Slacking?

[Justin]

Are admins now-a-days throwing together something in 2 minutes and calling it a forum? Seriously, some of the forums I have seen would scare me to own. Now-a-days finding forums with more than 10k post is rare! The most of the forums now are General and Promotion, because most forums are these, they simply take or 'copy' the forum and call it their own. That is why the Basic advertisement forum is filled up here!

But doesn't it seem finding a good active forum is hard to do?

 

[Bejay]

Some of the forums still have the default theme on it. I NEVER join those. Even phpBB3 has a customization of the theme.

 

[Azza12342]

I had the default theme on my forum for about 2 days after I opened it because I had a problem with the code on the website, so I made fixing the website my priorty then updated my skin 🙂.

 

[Justin]

On the Skin note: Do custom skins attract people more than "Made to fit all" themes?

 

[Red Herring]

On the Skin note: Do custom skins attract people more than "Made to fit all" themes?

Depends on how you've built it gent. If you make an incredibly unique skin that is enjoyed by everyone...then it shall draw more people.

On the other hand, if you threw a few simple CSS codes together, and made it look incredibly bland/unfitting, you're probably better off with a "made to fit all" theme.

 

[Brack]

My forum has been commented on by several people including actors and authors.

Doesn't that tell you something?

 

[Kaynil]

Yeah, it is a put down for me the default visual. I can understand the posting when it is new, but seriously opening a board with no logo, default theme, several categories yet only 3 posts made by the admin (usually along the lines "we 're open", "rules, " and some other outside the forum-updates area... it is really un-motivating.

Many admins nowadays just want to open theyur place and expect members will join and do all the posting job for you. Sure, once you gained them, but they won't come if you don't offer anything for them.

You enter your boards and feel like "nothing to do" then what makes you feel your members will think any differently? Usually when i feel 'bored' and my own boards I try to create a few threads doesn't matter where but leaving something new for their returns does help. Too bad many admins don't even try.

So for all new forums admins out there those are my cents: Before openly to the public define skin, and after having the categories create threads for every one, at least one if you can two yet better. Even those sections that you don't like or have t talk about leave room for those who will. getting rid of zeroes helps a lot. Also having threads gives more of a feel about what is allowed and what isn't. Yeah i feel like ranting, hahah.

I must admit than just as I have been disappoint in some clicks I've seen a very outstanding forums around here.

 

[DarkRaven]

Eh, I don't have a custom theme on my forum but it's still really active. I don't understand why people are so snobbish about the likes of myself who don't understand CSS that well.

But the default skin really is a turn off for me.

 

[Nathan]

A custom skin isn't always needed, it is nice but not needed. Just remember you can't chuck your forum together in 2 minutes and expect to get hundreds of users, it just won't work.

 

[Nebulous]

Its not that hard to find a good forum.

 

[Ascent]

Its not that hard to find a good forum.

Agreed.

And if people can't identify forums between good and bad, then well, you're not that good at searching for forums.

 

[Antarctic]

Just don't join these crappy forums, the admins have no idea what they are doing and it will most likely be closed in a week.

 

[Bluezone777]

WIth my first board, I literally just slapped a few forums on the board based on layouts on boards I was active on which my own names and descriptions and that's pretty much it. THis was mostly due to the fact that I walked into forum owning with out any experience whatsoever and that board went on to last for about two years. I just learned things as I went base don a little common sense and the ability to figure things out over time.

There's an old saying that goes " never judge a book by its cover".

You never know what you are going to miss if you turn things down based on the lack of a non default skin. I mean there is forums that are obviously ran by people who don't have much sense to be running a board and then there are those who might know enough to get by.