Growth Is Discord a good way to grow your forum community?

[Sinistra Sensei]

Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of integrating Discord into your forum community can be insightful.

Pros:

• Real-Time Interaction: Discord enables immediate communication, fostering stronger bonds and a communal spirit among members.
• Voice and Video Chat: Engaging discussions through voice and video chats can deepen connections.
• User-Friendly Interface: Discord's ease of use and setup make it accessible to users of all technical levels.
• Customizable Channels: Tailored channels for different topics help keep conversations focused and organized.
• Platform Integration: Discord's compatibility with other platforms and bots enhances functionality and user experience.

Cons:

• Forum Distraction: The allure of real-time chat on Discord may detract from forum participation, potentially diminishing its activity.
• Moderation Hurdles: The swift nature of chat can complicate moderation, with the risk of rapid dissemination of inappropriate content.
• Privacy Issues: Concerns may arise over sharing personal information on an additional platform.
• Community Fragmentation: Splitting discussions between forums and Discord can fragment the community, complicating conversation tracking.
• Adaptation Period: Discord's array of features, while generally user-friendly, may initially overwhelm some users, deterring engagement.

In summary, Discord presents numerous benefits for real-time interaction and community engagement, but it's crucial to weigh these against the possible downsides. A strategic approach that allows both platforms to work in tandem can foster a more unified and vibrant community.

Discussion is welcome!

 

[Cedric]

It’s great to have an additional platform next to your community, as long as its focus doesn’t switch to Discord. The moment more engagement is done there, is the moment you lose your forum.

 

[Sinistra Sensei]

I agree I have a Discord for Anime Social that is kinda dead right now but I am mainly going to use to for live events such as Gaming nights and Anime Watch parties

 

[Cedric]

I have no intention for Administrata to have a Discord. The only thing we have on Discord is a staff channel for some quick updates, questions, discussions, etc.

 

[Bryn]

The moment more engagement is done there, is the moment you lose your forum.

I completely agree with this... as someone who lost activity on my forum from its Discord counterpart (and towards its eventual closure, on top of other reasons at the time).

If any of my members ever requests this, I will give a firm "no".

 

[Al]

Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of integrating Discord into your forum community can be insightful

Pros

• None

Cons

• Real-Time Interaction: Discord enables immediate communication, fostering stronger bonds and a communal spirit among members.
• Voice and Video Chat: Engaging discussions through voice and video chats can deepen connections.
• User-Friendly Interface: Discord's ease of use and setup make it accessible to users of all technical levels.
• Customizable Channels: Tailored channels for different topics help keep conversations focused and organized.
• Platform Integration: Discord's compatibility with other platforms and bots enhances functionality and user experience.
• Forum Distraction: The allure of real-time chat on Discord may detract from forum participation, potentially diminishing its activity.
• Moderation Hurdles: The swift nature of chat can complicate moderation, with the risk of rapid dissemination of inappropriate content.
• Privacy Issues: Concerns may arise over sharing personal information on an additional platform.
• Community Fragmentation: Splitting discussions between forums and Discord can fragment the community, complicating conversation tracking.
• Adaptation Period: Discord's array of features, while generally user-friendly, may initially overwhelm some users, deterring engagement.

In summary, Discord presents numerous benefits for real-time interaction and community engagement, but it's crucial to weigh these against the possible downsides. A strategic approach that allows both platforms to work in tandem can foster a more unified and vibrant community.

Discussion is welcome!

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

 

[Sinistra Sensei]

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

Lol like I said I only use discord for live events like gaming stuff and anime watching parties. Not really going to use it for anything other then that lol

 

[Al]

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.

 

[Num7]

It’s great to have an additional platform next to your community, as long as its focus doesn’t switch to Discord.

Exactly this. Keyword is: NEXT TO. My site has a Discord. Not much in there outside of chit-chat and memes. Occasional, short on-topic exchanges. It's a great place to host chat events though, which is awesome. Discord doesn't hurt the forum.

The way I see it, is that Discord is good for instant messaging and chat events. It's not good for long-form discussions. On the other hand, forums are made for long-form discussions.

But yeah, you have to be careful to split and setup things properly so that your Discord doesn't overlap with your forum and cannibalize it. For instance, your Discord server probably shouldn't have a channel for every one of your sub-forums. That 1 to 1 channel to sub-forum ratio is cute, but it's not good for your forum.

 

[Bryn]

I'll tell you something... if I wasn't stupid enough to set up a Discord server even as a replacement for Jcink's faulty shoutbox, it would've been still standing.

However though, one forum I know is still going well despite having a Discord (where people just have silly banter amongst each other there).