Al

I agree. It was only when I saw the URL that I realised it was on a free host. Most of the time I can spot them immediately. Keep up the good work, [mention=82]Wise Owl[/mention]!

Good luck with your forum. Ever considered moving off a free host?

I can't see any purpose for doing this. The data costs for storing old threads in your database are minimal. Sure, maybe back in the day when disc space was a premium, but there benefits of that old data being available to search engines far outweighs any savings you may make from pruning.

Word of mouth can be successful if you have willing ears to hear your words. Otherwise it is just shouting into the void.

This thread is for the general discussion of the Article [plain]Handling Forum Mergers: Combining Communities Without Losing Your Identity[/plain]. Please add to the discussion here. [ATTACH type=full" align="left]267[/ATTACH]Merging two forums is often a smart move to strengthen communities, expand user bases, and combine resources. However, it’s a delicate process. Done poorly, it can alienate core members and dilute the unique culture each forum has built over time. But with careful planning, open communication, and respect for each community’s identity, you can combine them successfully without losing what makes them special. Understanding the Purpose of the Merger Before anything else, you need to be clear on why merging the forums is the right decision. It could be to reduce server costs, combine communities with shared interests, or simply improve activity by uniting two groups that naturally overlap. Whatever the reason, both forums need to be aligned on the goals of the merger before taking any steps. Communicating this vision to the community is crucial. Members are more likely to embrace the change if they understand the benefits, whether it’s increased activity, more diverse discussions, or an enhanced moderation team. Set the tone early by being transparent about why this is happening and what everyone stands to gain. Planning the Transition The next step is to have a clear transition plan. This isn’t just about moving data; it involves technical, administrative, and social aspects. The technical side will involve selecting the best platform for the merged forum. Whether you’re migrating everything to XenForo, Invision, or another platform, ensure that the process preserves user data, threads, and any custom features people rely on. On the administrative side, you’ll need to integrate the moderation teams. Both groups will likely have their own approaches and policies, so make sure roles are defined clearly, and expectations are aligned. Consistency in moderation is important to maintain order as users adapt to the new setup. Equally important is getting the community involved. Allow members from both forums to voice their concerns or provide input on the merger. This helps build trust and allows you to address potential points of friction before they escalate. Preserving the Core Identity One of the biggest fears members will have is losing the identity of their original forum. To combat this, ensure that key traditions, features, and ongoing threads remain intact. Avoid drastic changes that could make the merged forum feel foreign to long-time users. When it comes to visual identity, consider blending elements from both forums. If the two communities have distinct themes, create a hybrid design that incorporates the most recognizable features from each side. This helps unify the new space while respecting the history of both groups. Bridging Cultural Differences Every forum develops its own culture over time. The way members joke, debate, or interact can differ significantly between two communities. A merger forces these different cultures to collide, and it’s your job to smooth that transition. Be mindful of these differences in tone, humor, and expectations. It might help to hold open discussions where members can express which traditions or rules they’d like to keep in the new forum. This openness allows you to identify cultural sticking points before they become larger issues. Some forums thrive on humour or light moderation, while others prefer a more formal and structured environment. The trick is finding the balance that satisfies both communities. Managing the Emotional Impact For some users, a forum merger can feel like the loss of a home. Members may be anxious that their favourite threads, moderators, or traditions will be erased. To ease these concerns, consider creating a legacy section where they can view archived posts, participate in discussions about the old forums, or share memories. This small gesture goes a long way in helping long-term members feel like their history is being honoured. Additionally, highlight the achievements of both communities. Use announcements to celebrate the legacy of each forum by sharing significant moments, memorable threads, or key contributors. It’s not just about merging two forums—it’s about merging two histories. [ATTACH type=full" align="right]266[/ATTACH]Communication Is Key Throughout the merger process, communication is everything. Regular, transparent updates keep users informed and reduce the spread of misinformation. You need to keep members updated on technical progress, policy changes, and how the communities will come together. One of the most effective ways to maintain trust during this time is to create regular posts or even video updates explaining what’s happening and addressing common concerns. By doing this, you ensure that the community feels involved and respected. Setting Realistic Expectations It’s important to recognize that even the best-planned mergers come with challenges. There will be some friction between members as they adjust to the new environment, and some features or rules may need tweaking. Being upfront about the potential for hiccups helps set realistic expectations. Emphasize the positives, but don’t shy away from acknowledging the difficulties. This honesty can make a significant difference in how well the merger is received. Members are more likely to be patient and understanding if they feel like you’re not glossing over the hard parts. Making Onboarding Smooth As you merge the forums, the technical onboarding process needs to be as seamless as possible. Allow members to retain their post counts, usernames, and other familiar details. Clear instructions should be provided to help everyone navigate the new structure. A simple onboarding process is crucial to making sure long-time members don’t feel lost in the transition. The easier it is for them to adjust, the quicker the communities will start to feel like one. Monitoring and Adjusting After the merger, keep a close eye on how things are going. This is a critical period, as user feedback will indicate whether the merger is going smoothly or if adjustments are needed. Be prepared to make tweaks to moderation policies, forum structure, or even aesthetic choices based on how well the communities are integrating. Consider organizing events or creating joint threads to encourage interaction between members from both forums. The faster you get people talking to each other, the quicker a sense of unity will form. Conclusion Merging forums is no small task, but when handled properly, it can bring about a stronger, more vibrant community. By respecting the core identities of both forums, maintaining open communication, and carefully planning each step, you can create a new space where members from both sides feel at home. It’s not about losing history—it’s about building a new, stronger one together.

