My members are boring me
- Thread starter Incognito
- Start date
Adam Howard
Well-known member
I've never been able to fully follow Dr Who. Mostly because here they run them completely out of order and repeat some of the same shows over and over (typically mid season too). I'd have to see if from the beginning to understand it all really.
But I do feel the 10th doctor was a better actor for the role.
Kevin
Well-known member
If nothing else, a /b raid would be a good way of testing how well your servers handle under a load.
Oh, and Tom Baker always shall be The Doctor.
=MGN=RedEagle
Well-known member
PM me the link and I will take a look. Maybe what you need is some new members with some new features. Innovate.
DRE
Well-known member
Let me see your site and I'll tell you what's wrong with them. I agree with the thread starter, you should at least have some entertaining members. What's the point of working hard on a forum if you're not getting any kind of enjoyment from it? When your working on the site and you start falling asleep, they'll be there to spark up a convo with you to keep you awake. That's just one of the many added benefits of running your own site.
Running a site versus just being a member is a completely different experience. As a member you can whine, b!tch, moan and complain about every little thing. As an admin you can do something about it. I have complaints about my own forum that get on my damn nerves. I am not able to fix and resolve some issues because I am a noob webmaster. I can't always afford to pay for someone to fix something, so I have to save up money and hope I find someone that can.
When you finally get something fixed, you get a little proud of yourself and your members are happy too. When your members are happy that something is fixed, they show it by participating more. When your members participate more they bring an excitement that is much needed to the forum. Some members enjoy new features. Maybe you should look around to see if you can find something exciting to add. Maybe that will keep them from seeming so boring to you.
I've never really had to create fake accounts to spark up member activity. I know some admins and mods on this site do and I've joined some guy on here's site whose whole activity looks like it might be just him and three other guys and a bunch of their aliases. I don't see anything wrong with that except for the fact that most of the time spent into fake accounts, would be better of spent on recruiting people on Facebook and Twitter. There are Facebook Groups called 'Massive Adds' that mainly consist of people begging for a Facebook Request. If you join those groups and ask people to join your site you will get more activity. So think about that too. Spicen it up a little. I've gotten some members from those groups, you can too.
Running a site versus just being a member is a completely different experience. As a member you can whine, b!tch, moan and complain about every little thing. As an admin you can do something about it. I have complaints about my own forum that get on my damn nerves. I am not able to fix and resolve some issues because I am a noob webmaster. I can't always afford to pay for someone to fix something, so I have to save up money and hope I find someone that can.
When you finally get something fixed, you get a little proud of yourself and your members are happy too. When your members are happy that something is fixed, they show it by participating more. When your members participate more they bring an excitement that is much needed to the forum. Some members enjoy new features. Maybe you should look around to see if you can find something exciting to add. Maybe that will keep them from seeming so boring to you.
I've never really had to create fake accounts to spark up member activity. I know some admins and mods on this site do and I've joined some guy on here's site whose whole activity looks like it might be just him and three other guys and a bunch of their aliases. I don't see anything wrong with that except for the fact that most of the time spent into fake accounts, would be better of spent on recruiting people on Facebook and Twitter. There are Facebook Groups called 'Massive Adds' that mainly consist of people begging for a Facebook Request. If you join those groups and ask people to join your site you will get more activity. So think about that too. Spicen it up a little. I've gotten some members from those groups, you can too.
F
Floris
Guest
I still rather have a boring slow site with great content, than a troll filled site with a % of more posts ..
DRE
Well-known member
Cosign.
Great content and boring can't coexist, can they?
F
Floris
Guest
They can.Great content and boring can't coexist, can they?
But when I go to a site where it's just heated discussions and some forum games, my brain tells me "oh, it's one of those sites", why provoke the stress of knowing that you get jumped on as a newbie, because the community has been taught they can do whatever they want, and they're the best - because they were there from the start ..
Rather than work on some good content that good people will read, resulting in it being a long term investment. When it picks up because of good content, you know you provoked the community to contribute to that level as well.
If a site wants active posts, and doesn't really care about their content - use the rss feed importer, and don't use it smartly. Just mass import content from yahoo answers or wikipedia and give new members the impression it's an active forum.
I rather have 5 good users posting good content and having discussions about the content.
Than feeling less bored, because when I press 'whats new' is filled with crap I probably won't read anyway?
Edrondol
Well-known member
Download the book review mod that's posted here. Create a new user group that will be responsible for the reviews. Put out a message that you are looking for people to post reviews.
