this one www.boards.ie , quite broad....many topics...many people...one of the most successful ones. This is at least how I approached that...but I guess you may be right guys, I don't know....I'll try to push it, if nothing moves in few months, I'll start small I guess....

 

[Milo]

I like what you're trying to do, but because your forum encompasses every topic, there's no specialist subject. Forums are usually specific to a certain subject. For every category you have, there's a forum out there to match it. You have to think why would people visit your forum which doesn't concentrate any one one topic in particular.

Jack of all trades, master of none as the say.

Good luck with the forums though

 

[gen6]

Yes you are right as I thought about it,basically what I'm trying to do is that every single one of my categories competes with an entire specialized forum....so every category is like a separate forum....I thought of specializing it to life, money and entertainment only since these are the most important and most discussed topics...but then...I won't be any different than the many other life, money and entertainment. And currently you have everything in one place, gathered up, like the big summary of forums...what if most categories were full of people discussing stuff?

 

[Mike Edge]

Looks good, loads a bit slow, but that might be from all the forums you have. Having a lot of categories is good, but too many empty forums within is going to hurt rather then attract members as it makes the site seem dead. For instance, instead of all your different sports forums, make a sports forum and when you get 10 threads about basketball, then make a basketball section and move the threads to it.

 

[Shelley]

Yeah, I know it's kind of empty...but I was hoping step by step to fill it up, paid user posting, friends, advertising...because if say the Philosophy area lacks, how am I gonna attract people that are interested in that? Or if I remove any area, how am I going to attract the people that are interested exactly in that area? I think what sets this one apart is the richness of the topics compared to others, if I start small, I will be nothing different than most general discussion forums....but look at this one www.boards.ie , quite broad....many topics...many people...one of the most successful ones. This is at least how I approached that...but I guess you may be right guys, I don't know....I'll try to push it, if nothing moves in few months, I'll start small I guess....

If you can get those empty areas filled with content then all power to you and look forward in seeing this all in a month or so time. Looks like some areas have started to be filled with content so nice work and hopefully that rate of posting will continue. Excellent job @gen6

 

[Lisa]

Thought I'd revisit this a few month down the line to see how it was getting on . . . I'm guessing it isn't, since there's nothing at the url now. That's a shame. What happened? @gen6 ?