[ATTACH type=full" align="left" width="300px]232[/ATTACH]...actually, do you like scary games? On Halloween, I’m opening a new community that’s all about horror games! Games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Dead by Daylight, Outlast, and more. If you’re into jump scares, creepy atmospheres, and everything terrifying in gaming, this is the place for you! The community is still under wraps as I work on structure and initial content. I'm looking, currently, for a couple of maladjusted, mature individuals who love this kind of thing, and would like to help out. Currently there are vacancies for two global mods. Your simple task would be to add content, engage the community in discussions and keep the place free from spam and other horrors. There may be other roles which become available in the future. These will be advertised in due course. Just to note, this is not a paid role, but loyalty will be rewarded. Interested? Drop me a direct message and I can share more about the project with you. Please note that due to the nature of the content which will be discussed, you must be an adult to take up this role.

I have a weekly planner - just on an excel spreadsheet for my tasks which reset every Monday. There’s daily tasks such has five posts/threads on https://rtshq.net/hub or 3 tweets on the associated Twitter account, but also tasks to complete throughout the week such as blog posts or YT video uploads. I find it helps keep me focused. It’s really useful if you get involved in a post exchange. Reminds you what you need to achieve.

Don’t over complicate it. It’s a staple of this kind of community so it should work well.

I first used phpbb but quickly switched the vBulletin when I realised just how much fun it could be to run a forum (back then).

It's a great looking forum, Shawn. I'll have to drop by more often.

Consistency of content production. I've had to set myself a weekly target to keep up with my numerous projects.

Check your PMs in about 5 minutes!

It's okay to ignore Cedric 637384859 times. After 637384860 it's best to just acquiesce.

As title, "If you could go back and create your forum again, what would you do differently?" Looking back on how you built your community, do any of these mistakes sound familiar? It’s easy to get carried away in the early days of launching a forum, but hindsight is a great teacher. Here are a few common missteps that might resonate with you: Overcomplicating Categories: Did you create too many subforums at the start, only to find them mostly empty? Keeping it simple can help focus discussion and avoid a cluttered look. Chasing Quantity Over Quality: Did you spend too much time trying to increase member count instead of nurturing a core group of dedicated users? Building a solid foundation can drive more sustainable growth. Using Cheap or Free Tools: Did you cut corners on software or plugins, only to deal with constant bugs and limitations later? Investing in reliable tools early on often saves a lot of pain down the line. Lack of Clear Rules or Direction: Did you skip setting clear guidelines or a vision for your forum, resulting in confusion or inconsistent behavior in your community? What’s your take? Did you experience any of these issues? What would you change if you could go back to day one? Let’s discuss the lessons we’ve learned from our early forum-building days.

Micromanagement is bad. It can be very tempting as a community (or other) leader to need to know everything that is going on and to have a controlling hand on every decision. This is never a great way of working and can create a toxic environment. You need to trust your staff to do the right thing and allow them to make decisions - and mistakes - on their own.

Don't say anything rude

Welcome Bob, I suddenly don't feel quite so old any longer.

20 posts please. Let's kick off this and see how the system works. If you already have an account please register a new one. I'd prefer it if you made a random username and not one which exists across loads of different forums.

Christmas is banned. /thread

I use Facebook for two things. 1) I use it to keep in touch with family and friends who live overseas or elsewhere in the country. 2) I use it to promote my projects. There's a huge audience to be leveraged. I don't see it becoming irrelevant any time soon. People are disinterested in the politics behind Facebook. Scandals and things are generally ignored by the general Facebook populace. It's the same as when Musk took over Twitter. Sure, there was some raised eyebrows, but most Twitter users just don't give enough of a shit.

And I think that's fine, but as soon as you get any semblance of community on Discord you can kiss goodbye to your forum.

About twenty year now. Twenty long hard, terribly long and hard years.