I run a contest about every other month or so. Usually I give away things like comics that I'd read already or games that were super cheap on Steam. People have now started donating games and the like to give as prizes. Couple weeks ago I had a week-long giveaway and had 8 prizes including a PS3 game, the entire Mount & Blade collection and Space Marine. Cost me nothing.
Bottom line is, if you are bored so are your users. And that's dangerous. If you haven't already, you'll start losing them to other boards or (more likely) Facebook. There are things you can do but you're gonna have to put in some work.
I run a contest about every other month or so. Usually I give away things like comics that I'd read already or games that were super cheap on Steam. People have now started donating games and the like to give as prizes. Couple weeks ago I had a week-long giveaway and had 8 prizes including a PS3 game, the entire Mount & Blade collection and Space Marine. Cost me nothing.
Bottom line is, if you are bored so are your users. And that's dangerous. If you haven't already, you'll start losing them to other boards or (more likely) Facebook. There are things you can do but you're gonna have to put in some work.
Incognito
New member
An update
I added a lot of new features and posted like a crazy person with no life. My members would continue to read mostly what I posted, but as explained before, would only post small bits here or there.
I notice those who do visit do not make new threads. They only reply to mine. So I seem to be the only true topic starter. And with everyone is just lurking or posting small 1 line replies, I really do not know what to do.
I took up to social networking. That only invited more cyber bots than it did people who actually joined. And the few who did join would be logged in forever, but say little or nothing.
So my members continue to bore me to death and I fear now they are boring each other.
I added a lot of new features and posted like a crazy person with no life. My members would continue to read mostly what I posted, but as explained before, would only post small bits here or there.
I notice those who do visit do not make new threads. They only reply to mine. So I seem to be the only true topic starter. And with everyone is just lurking or posting small 1 line replies, I really do not know what to do.
I took up to social networking. That only invited more cyber bots than it did people who actually joined. And the few who did join would be logged in forever, but say little or nothing.
So my members continue to bore me to death and I fear now they are boring each other.
What is your forum topics btw?
The way you put things "they bore me and each others to death" is quite funny I have to admit. Every forum experiences slow period, specially for those that don't have a huge membership, which is majority of them.
Which explains many forums close down after one or two year or shorter. That's just how life is.
I wish I have a solution for this to help you, or at least can use for my own site.
Digital Doctor
Well-known member
If they are getting boring, ask a few to post nude photos of themselves. Just be honest and say that you are a bit bored. People can be sympathetic, and you might get some nice pics. "It doesn't hurt to ask". "Honesty is the best policy".
Incognito
New member
I guess it does sound a little funny when you put it that way. But it sure does not feel funny. Cause yes, they are starting to bore me and with the continued decline, I would imagine they are boring each other.
I have a wide range of topics. Everything from general chat, religion, politics, technology, entertainment, news, and even adult content.
Over a 1,000 members, but only 45 of them log-in daily. We're only a few months away from our second year. I would like for it to go on many more.
I have a wide range of topics. Everything from general chat, religion, politics, technology, entertainment, news, and even adult content.
Over a 1,000 members, but only 45 of them log-in daily. We're only a few months away from our second year. I would like for it to go on many more.
Incognito
New member
I have seen someone do that once. Not I. But on another site. They didn't ask for nudes, but did comment on how they thought the site was becoming less busy.
Best advise for anyone who thinks that is a good idea. DO NOT DO IT.
People left that place faster than most people would leave a burning building after the admin made that comment.
Incognito
New member
I agree we need new members. But people are not really inspired to join or say much when everyone else does not say much.
What is the percentage of your post counts over the site total?
When I started 6 years ago, I made 1/2 of the total post counts so I'm familiar with the situation. Overtime, that fraction becomes 1/3, 1/4 and now at around 1/10. We have around 80K posts.
That said, our site focuses on one niche topic and we are doing it very well.
When I started 6 years ago, I made 1/2 of the total post counts so I'm familiar with the situation. Overtime, that fraction becomes 1/3, 1/4 and now at around 1/10. We have around 80K posts.
That said, our site focuses on one niche topic and we are doing it very well.
Incognito
New member
I have to be careful not to post to much as me. Doing that only shows how less busy the place is and further discourages people to join the conversation. I currently have an alter ego to help with that and to add to the site.
Alone without the alter ego I am the #5 top poster. The #1 top poster is still there, but has become busy in life and so does not post as often. Even though that person is #1 it is all replies. #2 letf the site. #3 and #4 also reply to things simply.
As top #5 poster I make the most threads. But I am running out of topics idea's to make new threads. And there lies a big problem, because no one else seems to really do so. They all make simple replies to the topics I make. Once in a blue someone else will make a new topic and it will do very good, but everyone will stay only in that topic and go no where else, generally speaking.
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