[Dev] Make a Community - A comprohensive guide

[Varlot]

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What is Make a Community?

Make a Community is a full tutorial site which covers everything from A to Z on how to create a forum. The journey starts at the very beginning with the planning stage - "what niche is the forum going to be?", "how is it going to be funded?", "how can I brand it so it becomes something unique?" - to the very end of how you maintain your forum and keep it growing.

There are many tutorials on how to create a forum, but what they all have in common is that it's a single tutorial covering everything, from start to finish. Creating a functioning community is a form of art that can't be captured in one single page, and our goal is to create the ultimate handbook on how to make it in a world where creating a successful forum is more difficult than ever.

Shortly summarized: see it as the Promotion Tricks & Help and Forum & Website Management sections combined - neatly organized with everything you need.


Why create something like this?

There is a growing thought that the days of forums are dead. Call me naive, but that's not a fact I can accept. Social medias like Facebook, Twitter and Medium have grown a lot the last few years, and have stolen a lot of the good old Internet forums members.

What social media lacks is the very reason I first joined a forum. Social medias are in many cases a way to connect with those you already know through your own persona. What forums have is a type of anonymity and a chance to discuss and befriend people from all over the world that is lost in Facebook and Twitter. That's something irreplaceable.

Still, there is no doubt that forums are suffering. Forums open and close on a daily basis, and few survive more than a few months. The reason behind Make a Community is to try to help, and give web masters the toolkit that make them fit to fight through these harsh forum times and create a fantastic community.

Updates

The release date is currently set for December 1st.

September 16th, 2016:

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Development has re-commenced. Idea of a one page-guide has been thrown away (way too much content for a single page), and instead it's going to be a more chapter-based system running on WordPress.

Suggestions

If you have any ideas or suggestions for the project, feel free to share them! I'd love to hear what you all got on your mind, whether you reply to the thread or send me a PM!

If you would like to be a part of the project, check out the recruitment thread that is linked below.

 

[Sharon]

That is looking really good so far! I think that's great that you're doing this as I'm sure there are many webmasters out there that could utilize such a guide. Are you going to have a section on different hosts e.g. MyBB, phpBB, Zetaboards, etc? I think if you had an honest review section (not influenced by funds or anything) might give your site an appeal. Good luck with this! Keep us updated.

 

[Teg]

I agree with Sharon. The site looks amazing so far. I also think the idea behind what you are trying to do is an excellent idea. There are so many people out there who try to make communities and fail. Then, there are those people who have no idea how to start a community in the first place. I think many people would like and benefit from this project of yours. Keep us updated!

 

[Ghost]

I like the image you included in the OP as well as the way the site looks live. It's obviously not finished yet, but I'm excited to see what you come up with. Will you plan on releasing an eBook version that you'll sell or give away for free? It could be a nice way to compliment the website 🙂

 

[Varlot]

That is looking really good so far! I think that's great that you're doing this as I'm sure there are many webmasters out there that could utilize such a guide. Are you going to have a section on different hosts e.g. MyBB, phpBB, Zetaboards, etc? I think if you had an honest review section (not influenced by funds or anything) might give your site an appeal. Good luck with this! Keep us updated.

Thanks a lot! I'm thinking about covering most different forum suits in detail, with everything from how to install said forum suit as well as recommended themes, plugins, tips and tricks. Basically how you as a forum owner can get the most out of it. The only one working on the project however is me, so if I want to have the site launched by the year I'll probably have to wait with it until after the launch.

A review section is a great idea! I doubt I have the manpower to pull it of right away, but I'll definitely consider adding it later on if the site becomes a hit and I get volunteers to review it.

I agree with Sharon. The site looks amazing so far. I also think the idea behind what you are trying to do is an excellent idea. There are so many people out there who try to make communities and fail. Then, there are those people who have no idea how to start a community in the first place. I think many people would like and benefit from this project of yours. Keep us updated!

Thanks a lot! Forums are struggling with social media as a strong competition, and in my eyes that is a shame. The whole idea with this project is to make forum owners more fit to take on the competition against Facebook and Twitter, because the community forum is in my eyes an institution that deserves to live along side social media.

I like the image you included in the OP as well as the way the site looks live. It's obviously not finished yet, but I'm excited to see what you come up with. Will you plan on releasing an eBook version that you'll sell or give away for free? It could be a nice way to compliment the website 🙂

Thanks! Yeah, I'm thinking about combining all the articles into a eBook once everything is finished, and it will of course be available for free. 🙂

Update:
Development has re-commenced. Idea of a one page-guide has been thrown away (way too much content for a single page), and instead it's going to be a more chapter-based system running on WordPress.

I'm looking for contributors that could:

• Write or co-write articles
• Give notes and comments on articles
• Beta-test the website and give feedback on how the UI could improve
• Come with general suggestions and ideas for the site

Everyone who wants to contribute would get a special thanks on the website, and will be invited to the beta-board. For more information, PM me and/or check out this thread.

And here's a little preview!

 

[Varlot]

I'm on the lookout for people that would like to contribute to the project in any way possible! Check out our recruitment thread.