I fixed it for you. Every single "pro" you mentioned is actually a "con"

This thread is for the general discussion of the Article [plain]Avoiding Burnout: Managing Time and Energy as a Forum Owner[/plain]. Please add to the discussion here. [ATTACH type=full" align="left]265[/ATTACH]Running a forum can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed by the endless to-do lists, constant moderation, and community-building efforts, all while balancing your real-life responsibilities. Burnout is a common pitfall for forum owners, and certainly one that I have faced over my career as a forum administrator. It is probably the main reason why people throw in the towel. It can all become too overwhelming. With the right strategies in place, you can keep your energy up and ensure both your community and personal life thrive. Prioritize What Matters It’s easy to feel like everything is important, but the reality is that not all tasks are created equal. Prioritize the activities that have the most significant impact on your forum’s success. For example, fostering discussions and engaging with members often has a much higher return than obsessing over minor design tweaks. Identify the core activities that help your forum grow and focus on those first. Administrative tasks like moderation and handling spam are essential, but they shouldn’t dominate your day. Tools like spam filters or automatic moderation settings can lighten your workload, allowing you to spend more time on what truly matters—building a vibrant, engaged community. Learn to recognize when "good enough" is truly good enough. Not everything needs to be perfect - so says the perfectionist! Set Boundaries Running a forum can quickly consume all your time if you let it. Setting clear boundaries is essential for maintaining balance. Without them, you’ll find yourself constantly pulled back to the forum, responding to every message or moderating every post in real-time, leaving little room for yourself or your life outside the screen. Create a schedule for when you will and won’t be working on the forum. Maybe you check in the morning and again in the evening, or perhaps you dedicate certain days of the week for more intensive management. Whatever works for you, stick to it and communicate those boundaries to your community. You don’t need to be available 24/7. Setting these limits will also show your members that you’re balancing real-life responsibilities just like they are, encouraging a healthier, more sustainable community culture. This process is crucial if, like me, you have multiple projects running concurrently. It can be very easy to neglect one project in favour of another. Setting a schedule allows you to structure your time effectively. Just remember, it's occasionally okay to step outside. Leverage Moderators One of the best ways to avoid burnout is by not trying to do everything yourself. When you’re the only one handling every little detail, it’s inevitable that exhaustion will set in. That’s where trusted moderators come in. Identify members of your community who are engaged, responsible, and respected by others, and bring them on board to help manage the workload. Assign specific roles or sections to your moderators, whether it’s managing specific subforums, handling member disputes, or reviewing flagged posts. By sharing these responsibilities, you’ll free yourself from the day-to-day minutiae, allowing you to focus on higher-level planning and strategy. A strong team of moderators ensures that your forum can thrive even when you’re not there. It also creates a sense of shared ownership, making your moderators feel more invested in the community’s success. [ATTACH type=full" align="right]264[/ATTACH]Automate and Simplify Forum management can often feel like a never-ending cycle of repetitive tasks, but modern tools can help you break that cycle. Automation is your best friend when it comes to minimizing time spent on mundane, everyday tasks. Whether it’s scheduling regular updates, managing spam, or approving new users, there are tools designed to make your life easier. For instance, spam filters can automatically catch and block unwanted posts, freeing you from having to manually monitor every new comment. Scheduling tools allow you to set announcements or promotions in advance, so you don’t have to be online to post them in real-time. Simplifying your forum’s structure is another time-saver. If you’re finding it hard to manage dozens of subforums or categories, consider consolidating them. This makes navigation easier for users and reduces the amount of oversight required from you. Take Breaks The constant pressure of running a forum can easily lead to burnout, which is why taking breaks is crucial. Stepping away from the computer, even for a short while, can do wonders for your mental clarity and energy. It’s important to remember that your forum won’t collapse if you take a day off. This is probably easier to say than do for most community leaders. Your moderators and automated systems can handle the basics while you recharge. Use your breaks to reset and come back with fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm. You’ll also likely find that stepping back allows you to gain perspective. When you’re in the trenches, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture, but a well-timed break can help you identify what’s truly working and where improvements are needed. Manage Expectations Managing a forum requires you to balance both your own expectations and those of your community. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you need to respond to every inquiry immediately or be involved in every conversation. However, doing so will quickly lead to burnout. Set clear expectations with your members about your availability. You don’t need to be online constantly or reply to every question within minutes. If your forum is large, your members likely understand that you have other responsibilities outside of the forum. Be transparent about your schedule, and don’t be afraid to tell members that they may need to wait for a response or that certain features will take time to implement. This will not only reduce your stress but also help manage your community’s expectations, allowing you to run the forum on your terms. Focus on Longevity Running a forum is a long-term commitment, and the key to longevity is balance. By prioritizing the tasks that matter, setting boundaries, leveraging help, and automating where possible, you’ll create a sustainable routine that allows both your community and personal life to flourish. Burnout doesn’t have to be inevitable if you approach your role with patience and self-awareness. Running a forum should be an enjoyable experience—not a source of stress—so take care of yourself, delegate when necessary, and don’t hesitate to take a step back when you need to recharge.

30k members but only 1200 posts? What gives? [ATTACH type=full" size="1025x143]143[/ATTACH]